Thanks and No Thanks Internet!

In my short 7 months of parenting, my knowledge is obviously limited and the little I thought I knew has become a muddled, mess of confused thoughts.  But if there's one thing I have learned well, it is that there is no constant.  My daughter changes every day and what worked a month ago, last week, maybe even yesterday probably won't work today.  Just when I think I need to do something drastic to fix a "problem", it fixes itself.  Or when I think I have something figured out...well, you get the idea.  I can rack my brain and try to recreate whatever circumstances I thought may have allowed her to sleep that extra hour or play contentedly by herself, but chances are it won't work.

And when situations do occur that I'm unsure about how to handle, where do I turn? Everyone has a different opinion whether they have kids or not.  Some of those opinions are solicited and some come shouted or whispered whether you asked for them or not.

The worst thing is all the "advice" on the internet.  From scientific articles to conspiracy theories to parents giving advice as to what worked for their kids.  With so many different opinions, how in the world is a new parent supposed to wade through the pages and pages of information?  To be honest, when I'm sleep deprived and scared that I've screwed up my child somehow, the most helpful thing is just seeing that so many other parents have already asked the same questions.  After all, if everyone else's kids slept through the night, do you think there would be thousands of books, articles, and blogs written on the subject?

Subjects ranging from breastfeeding and teething to pottytraining and vaccinations; if you can think of the question, chances are someone else has already asked it.  (By the way, has anyone else ever noticed that everyone's answer to 90% of the crazy things that babies do is teething?  Drooling, stinky pee, rashes, etc?  Just sayin).  But like I said, all the advice in the world doesn't help as much as just knowing you aren't alone in your fears and your insecurities.

So thank you parents for all of your comments and internet postings and for your honest questions.  Misery, joy, and sleep depravation love company.

The First 6 Months

Where does the time go?  When I think back on my life, I cannot remember any period of 6 months that quite compare to these last ones.  My daughter was born on the first day of summer and it was the most painful and most joyous day of my life.  (It seems almost silly to take ibuprofen for a headache or back pain after pushing a child out of me without any paid medicine.)
Every day with her is an adventure.  Watching her grow, change, and discover her world is incredible.  Her smile lights up my world and the fact that she's a mini me of my husband doesn't hurt either.  

Everyone tells you when you're pregnant that you will never love someone as much as the child that is growing inside of you.  And they're right.  They're also right when they say that their personality is forming already in your womb.  It's something I didn't understand until months later when I connected the dots.  The way she kicked in my belly at all times of the day made me feel like I was growing an octopus and that is the way she moves today.  Awake or asleep, playing or nursing, her little legs are constantly going.  I also remember telling people that it felt like she was testing her limits in my belly; exploring every possible space she could.  My father's response to this was that she would continue doing that for at least 18 more years and oh how I wish he was kidding.  The way she looked at me the other day when I told her not to put my phone in her mouth made me worry that I'm not ready for my authority to be challenged, for the lines to be drawn.  Better practice my mom stare.

She's not a great sleeper and she has her daddy's short attention span, (or to put it in a more positive light, she is interested in EVERYTHING!). She eats all the time, but she isn't picky.  We started her on oatmeal at about 4 months and since then she's tried and loved avocado, sweet potato, green beans, carrots, and bananas.  (Nothing like solid food poops to make us question why we chose the cloth diaper route).  She rolls over to get to things and is much more interested in learning to walk than to crawl.  She blows raspberries like a champ and shrieks like a banshie, especially at the most awkward times- like sitting in a quiet restaurant.  She loves being outside and looking at trees just like we do and we can't wait to do lots of hiking and camping when it warms up around here. We're going to have fun.

This is my daughter and I'm going to do my best to keep up with her monthly pictures and hopefully blog about our adventures even more frequently.  Consider it one of my New Year's resolutions to debrief, if you will, and not let too many special moments be forgotten.