all my loving

As I type today’s post, there’s a little squeaking monkey attached to me, snuggled in my chest and breathing ever so lightly…   I’m wearing him in our Baby Bjorn and standing up typing, as not to disturb my master’s sleep.  That’s right, master does not like it when I sit down.  My, how blogging and life  have changed…

If you follow my story on KarmaCucina.com, you know we’ve experienced some “life changes” recently, including the sale of our home and subsequent move, as well as preparation for our  first child.  None was a small undertaking and, I suppose, I was too overwhelmed with each change and their peripheral effects to really focus on maintaining the site.  Today, over two months since my last post, I finally feel differently.

On April 24th, we welcomed our son, Hunter Michael, into the world.  His birth, in itself, is some story – I thought I knew pain and I thought I had endurance, but I was humbled and brought to my knees during our week in the hospital.  For some reason, I believed the fact that I was a runner – long-distance, at times – and a fitness enthusiast, I would somehow be prepared for the birthing experience.  I wasn’t.  However, our first meeting and every day thereafter has made any negativity attached to that memory fade and pale in comparison to the positivity and love he has brought into our life.  Spoken like a true mother:  he is the epitome of perfection – handsome, cute, feisty, independent, strong, and funny.  He is the littlest boss I’ve ever had.  He is the most challenging thing I’ve ever dealt with.  He is the best thing that has ever happened to us.

The first month with Hunter was something we were not prepared for.  He was colic; not just cranky, but colic, meaning marathon episodes of crying wherein he is basically inconsolable.  In his case, the episodes began late evening and ended early morning – you know, the time when you and most other human beings are deep in sleep.  Joe and I took turns, we tried every stunt we could to soothe him to no avail, we drove for miles and miles in our car, I cut dairy out of my diet and anything I remotely enjoy (broccoli, garlic, onion, spices), and we, ourselves, cried.  We initially thought we should be able to handle this on our own – and some people do – but we then surrendered ourselves and put aside any humility we had by enlisting the hands of our amazing support system of family and friends that had been offering to help.

Colic typically subsides around three months, but I guess we’re some of the lucky ones.  A little over five weeks later,  Hunter seems to have basically outgrown it, sleeping mostly through the night, and I feel we’ve finally gotten into a groove.  I never expected this to happen as soon as it did and, perhaps, it’s good I didn’t have any expectations at all.    The experience was a momentary blip on the radar and we were blessed with a perfectly healthy boy.   From the moment I found out I was pregnant, that is all I could have ever hoped for.  He just started smiling and cooing, which makes it nearly impossible to remember those sleepless nights.  His thighs and cheeks are filled out; he has become a rolly-polly little man that is thriving and growing stronger every day.

Life as we know it has changed… for the better.

I’ll be back with a recipe soon. In the meantime, here’s some “baby food” for the eyes…