Doesn't Take Long

Well, after 7 days with a baby, I have lost the art of adult conversation. I now speak "parent." It involves looking simultaneously happy, stressed, and exhausted. It also involves talking about "the baby" or your life with the baby. I knew it was all over when I found myself talking about baby poop with my neighbor - he has a 5 month old. Yes, I was standing there in front of my 21 yr old sister (she was fortunate to witness this debacle)chatting away about poop. I have opinions about baby poop. How did this happen?! Oh, yes... it took 7 days with a baby. Will I be able to converse again? Will my life have purpose and meaning without a baby? What will I be like after next week when I return to being the professional me for a full work week?

What a Difference 4 Days Make

I was carded yesterday at the Albertsons. I have lost count of how many times just this year that this has happened to me. It has happened a record amount. The guy yesterday was shocked by just how very legal I am. That felt good. Two years ago a woman who carded me insisted that the only way I stayed so young looking was that I didn't have kids. They age you. I spent the last week - Tuesday thru Friday being a caregiver for my now 3 month old niece. I feel old, oh-so-tired, and in need of alcohol. (hence the trip to Albertsons)
Rowan is a three-month old diva. She does not fuss. She screams. Until you give her what she wants and then she coos and impresses you with her cuteness. My life has become centered around her schedule and her needs. I smell like baby spit-up and diaper cream. I give her constant attention except for the few hours she sleeps. I love those hours of quiet. I don't live for them though. I live for the minutes where she is smiling and blowing spit bubbles that inevitably drop onto my shirt. I understand how exhausting it all is, but wow, is it worth it!

Weddings are fun and marriages are wonderful

Jack and I got to attend a wedding on Friday night. We really enjoy them. It gives us a chance to reminisce about our own wedding (which is kind of a blur) and we wind up laughing and commenting excessively through the ceremony.This wedding in particular was a fun one. The officiant was conversant and provided a lot of practical advice that we believed in.
The last outside weddings we attended were at a plantation down by the river. They were memorable because of the extreme nature of outdoor weddings. The first one was plagued by mosquitoes so everyone (bride and groom included) spent the entire ceremony hitting themselves and then were coated in blood and dead bugs. The last one suffered from a freak cold snap. The wind was blowing and everyone was huddled up against one another. The one Friday night was absolutely perfect. It was warm but not too hot and the mosquitoes hadn't started feasting yet. I hope this is a good omen for their married life.