Lessons from Mommyhood

Hadley is eight weeks old today. How did that happen? She's smiling and cooing and squealing with delight when we talk to her; she's sleeping 7-8 hours straight at night; she's getting more control of her (rather large) head; and she's definitely more attentive and curious than she was even a week ago.

She's learning, for sure--and so am I. Here are a few tidbits of my hard-won wisdom:

1. The people who make baby wipes hate parents. Why else would it be so hard to get a wipe out of the box with one hand?

1.a. If you let go of the baby's legs long enough to get a wipe out of the box, the baby will put her foot in the dirty diaper. Or she will pee. And then smile.

2. The people who make diapers are in cahoots with the people who make wipes. I have a whole pile of stained baby clothes to prove this theory. Sure seems to me that if we can orbit the earth and grow organs in petri dishes, someone should be able to design a diaper that prevents leakage.

3. The people who assign sizes to baby clothes are crazy. Hadley--who is no pipsqueak--has worn three outfits today (see #2 for reasons why). One of them is sized 0-3 months. One is sized 3 months. And one is sized 3-6 months. AND THEY'RE ALL THE SAME SIZE.

4. I am not the only mom who calls the pediatrician to ask 1) if green poop is normal and 2) if I should be concerned about all that spit-up. Here's how I know this: the receptionist assured me that it was fine, even before I talked to the doctor, who also reassured me that it was fine.

5. Babies have selective hearing. An ambulance can drive by our house with its sirens blaring while Hadley's sleeping; she won't move. The dogs next door can bark their tails off; she won't move. The UPS delivery guy can bang on the door; she won't move. But if I take one little step out of her room and the floor creaks ever so slightly, she's wide awake.

6. Eights weeks can go by very quickly, but an hour can seem like an eternity. (Go to sleep, baby girl! Go to sleep!)

7. Best of all, I've learned how to focus my attention on the present. For a person who spends a lot of time dreaming about her future--and planning, planning, planning--this lesson has been wonderful. Hadley's needs are SO immediate that it's hard to let my head drift off to next week or next month or next year.

And that's a great lesson, taught by one exceptional eight-week-old girl.