Parenting: Thankful for a Happy Baby

We had told our parents about the pregnancy by July 4 of last year.  Mrs. Nola Nerd Couple’s mom lives in Florida.  The day we got home was the last day she felt well until the baby was delivered.

Apparently there is an old wives’ tale, with some scientific backing, that the sicker the mom during pregnancy the healthier the baby.
Well, so far, it’s been true for us.
Besides a few colds and a few tummy issues, the Nola Nerd Baby has been perfect. Not only that, she is a happy baby.

I’m not saying this to gloat (even though I”m not offended if you think so since this is pretty awesome for us), but because the awfulness of the pregnancy and the postpartum it gave my wife a break.  It allowed her to do something that she didn’t really have a chance to do during the pregnancy – bond with the baby.
It, more importantly, allowed her to heal.
It allowed us to be able to see family when we wanted and when we needed to.  In fact, we had a sick relative in the hospital. She let him hold her and she smiled at him and talked to him.  She knew what was needed of her.

It allowed us to travel and work around the house.

Now, she’s not perfect.  She has a bad dose of the witching hour going on right now.  She just moved up from the premie nipple for her bottle.  Any time we tried in the previous four months she would choke. However, because she was growing she required more ounces during each feeding.  This would lead to her taking 45 minutes to take a bottle. She is doing better with it, but again the last bottle of the night is a struggle.  It takes both of us to be able to calm her down long enough to eat.  She’s also had some constipation issues, though not long enough to have to call the doctor.

But besides that, she is mostly a happy baby.  She smiles when we put her in the car seat.  We calling it “going on an adventure” because we are nerd parents after all. She smiles at random people she meets. She can self-soothe most of the time and is content with her own company for long periods of time.
Her happiness allowed my wife to heal and be the wonderful mom she was always meant to be.