Lunch with MawMaw
We drove to pick up Jesse's grandmother. It's very important to me that Jackson knows his grandparents and great grandparents. We ate a seafood lunch at the Mayflower and ran a few errands. I've been getting a lot of grief from various loved ones (especially MawMaw) about not letting Jackson cry and that I'm spoiling him. Now I don't know a lot about raising a child, but I do what feels right. I'm not going to listen to my hungry two month old cry for 30 minutes in the car and refuse to feed him, nor am I going to let my tired, fussing child continue to cry without picking him up and swaying/shushing him. If that makes him "rotten" and spoiled, so be it.
Visit with Baby Connor
Jesse found a set of SwaddleMe on clearance for $4 at Wal Mart! Jackson loved these and it was too cheap not to purchase for Connor. Since MawMaw's house is less than 5 minutes from Elizabeth's, we made a very short, impromptu visit. I vividly recall one of the first persons I told about my pregnancy telling me, "Welcome to motherhood. You'll gain the respect of every mother you know." It is totally true! While every mother-child relationship is different, I really do feel a deeper connection to other mothers. It excites me to hold a newborn and to hear about a new mother's experiences. (I totally realize I am a new mother, by the way!) I love the bond and sense of understanding that only a mother could have with another mother.
Christina's Birthday Party
My family is obsessed with birthday celebrations. After feeding and changing Jackson, we drove to Gastonia to celebrate my oldest sister's birthday. The three youngest babies of the family hung out on the floor. Megan, aka Thunder Thighs, cracked me up as she is already exhibiting nurturing qualities trying to calm a crying Jude and upset Jackson. It is virtually impossible to get a decent picture of these squirming babies, but I think you can get a sneak peak of their personalities.
Christina has taken on the role of mother to everyone in the family. It is rare to see her without a child on her lap or in her arms. She is always on the go, selflessly taking care of her family first. Happy Birthday!
College Roommate Spending the Night
My college roommate and her fiance live towards the coast. They were in town for a concert and wanted to stay the night with us. They didn't arrive at our house until after the concert, which was after midnight. It felt great to instantly reconnect, but I was beyond exhausted and unable to carry on a conversation past 1 a.m. The guest room is adjacent to the nursery so I was hoping and praying Jackson didn't wake them during the night. His schedule was way off since he's normally asleep by 9 p.m. but it was close to 11 pm. before we even got home from Christina's. Despite lots of crying, our guests are heavy sleepers and swear they didn't hear a sound.
As one of those loved ones giving you grief, trust me it's coming from a good place. I don't think you're spoiling baby Jacks at all, seriously. It's just so ironic to see you, Ms. Independent-tough-it-out, be so super sweet with your little guy. It's just cute; no grief intended =)
ReplyDeletep.s maybe we're even a little jealous because we no longer have that option to drop everything and soothe...I'm just sayin' ;)