In case you aren’t a college football follower, I’ll just give you a little update.  Tonight Auburn plays Oregon for the National Championship.  To say Greyson is an Auburn fan is the world’s biggest athletic understatement.  He believes Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton is an angel sent from football heaven to save us from fumbles and interceptions.  Growing up in ACC country, I understand the devotion and mania of college basketball.  I did not, however, understand the religion that is SEC football until I got involved with an Auburn alumnus.  I had to memorize the fight song of his alma mater before we could wed.  Need I say more?

At Auburn in Fall 2006

For my Christmas present he gave me a Harry Potter wand.  (“That’s what she said!” Hey, that is not a euphemism.  Get your mind out of the gutter.) It was a toy wand that I waved to “open” my presents.  Each was complete with a poem telling me what I had received.  I got mama/baby yoga classes and a cleaning service to come and do a big spring cleaning in our house.  It was awesome!  What a sweet, clever man!

“Accio, Baby!”

Pink for when the seat is sans stroller.

Oh, the weighty issue of baby weight!  How much do you gain?  How much do you lose after delivery?  Do you wait to lost the weight?

I’m not big on talking about weight.  After years of therapy and treatment as an eating disordered teen I learned to merely think of weight as the gravitational pull on your body.  I healthfully lost weight before our wedding after post-college beers gave me a few extra pounds.  I considered that a major sign of my mental and physical good health.  (Please email me if you want to know more about my battle with Anorexia and treatment.  I am happy to help.  If someone you know is sick.  Get them help.)

I gained about 22 lbs.during my 9 months carrying Charlotte.  The doctor told me a woman at an average weight should gain 20-25 lbs.  Done.

I gotta tell ya’ll this.  I’m not trying to brag. Seriously.  I really say this out of utter amazement.  I only have a few pounds to lose.  I got into my skinny jeans about 3 weeks postpartum.  Don’t get me wrong, they’re snug, but I got them on.  And no, I will not post a picture because there is more muffin toppage than I care to capture on film.

I attribute the quick slim down to two things…

1. I was active during my pregnancy.  I kept up with moderate workouts.  I also worked.  My job requires me to be out-and-about, and on my feet.  I kept plugging away full force at work until 39.5 weeks.  
2. I’m breastfeeding.  I’m not kidding, it’s like running on a treadmill.  Breastfeeding can burn 500-700 calories a day.  A day!  Due to my former days of obsessive calorie-counting, I know how hard you have to work out to burn that many calories.  

It’s January.  I have to go back to work this month.  The 20th to be exact.  I’m trying not to think about it, yet plan for it at the same time.  You see my dilemma.

I had a crazy long to-do list this week that didn’t get done.  The Christmas decorations are down.  That’s good I guess.  But, what I really needed to do was blog and get this blog reformatted.  In case you  haven’t noticed, my baby was born and I need to revamp Somebody’s Parents into a baby blog versus pregnancy blog.  (All of that is in the works, I promise.)  I have posts swarming in my head.  I have an upcoming post on breastfeeding,  post on Charlotte’s “peers”, but both have yet to be published to my blog.

I guess I haven’t posted that much this week and I haven’t responded to comments because I’ve just wanted to snuggle with Charlotte.  I’ve wanted to take naps with her on the couch, take pictures of her, tickle her, make her smile, hold her, look at her, and just BE with her.  My time with my baby is about to be slashed dramatically and I’m dreading it.  Okay, I’m putting the laptop away.  I have an adorable 9-week-old to snuggle for just a few more minutes.  It is January after all.

Shots.  They come from guns.  They come from needles.  There’s nothing good about a shot.  I know, I know, they give my child life saving immunities to potentially fatal diseases, that’s good.  They still suck though.  However, I know if I make a big deal about shots, shots become a big deal.  I want Charlotte not to worry about getting a shot.  I want her to be brave.  So, I had to be brave today.  I figured I might as well practice faking it now at 2 months.  She’ll need me to fake bravery when she’s looking to me for comfort at the doctors’ office in the coming years.

I wanted Mom to go with me to the appointment, but she couldn’t go.  I wanted her to explain to the doctor what a terrible time I had with shots.  I got a high fever, I was sick for a few days.  It wasn’t good.  I considered a delayed vaccine schedule, but decided to go ahead and get it all done and see how she reacted.  The doctor reassured me vaccines were very different now than they were 29 years ago.   I had the nurse give her Tylenol before her shots though.  It didn’t help that they also had to redo the heel prick for her state blood test because they mixed up paper work.  Really?!  Are you kidding me?!  You mixed up paper work so you have to stab my baby again, you a-holes!!!!

Before shots…happy baby…

Dear Charlotte,
You’re two months old today.  Your second month can be defined by one thing, a smile.

You started smiling at us, mimicking our faces when we held you.  You made little coos and grins during baths.  You kicked your feet and gave shy little smiles in the stroller as we pushed you around while Christmas shopping.  When we had you out with friends for holiday dinners, we laughed when everyone admired you.  Christmas morning you smiled at your new toys.

We love watching you grow.  You’ve brought a new joy to our lives we’ve never known before.  We feel it every time you smile.  I love you, my darling, darling girl.

Love,
Mama