Learning the Obvious

I spent quite a bit of my pregnancy reading books about pregnancy and educating myself about childbirth.

When it was time for Emma (then still Tiny) to arrive, I felt very very prepared.

Confident. Excited. Ready.

Then Emma arrived.

And suddenly I realized that all my reading had been perhaps overly focused. I knew basically everything there was to know about pregnancy and labor.

But I realized, rather abruptly, that I was mildly unprepared for a baby.

I had to keep this thing alive, and fed, and rested, and... suddenly there was that much more to learn.

It hasn't been that bad, so far, but it's something I would have done differently during my pregnancy, looking back on it. I was so focused on getting Emma here that I overlooked the fact that once she arrived, we would have a baby. 

A baby to take care of.

So she got here. And lots of stuff came easy peasy. Intuition stuff. 

Like, oh, hey, Emma's crying. Bet she's hungry.

I've got something for that.

Being home has helped -- I've had plenty of time to get to know the little girlie, and to read up from books and online about the details of babies.

But there are the things you won't figure you'll have to learn.

Or rather, to learn to teach.

Or rather, to learn to teach to learn.

See, babies are born knowing nothing.

All they know is that the nice warm wet safe comfy place where they grew is g.o.n.e. and that if they feel a need -- which is a new thing for them -- they cry. 

Then the big people (especially that one that sounds and smells like the comfy safe familiar place) are supposed to make that need go away.

Babies have to learn everything.

This I was not prepared for.

Example from the early weeks: Emma's happy, looking around and being held and being talked to and chilling. She's been fed, she's been changed, she's well rested. Boom. Panic. Drama baby. Tears. Loud, loud tears. 

Okay, you want to be put down?

NOOOOOOOO

Okay, you want to be held again?

NOOOOOOOO

Okay, you want a different toy to look at?

NOOOOOOOO

Did you perhaps not get enough food just now? are you hungry?

NOOOOOOOO

Well, then... what? what what what? what is it?

FART.

Happy baby.

Oh.

See, babies don't even know how to fart. It's freaky. And it's a whole lot of effort for their tiny systems that have never had to do anything ever to suddenly push all this gas out. Even gas is new.

And don't get me started on how babies need to learn to sleep. They don't know how to sleep. 

Just take a minute and consider here: how would you teach someone how to sleep?

As a side note, our lessons in learning to sleep have been successful. 

But like I said, don't get me started.

Because that's another post waiting to happen.