Lest we forget . . .

There are certain things that I've forgotten about being a mother of an infant. I think mother's tend to forget these things for sanity's sake - they would never, ever, ever want another infant if they really remembered all that they have to do to keep them alive and happy. Here's a list of some of the things I forgot to remember . . .

Nursing is not for chumps. Breastfeeding isn't terribly difficult, but it can be a bit on the painful side to start. Also - having a smaller baby means that doctors are VERY concerned about her gaining weight, which means I actually wake a sleeping baby more often than I care to admit to waking a sleeping baby to make sure she eats. I don't like waking sleeping babies - and she doesn't like being woken. I forget when it starts to get a little easier.


Oh, the diapers. I forgot how many diapers a wee baby can use. And how frustrating it is to change a diaper to have it immediately filled. And, while I don't blame her, Zoe does not like to have any kind of wetness near her bum area. It just means I'm constantly changing diapers - which is good - because it means her parts are all working properly. I just forgot what it meant to always have a diaper and a wipe handy - just in case.

We all like to be held. Annie was not a very needy baby. Her needs were tended to and she just didn't complain much. Zoe likes to be held and bounced and held some more. She sleeps (thank goodness!) but she needs to be put to sleep more often than not. I forgot how involved bedtime can be.


Sleep - precious sleep. There was a policy at the hospital that the night after a c-section, the nurses take your baby into the nursery so you can get some rest. Well - I had Zoe at 8:00 p.m., so the night after my c-section was not restful at all because there was nurses checking my blood pressure, nurses feeling my legs for clots, nurses checking my incision and machines beeping and making noises right when I fell asleep. I don't think I got more than an hour or so of sleep. So the next night, my sweet night nurse asked me if she could take my baby to give me some rest. I could have kissed her. Even with her bringing Zoe in to eat at about midnight, I got a full seven hours of sleep that night and I felt rested and ready to be a mom again. I forget how nice it is to have a full nights sleep.


The smell. Babys have a scent that is unlike anything on earth. Even when she isn't freshly washed, there is something about a baby that smells soooooo good. I forgot how deceiving a baby's smell can be.

It all comes back. Even after seven years of not having a baby in the house, I've managed to figure everything out again. It's just like riding a bicycle - you just know how to do it. I'm glad that a lot of things are running off of muscle memory, because there is a lot of things to remember.