tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72322474512241197942024-03-13T12:27:15.900-07:00babymom.combabymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-78862589658892586662008-11-13T05:24:00.000-08:002008-11-13T05:26:42.668-08:00Good RhythmBy Babymom.com<br />13 Nov 2008<br /><br />He wakes up spitting mad, hungry as hell and contorted with colic<br />He latches onto my breast hungrily and pants pants pants while he feeds<br />Then after about 10 minutes he falls asleep<br />I let him sleep in my arms - this first little sleep usually only lasts 2 minutes<br />Then he wakes and proceeds to stre-e-e-tch<br />He looks like buzz lightyear when he stretches - his one arm aimed heavenward, the other straight down<br />Then he feeds calmly for a while<br />Then a giant fart-poo ensues<br />Accompanied by angry contortions<br />And sporting his poo face – brows furrowed, eyes slightly cross-eyed and little lips pursed<br />Then we move to the nappy changing area<br />And spend a few minutes lifting and stretching his legs or stroking his tummy till the rest of the poo comes out!<br />Sometimes we sing and play to distract him, which usually helps with the poo<br />Finally, with a clean nappy and smelling sweet again, we play on the bed for about 30 minutes<br />Mostly we sing together, but sometimes I leave him to stare out the window or at the leaf pattern on our bedframe<br />Finally we go back to the final round of breast feeding<br />This time he is calm and feeds methodically, yet leisurely<br />He falls asleep and I hold him for a few minutes (enjoying his supine body!)<br />And then gently wake him before he goes too far into sleep, and lay him in his pram<br />He looks bewildered and angry for a moment<br />I park the pram looking onto the golden curtains in the lounge<br />His face melts into calm<br />And he goes to sleepbabymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-60507703280315539592008-11-13T02:04:00.000-08:002008-11-13T02:06:59.740-08:00He sings!By Babymom.com<br />13 Nov 2008<br /><br />Well little Tim has delighted us all with his little singing voice<br />His favorite song is ‘Que sera sera’ which is Italian for ‘what ever will be, will be’<br />He accompanies me in a perfect little high pitched voice<br />Complete with little flurries and harmonies<br />His little face all smiles and gurgle mouth<br />His eyes bright and twinkly<br />His fingers stroking the air<br />He can currently handle two rounds of the chorus<br />Before returning to his usual state of inscrutable meditationbabymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-90886463886923595802008-11-09T06:37:00.000-08:002008-11-12T04:57:47.156-08:00Who does Tim look like?Tim has his father’s long strong toes, powerful hands and thunderous brow<br />You can see parts of me in his little face<br />Dark Chinesey eyes<br />A commanding nose (which comes from my mom’s Angolan family)<br />Plump lips<br />While his jaw is delicate and pointy<br /><br />When you put his little face together<br />He looks a bit like my brother Andre<br />Except for that Joker’s grin<br />Which is pure Doherty<br />Does this mean he’s got the Doherty sense of humor?<br />We’re also hoping he gets the great Doherty cheekbones<br /><br />Zooming out, he has sallow skin<br />And dark hair<br />Even on his little ears<br />So Portuguese<br />Bless the young Wolverine!babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-88284003405883049302008-11-03T02:40:00.001-08:002008-11-03T02:40:32.203-08:00Upside down loving<em>By Babymom.com<br />3 Nov 2008<br /></em><br />The doctor told me to sit behind him while I put his little nose drops in<br />So I lay him down on the bed and kneeling behind his little head<br />I squeezed 2 drops into each nostril<br />Tim scrunched his face up in distaste as some errant drops trickled into his eyes and mouth as a result of my clumsy maneuvers<br />I cradled his tiny feather soft head in my hands and gently tilted it back<br />Then I slipped a finger quietly behind each ear<br />Stroking him gently<br />And I brought my face up really close<br />Tim was enchanted at seeing me upside down while I tickled gently behind the ears<br />And within seconds he was in gurgling heaven<br />Bright-eyes loving me<br />Purring like a kittenbabymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-57825439956526105732008-10-27T07:37:00.001-07:002008-10-27T07:37:58.521-07:00Tim's Nature<em>By Babymom.com<br />26 Oct 2008<br /><br /></em>Tim is an old soul<br />A thoughtful baby with a heavy-duty philosophers frown<br />(Which I’ve learnt means ‘Do Not Disturb’)<br /><br />He loves the light<br />And will gyrate his body inside out to gaze enrapt<br />He loves being outdoors<br />Surrounded by the dappled light of trees and the gurgling fountain<br />He raises his eyes skyward, hungry like a baby eagle<br /><br />He’s a quiet guy<br />Doesn’t cry much, uses his voice sparingly<br />Prefers to warn with a short sharp snort<br />(Usually when I try massage his little feet while he’s wearing his Do Not Disturb sign!)<br /><br /><br />He is much more animated in his dreamlife<br />Where he regularly smiles, whimpers and sucks imaginary breasts<br />What is he experiencing?<br />A few nights ago Christo was doing the nightshift<br />When Tim started laughing in his sleep<br />A deep belly laugh that rocked his little body over and over again<br /><br />I can’t wait for his laugh to spill into his waking lifebabymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-53541340948124823042008-10-25T06:04:00.000-07:002008-11-12T04:59:21.292-08:00The Tortoise and the Dassie<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V2kCbBjvRU0/SRrTE1quBlI/AAAAAAAAABA/XZ17oTLB2iU/s1600-h/rita_tim_w_sling.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267754794242410066" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 121px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V2kCbBjvRU0/SRrTE1quBlI/AAAAAAAAABA/XZ17oTLB2iU/s200/rita_tim_w_sling.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em>By Babymom.com<br />25 Oct 2008<br /></em><br />Sometimes Tim is like an old tortoise<br />Wizened little head and crinkled neck searching<br />Lips pursed to make a little beak<br /><br />Sometimes he is a dassie<br />A chubby little block of mammal<br />Inclined inert across my lap as he feeds<br /><br />But when he is still<br />His face a Chinese painting of dashes and noughts<br />He is a little human baby<br />Newly arrived on planet earth!</div>babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-82746315144635440762008-10-23T07:02:00.000-07:002008-10-23T07:08:40.079-07:00Repeat it, repeat it, repeat it<div align="left"><em>By Zombimom.com<br /></em>21 Oct 2008<br /><br /><em>They take a time honored event and repeat it, repeat it, repeat it,<br />Until something new enters the world</em><br />- Don DeLillo, Mao II<br /><br /><br />Repetition is quite a formidable force<br />A bit bludgeoning<br />Life goes by in a swirl of cycles and cycle fragments<br />Wake, feed, burp, hold, nappy, feed, burp, hold, play, settle, sleep<br />Takes 1-2 hrs and happens around 8 times a day </div><div align="left">A complex percussion</div>babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-28579055533205634692008-10-23T07:00:00.000-07:002008-10-23T07:02:28.687-07:00ClumsyBy Zombimom.com<br />21 Oct 2008<br /><br />I’m feeling a bit clumsy with Tim lately<br />I think I’m trying too hard<br />Lost the touch a bit<br /><br />And I’m missing Tim<br />Even though I spend most of my day circling his orbit<br /><br />And I’m missing Time<br />Ever since sleep training started my time has halved<br />And I’m a bit lost <br /><br />At touch of the blues?<br />Brought on by the ‘ol night trainbabymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-47928395745407382472008-10-20T03:21:00.000-07:002008-11-09T06:43:47.148-08:00Big brother<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V2kCbBjvRU0/SRb23ZrInXI/AAAAAAAAAA4/6g98odby-WA/s1600-h/matt&tim_0026ed.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266668245901417842" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 157px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V2kCbBjvRU0/SRb23ZrInXI/AAAAAAAAAA4/6g98odby-WA/s200/matt%26tim_0026ed.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em>By Babymom.com<br />20 Oct 2008</em><br /><br />Matt has dashed up from Grahamstown for 3 days<br />He's taken to Tim with an easy grace<br />His lanky body all soft elbows and generous hands cradling Tim comfortably<br />I’m amazed how gentle he is<br />And he’s also courageous – bathing, burping, feeding, cuddling like a young pro<br /><br />Ironically Matt's just discovered George Orwell<br />Animal Farm really blew him away<br />Yesterday he bought a copy of the iconic ‘1984’ by Orwell at Exclusive Books in Bedford<br />Big Brother is watching<br /><br />Lucky for Tim Matt is a good big brother<br />He worked out yesterday he’ll be 25 when Tim is 10.</div>babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-13468709929606520982008-10-19T06:45:00.000-07:002008-10-20T03:20:48.325-07:00Small things make a big differenceBy Babymom.com feat. Zombimom.com<br />18 Oct 2008<br /><br /><em>Don’t complain</span></em><br /><br /><em>Babymom</em><br />Complaining saps your energy and makes you a victim. Stop complaining and your energy shoots up.<br /><br /><em>Zombimom</em><br />You can still get fed-up exhausted, and re-tell the story of your hardships to sympathizers, but try stay positive.<br /><br /><br />Be zen<br /></span><br /><em>Babymom</em><br />Everyone knows a happy baby is a happy mom, but the reverse is also true. Which is why it’s so important to relax into the moment – Tim often follows suit … Being zen doesn’t take away the hard stuff, but it makes it more bearable.<br /><em><br />Zombimom<br /></em>We lose the plot completely almost every day though. Poor mite, when he gets over-tired and the hiccups strike, but he is so tired he can’t feed them away. He lies there, his little mouth latched, but slack, drifting into sleep between each hiccup, wrongly believing each horrid cup is the last.<br /><br /><br />Bath every morning</span><br /><br /><em>Babymom</em><br />It’s amazing how regenerative a bath can be. You go in with the night still weighing on your shoulders, you come out beautifully refreshed (with a little help from wonderful hormones that new moms come equipped with!)<br /><br /><em>Zombimom</em><br />Got to take the gap and bath when Tim takes his first sleep of the day, because the rest of the day is accounted for …<br /><br />Learn!<br /></span><br /><em>Babymom<br /></em>Dedicating effort to understanding baby is very worthwhile, though it’s often mystifying, especially since Tim changes. The more and faster you learn the happier everyone is. Here’s some stuff I reckon is useful to know about Tim, and I guess other babies might be similar –<br /><br /><br />Chill on the running banter<br /></span><em><br />Babymom<br /></em>Know when to talk and when to shut up. For Tim talking is more of a happy thing. He doesn’t like talking all the time and often has more important things to do like look at the light streaming in through the window or pass a bit of wind.<br /><br /><em>Zombimom<br /></em>When he’s tense he seems to find talking an unwelcome guest, like an insect buzzing at his ear.<br /><br /><br />Stroke him gently</span><br /><br /><em>Babymom<br /></em>One of our favourite things is stroking each other. I use it when he’s sleepy to rouse him and when he’s relaxed, because he succumbs completely to my purring hands. And Tim strokes me oh so feather soft when he’s feeding. It’s gorgeous.<br /><em><br />Zombimom</em><br />But when he frets at the edge of sleep, then stroking just makes him fret more. I prefer to rest a hand on his chest.<br /><br /><br />Hold him</span><br /><br /><em>Babymom<br /></em>There is nothing more huggable and squeezable than a little baby. Mixing a little bit of holding and hugging with every wake time makes him happy.<br /><br />He cracked his first smile yesterday. And again this morning. Both smiles came when I was cradling him in my arms and playing small silly games. There is nothing nicer.<br /><br /><em>Zombimom<br /></em>Moms beware the allure of the adorable little piglets – watch out for exhausting cuddle addictions! I prefer little bursts of loving throughout the day, rather than prolonged lovey-dovey sessions.babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-67957341682373237572008-10-19T06:41:00.000-07:002008-10-19T06:45:05.049-07:00Sleep Trainingby babymom.com<br />16 Oct 2008<br /><br />It caught up with me this morning<br />I’m gatvol of night feeding<br />A good night is five feeds!<br />Ridiculous! Outrageous!<br /><br />So I ran to a my sleep book and read about how demand feeding leads to bad sleeping habits<br />Which ruin the child and drain the mom<br />So today we started the path to the contented baby routine<br />The aim is to get Tim to go to sleep by himself<br />And not rely on me to feed him to sleep<br />(Yes, I confess!)<br /><br />I also need to slightly reduce how much he sleeps in the day<br />The underlying belief being ‘less sleep during the day, more sleep at night’<br />This directly contradicts the demand feeding mantra of ‘the more they sleep, the more they sleep’<br />The logic of reducing day sleep to increase night sleep makes some sense though<br />So i’ll try this idea out for size<br /><br />The only problem with less day sleep is that Tim is awake for much longer<br />Which is a problem because I don’t quite know how to fill up his awake time<br />We played nicely this morning<br />But he can only play for short spells still<br />What do we do the rest of the time?<br />And less day sleep for Tim is less time for me, oh dear<br /><br />He wakes! Wish us luck!babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-63939650197036037932008-10-13T08:21:00.000-07:002008-10-14T21:42:06.430-07:00Zen and the art of baby maintenanceby Babymom.com<br />13 Oct 2008<br /><br />Breastfeeding can be a rather meditative affair<br />(when you’re not all floppy-necked half asleep!)<br />When you’re happy to hold the little seal close to you<br />And you chilled<br />Then things go swimmingly<br /><br />My day is made up of lots of experiences that are both intense and pedestrian – changing nappies, bathing us, making lactation tea, sterilizing bottles of expressed milk, eating, writing, stretching, sleeping, a bit of cooking, admin and ofcourse the ubiquitous breastfeeding etc.<br /><br />On a good day I enjoy each activity, no matter how repetitive<br />Looking for the sweetness in each one<br />Nappy changing is a chance to make eye contact, play with his little feet, fondle and fuss<br />A bit of cooking is a welcome escape<br />& feeding Tim can be warm and chill at the same time<br /><br />Eureka! Is this the big Zen?!<br />Live in the moment ek sê<br />Here’s to more good days :-)babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-24063118953278458382008-10-12T09:21:00.001-07:002008-10-12T09:21:55.113-07:00SleepBy Zombimom.com<br />12 Oct 2008<br /><br />All my life I’ve slept well<br />Blessed with a rich dreamlife<br />It was a gift I treasured<br />Now it’s gone<br /> Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care,The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,<br />Chief nourisher in life's feast....<br />Macbeth, Act II Scene II<br /><br />This is what sleep means to me now<br />The room is dark except for a nightlight in the corner<br />Casting a glow over Tim’s basin<br />The nightlight puts terror in my heart<br />The light at the end of the tunnel<br />Is an oncoming train<br /><br />Sleep is like a runaway train<br />Hungrily lapping up the minutes<br />To build a jigsaw of stolen moments<br />That quilt the night together into a semblance of sleep<br /><br />What’s missing is the deep sleep<br />Even when you’re down<br />The world outside flashes by in surreal, aching bursts<br />I live in REM<br />But my dreams are ghostly<br />And disappear like a puff of smoke when I wake up<br /><br />The secret to overcoming the avalanche<br />Is to take an afternoon nap with baby<br />Without the nightlight I fall into deep sleep<br />For one juicy intense hour<br />My body drinks from the ‘chief nourisher in life’s feast …’<br />(Thanks to Dr. Heidi for the tip)babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-74924884592417119352008-10-10T06:17:00.000-07:002008-10-10T06:22:03.862-07:00The games we playby babymom.com<br />9 Oct 2008<br /><br />Tim and I play 3 games so far – Whoosh, Goldfish & Sneeze<br /><br /><em>Whoosh!</em><br /><br />This game is inspired by one of my favorite funfair rides – the boat, which swishes round a dizzying 180 degrees. You feel like you’re falling, but it’s all so gentle, like someone is holding you.<br /><br />The ride must have come to mind because of the experience of putting Tim down in his cot – you got to handle the drop in altitude with gentleness, or Tim feels the rush of cold air and startles, thinking he will fall. But if you do it gentle, he gives into the fall.<br /><br />In the Whoosh! game I cradle him in my arms and gently dip his body back and down and say Whoo-oo-oo-oo-sh! as we dive. I think it helps him relax about diving through air.<br /> <br />Tim really likes the game. He locks eyes with me and urges me on to the next Whoosh!<br /><br /><em>Goldfish<br /></em><br />This is a simple game of pursing lips and popping them gently like a goldfish. I figure Tim can relate to the sound and motion of the goldfish because he knows all about sucking sounds and cupid lips.<br /><br />Tim is intrigued by this game. He watches closely and I almost get the feeling he’s trying to play back and imitate me, but still lacks the control.<br /><br />Christo plays a similar game with Tim, but his fish is much bigger.<br /><em><br />Sneeze<br /></em><br />Sneeze is an opportunistic game – every time Tim sneezes, usually about 3 sneezes in a row, I go ‘Yowweee’ or ‘yoh’ or some such, celebrating sneezes like fireworks.<br /><br />He hasn’t shown any response to this game yet, but I'm hoping the long-term effects will be a happy and easy love of sex.babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-58947300232372485202008-10-10T06:03:00.000-07:002008-10-10T06:22:21.516-07:00Professor Play & the Sandmanby zombimom.com<br />7 Oct 2008<br /><br />There are different ideas about taking care of babies<br />The big fashion now is ‘low stimulation’<br />Darkened rooms away from the noise of life<br />Startling arms swaddled tight against the jerks of life<br />10 minutes of Mozart for stimulation once a day<br /><br />Christo doesn’t think much of this<br />He belongs to the school of 'don't walk on eggshells'<br />A world of noise and light and people and toys and bangs<br /><br />Last week I had a blissful day when Tim put himself to sleep time and again<br />I was high on freedom<br />This sterling achievement was the fruit of a low stimulation diet<br /><br />But Christo wasn’t having any of it<br />He complained he hardly saw Tim anymore, he was always sleeping<br />He wanted to play with monkey mobiles and funny noises<br /><br />Zombimom cried No, once he starts jolling he doesn’t stop<br />(... and I’m the one that has to get up in the night)<br /><br />But a few days later I felt the tug of loss too<br />I was the sleep-machine, the sandman<br />And Tim was being swallowed up by drowsiness<br /><br />So we’re aiming for the happy medium now<br />Christo has learnt that Tim does startle when you bang plates around<br />And I've learnt that a startle is just a startle<br />Tim soon settles down again<br />Absorbing the surprise<br /><br />He sleeps in the lounge during the day<br />Golden light streams in through the windows<br />A steady stream of music infuses the air around him<br />Electro, funk, soul, rap, house, jazz, alt country, folk, dub, contemporary classic<br />When he’s a bit older we’ll progress to punk and Japanese noise bands<br /><br />As for me<br />Sleep deprivation takes its toll<br />The light at the end of the tunnel is the light of an oncoming train<br />So sleep is a big thing in our lives<br />But loneliness also takes its toll<br />We need to reignite our love every day for the good energy to flow<br />The good energy that shakes the night before off<br /><br />So I'm learning to cool off on the sleep police<br />Relax and play<br />Funny-sad it didn’t come naturallybabymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-7382643145984982342008-10-03T04:21:00.000-07:002008-10-10T05:59:14.355-07:00BoobytrapBy zombimom.com<br />3 Oct 2008<br /><br />Breastfeeding is not for sissies<br />We have beautiful breastfeeding moments<br />Little jaw relaxed and rhythmical, little tongue lapping<br />And we have horrible breastfeeding moments<br />When desperate little mouths thrash in frustration<br />Especially in the early days<br />And when breastfeeding turns dark you’ll do anything to make it better<br />That’s how I ended up with one giant breast and one little breast<br /><br />In the beginning when latching was a hit and miss affair<br />We found it easier going on the left side<br />So instead of alternating, like the experts say, we kept gravitating back to the left<br />The result was 10 days later I sported a watermelon on one side and an orange on the other<br /><br />A happy-latching and disciplined alternating week later<br />And I’m relieved to report I'm back to two mangos<br />(though one mango is still a bit bigger)babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-43445590432551581292008-10-03T04:20:00.000-07:002008-10-10T05:59:51.398-07:00Tim's first venture into the world on his ownBy babymom.com<br />29 Sept 2008<br /><br />Tim is 2 weeks old today and we weighed him at the clinic. He came in a healthy 3.6kg, with nappy and babygrow, which we didn’t have the heart to take off in the clinical clinic. He came into the world at 3.2kg, so I reckon he’s doing well.<br /><br />Today was also his first venture into the world on his own. He drove strapped in a car chair to the clinic. Last time we drove I held him in my arms, so he was still inside his little cocoon. He became frightened when we strapped him into the chair and quickly hunkered down, shut his eyes tight and went to sleep, where he whimpered and squealed pitifully in his dreams. He’ll probably need a lot of TLC tonight.babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-20389519806672641092008-10-03T04:17:00.001-07:002008-10-10T06:00:56.337-07:00My first watchby zombimom.com<br />29 Sept 2008<br /><br />I remember getting my first watch. It was a slim ladies digital in burgundy leather. I looked at the time every five minutes, no matter how hard I tried not to.<br /><br />The first days with Tim were exactly the same – I couldn’t help looking in on him every few minutes. At night he slept against my breast. Two weeks later and I still like to be by his side, but I no longer need to check on him every five minutes. Sjoe.babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-17778231384364760712008-10-03T04:16:00.000-07:002008-10-10T06:01:29.398-07:00These are a few of my terrible things ...by zombimom.com<br />28 Sept 2008<br /><br />He thrashes his little body taught<br />Tormented by hiccups and air demons<br />Rooting and chortling for food<br />Like an angry little ferret<br /><br />The moments between waking and getting up in the dark<br />Weary feet, wrists, shoulders, neck, arches and planes<br />Shot nerves, vertigo spells, imaginary goblins<br />Cold<br />(I’m no longer protected by Tim’s warmth inside me, nor is he protected by my warm waters)babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-47861962356450188792008-10-03T04:15:00.000-07:002008-10-19T12:12:56.943-07:00These are a few of my favourite things<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V2kCbBjvRU0/SPuFDekvu3I/AAAAAAAAAAw/ocAvVV5TuJM/s1600-h/Cherub.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258943284678474610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V2kCbBjvRU0/SPuFDekvu3I/AAAAAAAAAAw/ocAvVV5TuJM/s320/Cherub.jpg" border="0" />photo by Christo</a><br /><div><div>babymom.com<br />28 Sept 2008<br /><br />He makes this wicked little chortle in his dreams<br />His smile is all sunshine lips, ears and eyes leap open<br />He is rosy and golden<br />Ntombi calls him pinkie<br />His legs are tiny chicken legs, his feet so strong<br />His one ear is slightly crumpled<br />He has a darling, expressive face<br />Thunderous frowns<br />Delicate lip smacking<br />Arches his brows in a comical French way<br />And wonks his eyes crossways<br />Inscrutable bright-eyed Buddha<br />The way he wakes up, raising one lazy tortoise eye at a time<br />His little body easing into warm water, cradled by Christo<br />He smells like a hot loaf of bread in the middle of the night<br />My little bun is fresh out of the oven</div></div>babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232247451224119794.post-41194884000165422502008-10-03T04:13:00.000-07:002008-10-10T06:03:17.485-07:001 week oldby babymom.com<br />22 Sept 2008<br /><br />Countdown<br /><br />The week before Tim’s birth I was unnaturally calm, my anxiety betrayed only by the odd sobbing spell that broke suddenly like a Highveld thunderstorm.<br /><br />Day 1: Joy<br /><br />At the hospital I felt nauseous with anxiety, and like a child I closed my eyes to ward off the world. Christo stroked my hair. A soft-spoken Russian anesthetist gently injected my spine. My legs disappeared. Something pushed down on me and with a great guttural wail, Tim burst bloody and waxy into the world. He was unbelievably beautiful and I exploded with joy and tears.<br /><br />Our first day was heavenly. Timmy slept in my arms all day, bathed in golden light and pethedrine, holding each other tight.<br /><br />Day 2: Terror<br /><br />At 4am a rough nurse tossed me out of bed. Hot pain. Then she abandoned me to take an inexpert bath alone, wincing and whimpering.<br /><br />Tim wouldn’t wake up. Nurse said not to worry, newborns do that. 12 hours later blind panic struck. He was hot and lethargic. I stripped him down and dabbed him with wet cotton wool. A few hours later he choked on vomit because I hadn’t burped him properly. By the end of the day I was tearful. I spent the night fighting off terror. He was so little.<br /><br />Day 3: Delusions of Mastery<br /><br />Next day I woke Tim up every four hours and fed him. After a rough start, we were getting the hang of breastfeeding (deceptively tricky to begin with). A few successful feeds and nappy changes later and I was feeling masterful … only to be undone a few hours later by a bout of angry hiccups and a fretful feeding session lasting 4 hours. I finally worked out it wasn’t food he wanted and cuddled him in bed.<br /><br />One week later …<br /><br />Yesterday we had a wonderful day. He was so peaceful and easy going – sleeping, feeding, pooing, peeing and chilling bright-eyed with us. But just the day before I woke up feeling like someone had smashed my arms with a hammer. I don’t know what I’d do without Christo. He calms Tim and I down when we’re exhausted and stuck.<br /><br />Today Timothy Zé Doherty turns 1 week old. We’re getting a little orange-cherry cake from the bakery and a candle to celebrate. He is as cute as a button.babymom.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509614528057918586noreply@blogger.com0