firsts

the official topic was to discuss the most memorable firsts from pregnancy and the first few months as a new mother.  there were so many special moments, and i’ll list my top 5 below.   but even more fun, i thought, would be sharing a few of those uhh . . . not-so-special firsts. as in, those events that make wonderful [or hilarious] memories, but are perhaps less fun while they are happening.

but first, the sweet stuff.  here we go . . .

the 5 sweetest firsts in pregnancy and early motherhood

1) that first kick.  i was about 20 (maybe 21?) weeks along and had been eagerly awaiting the first signals that someone was really growing inside of me, but had no idea what to expect.  but i vividly recall exactly where i was sitting [in front of the computer, at my desk in our old apartment] and the excitement came over me at around 8 AM when i realized i was feeling SOMETHING unlike anything i had felt before — and that it had to be the baby.  so sweet.  i think i even said, “that’s the baaaaby!!!” out loud.  to no one.  what can i say; i was excited!

2) the first ultrasound.   because of my fertility issues, i had my first ultrasound ‘to confirm viability’ at a mere 7 weeks.  a. was no more than a blob with a heartbeat on that first scan, but the relief that rushed over me when the OB reassured me that things looked normal was something i’ll never forget.  i’ll admit now that i pretended to see ‘the baby’ but had no idea what i was looking at [what?  anatomy/radiology were never my strong suits].  nor did i really care.  THE HEART WAS BEATING!  there was a baby in there, and for the first time chances were good that i was really going to have one.

3) the first feeding.  like most new mothers, i found breastfeeding painful during the first couple of weeks.  but for that very first latch-on, i think my endorphins were running to high for me to care.  i was just so happy that a. was ABLE to latch on and that she seemed to be sucking [even if there wasn’t much to be had so early on].  i just remember being so happy and grateful that she was healthy and HERE.

4) the first smile.  even though i’m pretty sure her initial smiles had nothing to do with me and everything to do with her GI tract, they were so precious.  and so addicting:  once i saw her do it, all i wanted was MORE!   thankfully a. has remained a very smiley baby up until this point; i hope this never changes.

5) the first all night sleep stretch.  you know, where put her down and then actually get to go to bed myself and wake up on my own after a full night of sleep — without a single paci replacement or feeding?  in truth, this hasn’t happened yet.  but ohhhhh i know that when it does it will be sweet.  and memorable.

5 firsts that were more bitter than sweet . . . but still worth remembering

1) the first morning sickness.  i was so lucky compared to many of my friends — some who even had to be hospitalized with dehydration.  i only threw up once the whole pregnancy — but that morning was still pretty awful, and quite memorable.  plus, at the time i wondered if morning wakeups over the toilet were going to become a regular occurrence.  SO thankful that they didn’t.

2) the first pregnancy scare.  i feel like almost everyone has SOMETHING go wrong over the course of those 40 weeks.  in my case, i had a minor fall while running outside at 27 weeks and ended up getting hospitalized overnight with contractions.  SO not a big deal in retrospect [since annabel did fine and i ended up going over 40 weeks!] but so scary while it was happening.  i don’t think i’ll be doing much outdoor running after ~20 weeks or so with subsequent pregnancies — my balance just isn’t that good!  and i’m happy to use the treadmill, which [to date] i’ve never fallen off of.

3) the first time getting up to go to the bathroom after childbirth.  no more detail necessary.  i guess at least next time i’ll be more prepared for what to expect!

4) the first diaper disaster.  with annabel, we have experienced a code brown in the bathtub exactly one time, and it was definitely a memorable night.   i would be perfectly happy never to repeat the experience.  however, i am sure it will happen again 🙂

5)  the first shots.  [i don’t count the newborn HepB, because i didn’t see annabel get this].  hearing her ‘i’m in pain’ cry when she got her 2-month vaccines was jarring — it was a sound i really hadn’t ever heard come out of her before, which i guess is a good thing.  i am very thankful for vaccines and the diseases they prevent, but it’s never fun to watch the process.  at least now i feel like i can comfort her when they’re over.

similar [or wildly different] top or bottom 5?  as always i’d love to hear.