Baby Book, Mommy Book

I'm trying to catch up a little on Baby Z's baby book -- the first this's and special that's. I can't believe he is 7 months old now. He is getting so mobile; he rolls all over the floor now, trying to get into trouble.

Just as I'm amazed by the little dude's growth over the last 7 months, it is probably a good time to reflect on my own growth as well. I just read an article in Parenting magazine about noticing the Mommy moments, not just the baby firsts. Here are some of the ones they pointed out - from my perspective:

Realizing You're Actually Someone's Mother
For me, this came when I filled out the first form for Baby Z at the Doctor's office, just 4 days after he was born. I started filling in Patient's Name as myself, as I have done for all my adult years. Then, slowly, in the postpartum fog, I realized they were talking about that new little person. I filled that in, feeling the specialness of the moment. Then, for Mother, I (again) started to write down my Mom's name. Before I got two letters down, I had the "ah ha" moment. That's me! I am a Mother. I am Baby Z's Mother.

Doing Mom Duty in Public
Although there were times I handled being a Mom in public, the moment of realization or appreciation came when I met some friends for coffee at a Starbucks. We sat outside on the patio and I had to feed Baby Z. I didn't stress too much about it and just got a blanket and started to feed him in the metal chair. For a Mom who usually breastfed with a strategic propping of pillows and cloth diapers, this was certainly a higher level of difficulty. It was awkward, but we did it. I seriously felt like a pro!

Realizing You Can't Do It Alone
The first time I called a friend to share my frustration and let myself cry. Baby Z was about 10 weeks old and the infant easy sleeping was starting to wear off. After several days of very frustrating naps and DREAD hanging over me at all times, I finally took my husband's advice and called a friend (and Mom of 3 kids). This was a turning point for me because I realized I wasn't supposed to have all the answers inately and that it was okay to ask for help besides letting someone get groceries or do the laundry. This was also a turning point because we started to swaddle again and let Baby Z cry until he fell asleep. After just a day or so, he was already sleeping better and I felt like I was finally making decisions rather than just letting myself get whipped around by the day's events.

Those are some of my special Mom moments. Maybe you all will think of some of your own.