Musings on Motherhood

Next Tuesday, March 12th, Odin will be 3 months old.

I can't even believe I just typed that.

It's astonishing how quickly time flies and how suddenly you realize that those first couple months are in the past. Sometimes I feel like I'm still getting used to the fact that I'm not pregnant anymore; other times I feel like I've been a mother for years. It's a weird pendulum-swinging sensation, where in the course of a day I go back and forth several times from one extreme to the other. It makes the rapid passage of time since Odin was born all the more bewildering.

There was a time in my life when I felt that I didn't ever want to have children, though I changed my mind a few years ago. It wasn't because I didn't like children, it was more because I wasn't sure I would make a good parent. I guess nobody ever knows for sure what kind of parent they will be until they become one. Now that Odin is here and I have gotten used to the idea of actually being a mother, when I look ahead I see that all I can do for my kids (plural - assuming I have one more) is make the best choices I can, love them unconditionally, and try my best to show them the beauty in music, art, kindness, and laughter. I will undoubtedly make mistakes, but I hope I can be honest about my mistakes and use them to teach my children. I want to show them the joy in silliness, that while people can be awful they can also be wonderful, and how to be self-reliant. I'd like to teach them that it's ok to feel sad, just as it is ok to feel angry or happy. How I'll teach my kids all of these things is something I'll have to figure out as I go, but I hope I won't lose sight of the things I think are important for them to know.

It's amazing that this journey is now underway.

Sweet Baby, Happy Family

A couple Saturdays ago, my dear friend - aka my 'little brother' - Mike (world famous for the photos he took of my belly when I was pregnant) came to the house for a photo shoot with Odin, Matt, and me (though the dogs got in on the action, too). There's not a whole lot to say about it except that I am very happy to have good photos of Odin at this age (he was 2 1/2 months old when these were taken), and Mike was so wonderful to do this for us. Thank you, Mikey.

Quick 2-Month Update

I know, you guys. I haven't posted the second 'episode' of Odin's birth story yet. I'm still working on it. But until I get it finished I'll try to post some quick updates and photos.

Coming home from the hospital

I can't believe Odin is two months old already. He has gone from 6 lbs., 5 oz. at birth to 10 lbs., 8 oz. in only two months, which seems like such a huge jump, and he has also grown 3 inches. My tiny boy won't be tiny much longer.

Got milk? He did!

I returned to work on Monday of this week, and while I do miss Odin during the day I have not experienced the total devastation some mothers feel when they first go back to work. I'm so happy that Odin is either with Matt or Pat (Matt's Mom) every day, so I know he is in the best of hands.

Baby Odin has made some huge strides in the last week by sleeping for much longer stretches of time at night, which is truly a blessing. Generally at night he will eat more at once and then sleep longer, usually sleeping for anywhere between 2.5 - 5 hours at a time. He is enjoying tummy time (usually, anyway) and it has been so fun to watch him look at things now that he can see so much. His favorite things to look at are ceiling fans (turned off for better viewing), though ceiling lights of any kind come in a close second. He often strokes my arm or my back while I'm holding him and he loves to grab at things.

Ready to go on an adventure

Murphy and Oliver (the dogs) "check on" Odin frequently throughout the day, seemingly just to make sure all is well. They don't nudge him or lick him, they just sniff the area around him, typically not getting any closer than 3-4 inches from him, and once they're satisfied that he's ok, they leave him alone.

Tummy champion

Matt and I are so in love with our boy, and we've been having a lot of fun being parents. Though sometimes it is also not very fun. But usually it is. I think we make a pretty good team.