Milestones

OMG! I'm in an effing shark!

Today was the big two-week check up for Olivia. For the uninitiated, this is where a medical professional determines whether or not you are competent to care for an infant based on the only-partially-under-your-control metric of whether or not your child has re-attained or exceeded his or her birth weight. It’s fairly normal for a baby to lose up to ten percent of their birth weight in the first few days after birth, and slowly put it back on over (roughly) the next two weeks. 

I don’t know what the consequences are for failing to achieve this threshold, but I suspect water-boarding is involved. Fortunately, I don’t have to find out – Olivia is back up to fighting weight with 2 ounces to spare. Overachiever.

Despite the sleep deprivation and total lack of coherent feedback from our child, I can see why so many parents make a big deal about this age. The first year, and definitely the first month, is packed with milestones. First car ride (almost necessarily the one home from the hospital), first outing, first trip in the stroller, first time in the crib, first time you interpret a random hand stretch as your daughter giving you the California howdy... there’s a lot going on if you are observant enough to pay attention. There are also a lot of firsts for parents. First sleepless night, first infirmity brought on primarily by lack of sleep and consequent loss of immune system, first night spent sleeping (or trying to) on the floor of your child’s nursery, first poo, pee, and/or vomit related stain found on your clothes while in public, and so on…

The firsts are fantastic. I’m trying not to miss any, but I know inevitably there will be some I can’t be there for. Mostly because I haven’t found a way to stay home and watch the baby all day long and still get paid. If any of you out there can think of a solution to this dilemma, please let me know. As much as neither my wife nor I want to closet ourselves off from the world (we don’t) it is hard not to selfishly hold on to these early days for ourselves alone. Especially when we see our friends’ children, a mere two months, or four months, or nine months ahead of Olivia, and see what a huge difference such a short period of time can make.

Hell, the first two weeks have already made a big difference. She’s already gained two ounces.