8 weeks

[j4]

Imogen is 8 weeks old today. I thought I'd be posting a lot more here about what was happening day to day, but it's all been so difficult that I've not really managed to do very much except survive. Those of you who follow me on Twitter will have seen more of the emotional rollercoaster in action (and I've been very grateful for both the personal support from individuals and the general trickle of human interaction that Twitter provides -- I'd have gone mad by now without it). addedentry has been wonderful (the role of Dad definitely suits him), and my mum has been an absolute lifesaver, staying over for days on end and helping us through the endless nights of inconsolable wailing (from not just baby but me as well).

It's amazing just how much Imogen's changed already in those 8 weeks. She's gone from being a very tiny waily animal (when she cried at first she looked just like a spider monkey) who did nothing but cry and feed and sleep and poo and wee, to being a tiny person with facial expressions (including smiles!) and quite a little vocabulary of noises. When she's not wailing and kicking and screaming, she's wonderfully cuddly; there are few things as lovely as letting her fall asleep in my arms. (Admittedly she still doesn't do very much. Everybody says this time is magical and I shouldn't wish it away, but I'm very much looking forward to a time when she can interact a bit more.)

There are loads of things I want to write about -- from specific things like breastfeeding (though Juliette has written an excellent post that says a lot of what I'd want to say) and nappies (honestly, what is all the fuss about?) to the more general issues of guilt, joy, tiredness, panic, confusion, and love -- but I'm too tired to put words into sentences. I'll write more when I'm next awake and have both my hands free. So, see you all some time in 2012...

Comments

[geekette8.livejournal.com]

*waves* I'm not on Twitter so just thought you'd gone generally silent, which I think is very understandable in these early days. Glad to hear you're surviving, at least.

I know what you mean about "not wishing away these magical days" (ptooey). To be perfectly honest I've liked Matthew more and more as he's got older; every age has been better than the previous, so far. The interaction does very soon move on in leaps and bounds from where you're at now!

[jvvw.livejournal.com]

What I find magical about Owen is watching him learn new things - don't really miss those first couple of months, although I loved him to him bits (and still do of course).

[j4.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's amazing already watching Imogen learning to smile, to follow things with her eyes, to make noises other than "wahhhh", and to reach for things (she's just starting to realise that things are within her grasp, though doesn't have the coordination to do anything with that knowledge except stare with incredible concentration at them & then flail her arms a bit).

BTW re babies learning things, have you read The Scientist in the Crib (http://brainconnection.positscience.com/topics/?main=bkrev/gopnik-scientist)? It was recommended to me by vinaigrettegirl and I found it really interesting & very readable (even with preg-brain ;-) I think you might like it.

[jvvw.livejournal.com]

I actually read it when I was pregnant too and was thinking the other day that it might be worth rereading now that I have a different perspective on things!

We're currently in the learning that objects can interact with eachother phase which mostly involves banging things together. One interesting thing I read was that stuff that makes them laugh is usually on their 'developmental edge'.

[rmc28]

I like other people's very small babies very much, and I loved my own too, but he's far more interesting the older he gets. There was a big shift as he learned to talk and there's another one going on at the moment as he starts to express fairly complex ideas.

http://pomes.dreamwidth.org/50547.htm says it quite well for me.

Pome!

[j4.livejournal.com]

That poem is lovely. Thank you!

I can't wait for the learning-to-talk stage. If I'd just wanted something cute to cuddle I'd've got a kitten instead -- I'm looking forward to Imogen turning into someone I can have a conversation with! (OK, I talk to her all the time, but her responses are currently kind of limited... :-)

[j4.livejournal.com]

every age has been better than the previous, so far

That's really good to hear! :)