19 May 2010, by Jaime Teo
After the One Month Mark
So I’m officially a month-old Mommy! We even held a party of sorts for me to mark the date (Aw, c’mon – Renee is too young to protest remember anyway). Catering food and ordering cakes for our party of 50 was rather painless although not entirely satisfactory. That’s what happens when you do things last minute try out new caterers. More on that here.
Renee was dressed in a pretty white frock with a pink ribbon tied in the middle. We also put a white hair band around her head so that there’s no mistaking she’s a girl. Just In Case. It’s always a little awkward when people ask if your baby’s a boy or a girl. Plus some friends mentioned before that she looks like a handsome girl because she looks so much like Daddy. Actually, I wouldn’t mind if that was true too. Keep the boys at bay when she’s young (I am thinking a little far :p) and she can always grow into a swan when she’s older(We can hope for her sake). I mean, she’ll always be beautiful to us.
See? My sweetheart =) =) =)
There were many other children running around and I now know why mommies have so much to talk about. Previously foreign numbers now make sense to me because I finally know what they are about. When someone tells me a baby weighs how many pounds/kgs; how many oz/ml of milk they consume in how many hours; how many inches/cms they’ve grown, I listen to the numbers without much interest a feel of what it means. It may have to do with the fact that I was previously only mildly interested in babies and that sort of information is too in depth for me to comprehend.
Now that I understand what these ‘secret’ numbers and terms mean, it’s interesting to listen to what other Mommies have gone through and what their babies are like. It’s like suddenly understanding someone else’s hobby and wanting to be part of it.
Of course I do not mean that we sit around comparing babies. Did you even think that? *disapproving look* No no, we share useful information because sometimes new Mommies need assurance and tips and experienced Mommies are always glad to dispense helpful information.
Even better, is having friends who have given birth around the same time as you. It provides a platform to complain about stuff share nappy rash cures, compare brands of diapers and give reminders to each other about vaccinations. It is someone to text in the middle of a feed who will understand when you do not reply pronto.
For those who don’t have any friends who have just given birth, there are online groups and trust me — there are literally thousands of women there who have just given birth and are looking for friends with answers. Or just the answers. You know what I mean.
In short, it’s someone else in the exact same shoes as you who understands the business of being home the whole day — the tiredness, the boredom, the complaining and the reason why you won’t change a thing!
7 Comments
Jaime Teo
June 15th, 2010 at 8:36 am
daphne/aurorin/min:
asking about gender even when baby is in a dress seems rather common huh. I better buy her neon “i’m a girl” hats.
Min
June 8th, 2010 at 10:15 am
I totally understand the part about dressing the part.. my gal can have a ribbon on her head and wearing a girly pink dress and yet I get asked about her gender!
Suffice to say, I ditched my initial plans for a not-so-pink wardrobe..
aurorin
June 7th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
She is really sweet looking! When they are that young, i think most babies looked sort of gender neutral (i take my cues from the clothes :P). Anyway, Avery (my 18mth-er) still get called a boy when i put her in khaki colours (even if its a dress! i dont think pink is the only colour allowed on girls at that age…)
daphne
May 20th, 2010 at 12:20 am
Yes, i know all about mistaken gender, my gal is 10 months old and she still gets mistaken for a boy. I’m all like SHE’S WEARING A DRESS on the inside, still have to smile politely though.
Jaime Teo
May 19th, 2010 at 8:15 am
jacobian / lj : Thank you!! 😀
lj
May 19th, 2010 at 7:41 am
So cute and chubby! 🙂
jacobian
May 19th, 2010 at 6:30 am
well it’s a pretty baby girl. 🙂