I'm learning that parenting doesn't mean both of us doing the same thing and interacting with our son in the same way. For us, it means each of us doing different things so in total the baby has everything he needs. One of us might be called on more to hold and soothe the baby, based on how the baby responds to us at a given time. One of us is more attentive when bottle feeding. Later on, we will introduce our interests and see what holds and drives our child's attention.
September 15, 2010: rolling back to front! We call to him to roll over and he calls out like a pup sometimes - he's a young urban puppy (yuppy). He's learned to hold onto the side rails on the change table so he isn't moved around as much when being changed. In his car seat he holds onto one side and twists his body to grab a toy with his other hand.
Laying in a supply of children's reading...including 37 years/194 issues of Stone Soup for $100 USD (shipping extra).
We start to think about options after my one-year maternity leave...grandparents are an option. I have the thought that if more people love him he may not need as much from any one person. Right now it's easy, but his emotional needs will be more complex later.
Those 'second baby' thoughts began as soon as we brought him home and placed him, sleeping, in the bassinet at home. 'Having children' is an abstract proposition until that first one comes along, silky-haired & slow-blinking to sleep, after which there is enough positive reinforcement that we feel equipped for another...in time.
Three things that work for us: co-sleeping, using a baby carrier (Ergo Baby), breastfeeding (planning to continue for 1 year+).
We host a visit with my high-school friends, who have now become a health promotion manager, a pastor-to-be, and an aspiring actor / aspiring project manager. It makes me consider whether motherhood was what I expected. I didn't realize I'd love him so much, though I must say he is loveable. He hugs my hand and forearm to his chest with both hands. It's also more work than I expected but at other times it's easy. Since I work in human resources, I think about how people find their life's work, how work shapes them, and how work environment & work relationships enrich or diminish people.
My official job title: Human Resources (Supervisor)
My unofficial job description in one sentence (what I really do): Keep management out of trouble & employees happy.
How I got here: National online post-secondary recruitment campaign (jobs.gc.ca).
Why I'm still here/why I stayed: Good fit of skills/needs/interests to job/environment.
Best part of the job: My actions often have direct, visible, positive impact.
What I would change: A little less process-focus / greater flexibility.
Advice for someone considering this job: Gain experience first, and then fill in the gaps with training.
We visit my grandmother & uncle & family, and it makes me wonder how my generation will grow up, and whether the cousins' kids will play together often enough to be friends.
September 26: Word on the Street festival!
What I love: When I walk him into a dark room, he doesn't make a sound while waiting for more light, trusting in where I am taking him. He wriggles when he's happy, with his whole body. His throaty laugh. His quiet examination of his surroundings from the safety of my arms. The wild kicking of his legs. The slow dawning of his smile when my husband and I are laughing, from curiosity to amusement to sharing in the laughter. The silent wide-open smile. The spark in his eyes looking at a toy or novel object. The quiet cooing as he seeks to tame the big overhead fan above. The practice of sounds over and over, playing at babbling. How, sitting quietly in my lap, he'll carefully tilt his head all the way back to look at me. How pleased he looks sitting on a visitor's lap. The furrowing of his eyebrows. His sneezes, sighs, and yawns. How his fingers curl around mine, and then tighten into a fist. His grippy toes. The way his hair grows on the top of his head. The way he smiles at his own reflection.
Reading:
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