Parenting, Ahoy!

And so we became proud parents of a lovely boy last week!

The week gone by has been topsy turvy and I have lost all track of time and date. There is no semblance of any sanity around, S and I are learning to get things done around the house in the brief bursts of respite we get when the baby naps. Time seems stuck in an endless loop of baby cries, changing nappies, recording feed and sleep times, with little time for anything else. We have become so forgetful that we make lists of the most mundane tasks, and at the end of each session, look at the to-do list and gnash our teeth thinking when we would get it all sorted. Yet, it is a glorious feeling to see him smile, to watch his expressions change in seconds as if someone was talking to him in his sleep. It takes all of our irritability and teeth-gnashing and shoves it out of the door.

We had anticipated this when we made the decision to raise the baby ourselves (not flying in either parents or sending S home), but the support we got from friends blew us off our feet. Friends turned in to visit and check on us; took care of the food department for the week we were at the hospital; offered to come stay at the hospital with S to help me catch some sleep. I am yet to respond to many of those who called in to wish and offer support, but whose calls I could not take. Colleagues advised me not to worry about work and that it is all taken care of. The knowledge that there is someone to fall back on to gave us confidence and we are grateful for this cushion of support. It means a lot to us.

Thanks, everyone. More on baby later.