April 8th, 2010

Mom's stuff:
This last week has been a really, really fun one. LP's grandparents (AZ) came to visit for a whole 5 days, and we both loved it. I got spoiled because I had time to eat breakfast and take a shower while they were here! One of the things I'm realizing about being a mom is how much I am "on." Again, this is one of those things I understood in my head before LP was born, but didn't really get until I was really into it. Basically, I am always alert and always have one eye and ear out for my little one, both during the day, and at night where I am theoretically sleeping. I didn't really realize the effect of this until the first time my husband was "in charge" for the night. Basically, he would listen for the baby and wake me up when the baby was ready to eat. I slept better that night that I had in three months, even though I was woken up at 4 am. Similarly, while my parents were here, they took LP to a local coffee shop in the mornings for about an hour. While they were gone I not only got stuff done, but I also was able to mentally and physically relax a bit. It is interesting to me how our bodies react to heightened need and stress. In some ways my body and mind are rising to meet the challenge - I don't even know I have been hyper aware and alert until I don't have to be for a little while. On the other hand if I don't make time for those breaks I'm pretty sure I will burn out when I least expect it. I like to think that teaching for six years has helped me a bit. As a teacher you get used to being "on" for a large chunk of time. Now I'm "on" 24 hours a day, but in this case for my own kid, which totally makes it worth the effort!

LP's Stuff:
LP is getting really used to being cuddled all the time with all his grandparents' visits! I swear he watches me when its just the two of us and is thinking "gee mom, you're pretty boring!" He definitely likes to hear people talk and sing, and he is starting to interact a bit when you are playing with him. We had an exciting moment yesterday on his activity mat where I SWEAR he was purposefully hitting on of the objects. For what it is worth, the G-man agrees with me on this, so maybe it's not just in my head. LP also had his 1 month checkup and he did great. He got a shot but he recovered quite well. He also weights a whopping 8 lbs. 10 oz. That may not sound so impressive to my many friends who had 9 lb babies, but LP was 6 lbs. 14 oz. when he was born, so he is making some serious progress!

Pictures and Video: