Maternal aphasia: Week Two

We got through the first week. The bleary eyes, the excess of house guests. The bris during a blizzard, still surprisingly well-attended. The second week = settling in. Stability. Reality. Some whopping good tantrums by older brother, usually at the same time (late afternoon), always with the same root causes (sleepiness, displacement). Wild hormonal swings of mama, but nothing requiring medication.

Right now it's quiet in the house - Jonah just left for a playdate at a friend's house - and Abe is sleeping in his fleecy lamb suit that's been on since we got back from our early morning doctor visit (he's as slow of a gainer as his brother was, causing me much angst but luckily not as much as last time around). And it's a sunny, warm day. And I am full of gratitude. I believe I got some sleep last night (always hard to say for sure). I've had some coffee. And I want to thank:

Josh - for being the partner in parenting that I wish every mom had. He does so much, and then finds a way to do more.

My friend Sara - who may read this eventually. Sara, you called at the precise moment I needed you to yesterday. Thank you for letting me vent. Thank you for reassuring me it will all be OK. I actually believe it will.

People who do good - and more specifically, in our case, the many parents at Jonah's school who know what we are going through and who have organized to bring us dinners. What an amazing community we've fallen into. I can't wait until my turn comes to reciprocate.

If I'm being totally honest here, I should probably thank myself too. Jonah's difficulty gaining weight when he was born was made all the more difficult by the fact that I shared our predicament with our families, which led to numerous daily phone calls to find out how he was doing, whether he was eating enough, and a downward spiral of advice-dispensing that left me really confused and vulnerable. As soon as I saw that we'd be dealing with the same thing this time around, I asked Josh to not discuss it, and as difficult as it is for me, I haven't discussed it with my parents either. I am reaping the reward now - a chance to help Abe get back to his birth weight without a Greek chorus of voices second-guessing everything I'm doing.