There are several mini topics I've had on my mind lately so here's a random topic post with mini headlines. :)
She Looks Like... I posted earlier about old wives tales regarding the sex of the baby. Every other day of my pregnancy, someone would guess a different sex based on a different reason (for the record - the Chinese calendar was right, the pencil test was wrong). It made me laugh because people were so convinced by their own reasonings - even though the person right beside them had a different reason to guess a different sex. Well, the latest version of that is when people try to determine who Emerson looks like. At this point, I think Emerson has been compared to every living relative - and even a few who are no longer with us - that she has. I love it though. People still do that to me - if I meet a childhood friend of my mom's, she will immediately tell me how much I look like Mom. A day later, I could meet a childhood friend of my dad's, and he will proceed to proclaim his surprise at how much I look like Dad. I tell people that Emerson doesn't look like anyone...but Emerson. :)
Three months... Immediately after I gave birth, before being dismissed to go home, I had a final visit from both my doctor and my pediatrician. They gave me the same exact advice: give it three months. My doctor said I'd feel like a normal human again in three months. When we asked the pediatrician about different concerns we had, he always said she'd grow out of it in three months. Three months. It sounds like a long time (and felt like it at times!) - but here we are, two months and two weeks later and I have to admit, they were right. Emerson is already a totally different baby, and Mommy and Daddy are normal humans again! Everyone is sleeping better and smiling more! It's amazing how different it is!
Back to Work... I have to preface this mini-post by admitting that I've been incredibly lucky. I've had a nice long maternity leave with Emerson, since it fell right at the end of school. I had her exactly six weeks before school let out, so I had that time plus the entire month of June. But today was my last day to be home with her. I teach a training in Lex the next two weeks and then professional development begins and then, well, school. And even though I'm desperate to return to work, I have a confession: I cried several times today at the idea of leaving her. I've been with her almost the entire day of every single day of her life. That's a lot of time to spend with someone! I miss her already just thinking about it. And the idea of someone else watching her - someone who doesn't know that she likes to be held facing out and that she doesn't like getting hiccups and that she had a hard time falling asleep on her back and that she gags when she needs to spit up and that she likes her little blue elephant toy and that she... well... just someone who doesn't know her like her Mama... the idea of it terrifies me. I cannot express how much I will miss my sweet baby and the Mommy/daughter time we have had together already.
And that's all I have to say about that.
You made me cry on that one...nicely written. All mothers can relate to this -- it's one of those days (in my case a week) you'll never forget. Just as your doctor advised, give it time. But don't worry it doesn't take 3 months. My only advice (unsolicited I know ;) is rather than focusing on leaving her, think about the moment you get to see her again. For me it ranks right up there with the first time you lay eyes on them when they are born.
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