August 9, 2011

Time flies when you’re changing diapers

Posted in Borshoff, motherhood at 9:22 pm by bethmillett

Evan,

I cannot believe how fast the last six months has gone. It seems like only yesterday I was in the hospital, amazed that I had grown this tiny creature. Now you continue to grow and change every day. You’ve gone from 5 pounds, 15 ounces, to something close to or maybe even beyond 16 pounds. (Dr. Abernathy will tell us for sure at your six-month check up on Thursday.) You’re stronger and more expressive every day. Your legs are strong, and you love to stand up in my lap or on the floor. I’m sure that you’ll get lots of tummy time and floor play when you start day care next week, and I bet you’ll be rolling over and crawling around in no time. I love to hold a toy in front of you and watch you study it and then reach out to try to grasp it.

It’s amazing to watch you explore the world around you, whether it’s by reaching for things, shoving toys in your mouth or just looking around and taking it all in. I can still remember looking in the rearview mirror about two months ago and seeing you awake and looking out the window, marveling at the world going by outside. You have such a serious, thoughtful look on your face that I can’t wait to hear what you are thinking. You’ve been swimming a few times and love the water — you’ve learned to kick your legs and make splashes. This has changed bath time as well — I get almost as wet as you do!

You are such a happy boy! You have been coming with me to work — I’m so lucky to work for such a great company — and clients and coworkers always comment on how great you are. One client said last week, “Best baby ever!” (This was the same client whose meeting you once interrupted with an incredibly rude — and loud — noise.) You’ve been to several meetings at Lilly, and my clients there are so focused on you that they hardly seem to notice I’m in the room. You’ve been loved on by so many people, but you always come back to me!

For the last month, or maybe even longer, you’ve been sleeping through the night, quite easily. Sometimes you fuss a little at bedtime around 7:30 or so, but you quickly settle right down, and I very rarely hear a peep out of you until at least 5 a.m. Some nights, it seems like you are asleep before your head hits the mattress. You can’t imagine how wonderful this is, and I love you all the more for it. Every night before I go to bed, I sneak in for another look at you. The sound of your deep breathing and little murmurs almost makes my heart burst. Many nights, I have to move your security blanket off your face — for some reason, you love to fall asleep with it draped over your head.

As you learn and explore, so do I. So much of motherhood is trial and error. What worked yesterday may not work today and what failed yesterday could be a total success today. You are very forgiving of my mistakes as we work our way through being mother and son. Honestly, I’ve found motherhood to be a pretty easy adjustment. When I find myself worrying about Little League or calculus homework or watching you walk into your college dorm, I remind myself that we’ll both be ready for whatever lies ahead. What an adventure we’ll have together!

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