The Newborn Experience

It's wonderful to discover things about infants; every day we're learning something new about our son. Just to recap what we've gotten so far:

1. baby poop has no smell -- at first. It slowly acquires an interesting aroma as it shifts from its initial dark, dark green hue and annoyingly rubber cement-ish consistency to its mustard-and-sesame-seed incarnation (indicating a healthy supply of breastfeeding)

2. our generation is doomed. Those of us who were raised largely on formula are doomed, doomed, doomed, based on the insistent and sometimes downright dictatorial adherence that OB-GYNs and Pediatricians have had on the need to breastfeed. No formula, no bottles, just breastfeed. We understand that breastmilk helps pass on immunities and that it has antibacterial properties, but --

-- it's like we're being told to do something that's good for our son without being told the whole story, because it'll just worry us (neither my wife nor I were breastfed to a great degree, we're mostly formula babies). WHAT AREN'T THEY TELLING US?

3. diaper changing is all about timing: you have to change the diapers as soon as possible so that your child doesn't suffer diaper rash, but not TOO soon or you may discover that he wasn't quite finished. If you're lucky, you'll just have to change the diaper that you just changed. If you're not lucky, well... if it's number one, boys tend to arc their liquid waste. if it's number two, oh boy.

4. laundry load has increased substantially! Even with disposable diapers (sorry, mother earth!) we keep changing blankets, shirts, and sheets with astonishing frequency due to spilled milk, small regurgitated puddles of milk, and the afore-mentioned waste-related accidents associate with diaper changing

5. our child is brilliant! Yes, I'm sure most parents feel this way. I'm savoring the fact that I'm more tickled and proud than annoyed when
- our son wriggles his way out of the tightly-swaddled receiving blanket / straightjacket
- our son interrupts his crying with a patient smile when he thinks he's finally getting what he wanted in the first place (food / diaper change / temperature change)
- our son manages to force off his mittens using both hands
- our son manages to force off his mittens while wrapped ing the blanket / straightjacket
- our son manages to gum my finger off during a particularly alarming state of hunger through a surprising burst of coordination -- he launched himself from one end of the changing mat to the other using only his neck and back muscles (his arm control is still iffy, and his legs were being held because we were changing his diaper)

More news as it develops!