Glimpses

Last week someone warned me, "The days are long but the years are short" and I think that even feels right in these few weeks. Our little Amelia has been with us for 5 weeks now. In many ways, it feels like she literally arrived yesterday, but then I can also recall enough early morning feedings to reassure myself that in fact, she has been here for over 35 days.

So, a few glimpses from these days to share.

18^th and Columbia Rockstar—One of my favorite moments since Amelia's arrival happened last night. We were strolling home after a quick dinner out and as we approached the intersection by our house, we bumped into the Sitar Gang (from the Sitar Arts Center, where Josh and I met when I worked there and he was on the board), heading home after dinner (presumably) at Mixtec. Of course, we are always excited to run into dear Sitar friends on the street, and there is usually some sort of low level excitement when we happen to bump into one another, but this was something entirely different. For many, it was the first time they had met Amelia, and it was so fun to share such excitement on the streets of Adams Morgan.

We actually caused enough of a scene that random strangers stopped to see what the small crowd was peering at. We heard one man say as he walked away, "oh, so there's a baby in there." I know that Amelia isn't the first or only baby in Adams Morgan, but those ladies sure did make us feel like it for just a few minutes last night!

Strolling—Our new cool stroller arrived last week and we have put some miles on since its arrival! Even if Amelia is squeaking in slight discontent, once we start moving, she's either happily entertained or rocked to sleep, usually within a block. By my rough math, we've already put on about 8 miles or so. We also have had tremendous luck figuring out how to take the bus with the stroller too! I can actually get myself, Amelia and the stroller on and off the bus without any trouble, which is a huge relief.

Kindness of Strangers—Gratefully, the warmth that I felt when I was pregnant has more than continued since Amelia's arrival. Random strangers have offered seats on the bus, helped me on and off the bus, and inquired about our little girl—all of this without touching her (which I do appreciate in the midst of flu/cold season). People seem to respect reasonable boundaries that a newborn requires but also are just simply sweet with their questions. One woman said, "Thank you for giving me some baby time" as she got off the bus—and all I did was sit next to her.

The birds—Now that I think I spend about 20 hours a day feeding my little barracuda, I now have time to literally watch the birds. Thankfully, I had the foresight to buy Josh a birdfeeder for his birthday. Last week, the birds found it and I will admit that I enjoyed hours of bird watching from my couch this week. It sounds silly, but I had forgotten how peaceful it can be to just sit still.

Thanksgiving—Thanksgiving was wonderful. We celebrated with Josh, Bobi (my mother-in-law), and Craig and Mario (our two wonderful neighbors). Foodwise, we mostly ordered out, but mixed in a few homemade family favorites—potato pancakes, stuffing and cranberry sauce. I enjoyed a delightful glass of champagne, and laughed because it was clear our holidays have lost some of their "order". Josh was changing Amelia, Bobi was also nowhere to be found, Mario had ducked next door to get cranberries and Craig and I were left alone at the table with plates of food but no other dining companions. We weren't sure what to do, but then Craig said, "Well I'm from a big family. I learned that you eat when there is food in front of you." I said, "That makes sense to me" as I hoped that maybe a diaper change and a quick start to my meal would mean I might enjoy a few moments of eating without an infant also needing to eat.

The Other Woman—Amelia officially met the other woman in Josh's life: the Lovely Lucero, who cuts Josh's hair every 21 days. It was a big day for Josh and Amelia, as you can imagine.  (Lucero and Amelia share a birthday, by the way.)  And after the haircut, Josh "allowed" Amelia and I to join him at Moby Dick's for his mandatory post-haircut kebab!

Damp clothing—Sometimes I think, "Between Amelia's snarfing and near diaper misses and my own 'milk factory', will I ever not be damp again???"

That smile—It gets me every time. It doesn't matter if its 4AM or noon. Our little girl has started to smile just a nudge more often and its the one time when I feel like time stops.

Back to begging for another smile,

sPg