Dear Nora,
I’m not sure how many of these updates will start with, “Wow! We made it another week!”…but at some points during the week it seems questionable as to whether we’ll survive the next hour, let alone the next week. At the beginning of this week things were going kinda crappy…what with the crying all the time and all. It seemed like you had a belly ache every night. I scoped out a book I have that’s written by a bunch of doctors…I checked the colic information and found a few suggestions. The number one thing to try was eliminating dairy and caffeine from my diet. It said that half of colicky babies can’t tolerate the dairy and/or caffeine in the mother’s breast milk. I tried that for a few days and noticed a world of difference in your temperament. Your Daddy and I totally felt like rock stars when we had you in bed the next few nights by 10:30. Last night you had a belly ache again…way to bring us back down to Earth!
You’ve been out and about a lot more this week…partially because you sleep so well in your carseat…and partially because we have s.h.i.t. to do, child. Since you’ve been feeling better it’s been easier to take you places…we haven’t ventured out to a quiet, sit-down restaurant yet…we’re thinking of trying that when you’re ten.
I get a weekly email update on how my child should be progressing and stuff. It says that babies don’t actually cry tears until they’re older…that at this point you don’t have real tears because your tear ducts aren’t developed at birth. Know what I think? That’s bull crap. What exactly are real tears? You cry and cry and cry, and liquid comes out of your eyes. Perhaps you shouldn’t be crying? We don’t want to overwork your underdeveloped tear ducts, do we?! Try and work on that less crying plan and we’ll see what happens, okay?
The biggest and most coolest thing that happened this week is that you started smiling when people talk to you…not just when you’re filling your diaper. We weren’t sure at first, but quickly confirmed that you were having real smiles. Your Daddy talks to you and you get the biggest grin on your face. Of course I talk to you and you get a big grimace on your face. It’s so amazingly fantastic to see you smile and make giggling noises. We just love seeing you grow and change. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it’s been four weeks already, and other times it seems like you’ve been with us forever. Don’t forget…less fake tears…more real smiles!
Love,
Mommy
It gets better as they get older - and then they hit the terrible twos/threes…and it starts all over again.
I remember when Fiona, my daughter, was a few weeks old, everyone was so surprized to see me out and about with her - the little one enjoyed being out and about (at two and a half, she’s now part ham because of it).