Reflections
But she's barely 2 weeks old and only wore that once!
It's been 3 weeks now and time has really gone by! Verene is growing. In fact, she already grew out some clothes by 2 weeks! I was shocked. I've always heard that there will be some clothes that she only wears once or twice which I never believed. It started sounding so cliché, now I know it's true. This is the first outfit she outgrew. Her aunt Autumn was the kind donor.
Daddy's calming reflex
After feedings at night I hold her on my chest sometimes to put her to sleep. She sleeps real well while laying there. Whenever she starts fussing or crying, I simply start patting her back and she calms down again. In fact, she's laying on my chest sleeping right now as I type. I'm reclined as far back as my chair will go and typing with my neck cocked up to see the monitor. One night she was up with Janae feeding and started to cry for some reason. Out of total reflex, I started patting my chest and shhhhh-ing thinking she was there. WIth body asleep, my mind was aware enough to know she wasn't there and started patting my shoulder thinking she was there instead. I continued quite happily never waking to her wail thinking I was dutifully calming our daughter. Janae just looked at me and couldn't stop laughing. She was only able to catch me with her really on my chest on another night. I guess I'm a really deep sleeper because the flashes didn't wake me either.
Nicknames
Little miss piggy (豬小妹)
: Credit goes to Janae's Dad. She eats like one and is born in the year of the pig...golden pig at that! Very clever.Woodpecker
: She can't hold up her head normally yet but seems to have no problems jutting it forward and back and from left to right in search of food when she's hungry.Joys of parenthood...day by day
The largest adjustment is not having 'free' time anymore. I found myself always doing something in the evenings and on the weekends - out with friends, to dinner, shopping, working on church responsibilities, or even running errands. Now we spend the weekends in the house watching and caring for Verene's every need. It amazes me how much time it takes to fulfill the most basic needs.
It is interesting to think of all the excitement in preparing for the coming of the baby. Getting baby stuff, reading a heap about baby care, thinking how our life will be changing, and the enthusiasm and support from friends and co-workers (we ended up having 3 different baby showers! One from our friends, my co-workers, and again with other Chinese friends who wanted an excuse to get together and eat! All this culminated to one moment...birth...and then the crying and sleepless nights started.Aaron put it best when he said,
Welcome to the club. Misery loves company. Sorry I couldn't tell you earlier.
What a contrast! For Janae and I, the birth was a special experience but I am learning now the love grows day by day and week by week (not to a month yet!).
