The Many Moods of the One Month Old

Slight Distaste

Bemused Fatigue

Grim Determination

Stupefaction

Tempered Optimism

Tired of Holding Up This Noggin

Irrational Exuberance

***

Ollie is one month today.

To celebrate he has been grinning like a fool for the first time, revealing a hint of dimples.

To celebrate I am applying an antifungal cream to his armpits, where he has a yeast infection due to growing so fast he has "fat folds other babies don't have," to quote his pediatrician. [current weight: 11lbs 2oz, up ~2.5lbs since leaving the hospital]

I am so disoriented it feels like I have simultaneously been here taking care of this baby forever and that he was born about an hour ago. The last month has been a nonstop party, with people visiting every weekend and some weekdays and Thanksgiving and Hanukkah (not to mention survivor football, where I am one of five people left out of an original 70, with of course no money at all at stake as that would be illegal. or something). We have literally not eaten this much takeout in our entire previous 6.5 years here.

***

Dylan is back to her old self, with a few modifications, including 1) lingering suspicion of my mom, who watched her while we went to the hospital, 2) an extra dose of evil in all her doings, and 3) a requirement of reassurance that she is toilet trained. Her version of a toileting regression has been to not actually have an accident, but to worry about having one all the time. She is nothing if not fastidious.

Anyone remember how I spent the whole year after having Dylan muttering about being relieved that I was no longer pregnant? I feel the same way, only more so this time, both because I was getting so alarmed about Ollie's size and because I was moderately ill the last few weeks of pregnancy but was holding off on taking antibiotics until he was born. An added bonus this time is that Dylan is right there with me. It turns out she had been cataloging every single thing I said I couldn't do when I was pregnant. Now each day she cheerfully mentions something I can do, such as Ride a Bike! Eat Treats! Pick Me Up (For a Little While)! Not Test Your Blood! Drink Beer! Have a Lap! Can't argue there.

She still hasn't figured out to resent Ollie and really likes having him around. The rest of us do too.