OH BABY!

I met my two dear friends for dinner the other night to celebrate my birthday. It was a lovely time. Nice restaurant and good conversation.

My friend Lala just had a baby 7 weeks ago.....this was her first outing with the baby. Lala also has a three year old and is just recently learning that all the things she had control of before, are no longer. As I watched Lala, I realized the stress that a new baby can bring. Babies certainly bring joy and peaceful feelings, but they can also bring about so many complications that you can forget about.

Observing Lala's baby reminded me a lot of Izzy when he was small. Izzy was never a content baby. He cried and was colicky. He wanted to be held constantly and nursed every two hours around the clock until he was 11 months old. Lala's baby was very sweet but wanted constant walking, holding and nursing.

I found this picture of me at the hospital with Izzy. He was in the NICU for 12 days. I see a woman that is so tired and trying to hold it together because really, she had no choice but to go forward. She had four other children at home, a baby in the hospital and she hadn't slept in god knows how long. The look on my face tells everything. My heart went out to Lala. Her face looked similar. Having a difficult baby is, well....difficult and not getting the rest that you need to be able to care for two young children makes it all the more stressful.

Mother's of the young....take time out for yourself. Let the baby cry in another room while you take a nice hot shower. Hire someone or ask a friend or relative to watch your child for an hour or two while you grocery shop (or take a nap!). These small things can make a big difference in how you feel about yourself and your baby.