My time with him is so limited before I need to go back to work. Twelve weeks is what FMLA allows, and just over 4 of those weeks are already gone. Dissipated into the thin air that new babies demand.
Anyone who’s had a baby knows all about the endless nursing, endless diaper changes, baby clothes changes, laundry that includes more baby clothes than adult, baby butt baths, baby whole body baths, crying (both baby and mommy), squeezing in parental showers and parental nourishment.
Finger foods are my friend.
I find myself being intentionally selfish with William. Not wanting to share him with anyone outside of my immediate circle of family. I want to soak everything about him into my soul. He’s already growing, changing and doing things today that he didn’t do yesterday. It’s the new thing in my life, being grateful that he is healthy and sad that he’s even now growing away from me… and it started before he was even born! At 36 weeks pregnant, I remember looking at an ultrasound picture of him when he was 26 weeks and going back to his gummy bear ultrasound picture of 8 weeks and being sad that he had already been growing so fast.
So forgive me… rather than type one handed, I’ve intentionally chosen to simply stare in wonder at this marvel that I spend my days and nights with.
Speaking of finger foods, allow me to share a funny little story… the other night I was snacking on pistachios, we all know that pistachios, for some reason, are one of the snacks of the holiday season. It was late, and I was single handedly cracking the shells and eating them.
The next morning, Tony was doing a diaper change for William and in bafflement held up a green thing and asked me what it was. Excited, I exclaimed, “That’s the missing pistachio! I lost one last night when I was eating them… where’d you find it?”
Tony frowned slightly, and his eyes crinkled as if he were holding back a laugh and he said, “It was inside William’s sleeper, under his back. No wonder he was restless last night, he was sleeping on a pistachio!”
I scoffed and replied, “He was NOT restless, he slept the undisturbed slumber of his father. This is the story of the Prince and the Pistachio, NOT the Princess and the Pea.”
Although, now if I’m eating snack type foods that drop crumbs, I’ll look down and see this… and it makes me laugh and laugh.
Talk to the monkey paw…
…Or protecting himself from dropping debris…
Jammie J's Quest 
He’s saying “please no more green things… please….. ”
Soak it all in, they grow up soooo fast. 🙂
Time flies, huh?
Be as selfish as you want. Just know that I’m thinking of you. 🙂
xoxo
I knew you would feel this way! I think I mentioned to you that you wouldn’t want people over and holding him. It is exactly how I felt with my first. I wanted him do badly and I worked so hard to get him here ( though not nearly as hard as you!) and I just wanted to soak up every moment and not share him 🙂 Keep doing it and unfortunately children just seem to speed up time. It is a sad fact of life. I have often heard if said: the days can be long, but the years are short.
Welcome to the wonderful world of parenthood. Enjoy every moment as they grow up really fast. And change really fast too. The first year they change so much and do so much. I have pictures of Christopher at 3 days, 3 months and 6 months and people think it’s 3 different kids.
Enjoy the dedicated time you have with him!
Twelve weeks? That seems so very, very short. I suppose the one good thing about health care in Canada is the ability to take a year off and have the government help you with what your employer can’t. Though most I believe allow the year, with salary subsidize by gov’t.
Be selfish all you want. It’s not selfish at all. Cherish every moment with him. I continue to be so happy for the both of you and, selfishly, am thrilled to see you post an update. 😉
That is funny about the Pistachio….! Well, you better be careful what snack foods you eat with your little dear one…lol!
I know it will be hard to go back to work, my dear…I guess all you can do is savor every moment you have with him right now…..! Isn’t it wonderful to be so in love with your dear baby?
may you continue to enjoy each day to the fullest … what a great way to fill those hours – with your own sweet prince …
if all we get is a sentence to say you are all fine once in a while it’s enough. Enjoy it it is lovely, tiring but lovely, and eventually you’ll get more time. And he still has that cute, silky hair… I can almost smell him sitting here…. Someone pass the Johnsons I need a fix of baby smell.
You make me anticipate mine so much. I can’t wait for the cuteness.