8 Weeks, 8 Quirks

Time is the ultimate frenemy. It’s moving scary fast these days: Formula Rossa fast. Spare the Google search, it’s the world’s fastest roller coaster. Of course, that’s the thrill of time, isn’t it? Could the time of your life be anything but full speed ahead?

It’s been 8 weeks already. I said I’d journal everyday, so I wouldn’t forget anything important. I haven’t. How could I though? It’s all important. I’ve come to the peaceful realization that I don’t have to remember everything. I’ve always thought putting off experiences with children because they won’t remember as grown ups is a silly notion. Everything children experience shapes who they are. I’ve only now made the connection that the same thing applies to parenthood. As long as I do my best to fully experience each ever-fleeting moment with my baby, I won’t have any lack-of-journaling regrets, even if I don’t remember everything.

That said, I don’t want to forget everything. So in honor of his 8 weeks earth-side, here are 8 quirks worth remembering about tiny Tripp:

1. He is so weird. I freaking love it. He’s so much more of a person than everyone else’s babies. The eternal motherhood bias, I know.

2. His gummy smile is magic. It has the power to make everything okay. Better than okay. It can turn exhaustion into youthful energy and frustration into love-filled bliss.

3. He is so beautiful. He had newborn rash just after he was born, then baby acne, then cradle cap. Now I look at his perfect little defined features (no need to describe them like Shakespeare, I have an iPhone 7) and I feel like I can almost see his soul. I haven’t felt this phenomenon before.

4. He coos and grunts and moans with perfect comedic timing.

5. He fights sleep by whipping his head back and forth as fast as he can. If he had more hair, he’d give Willow Smith a run for her money.

6. He gets upset when he’s awake and swaddled and when he’s asleep and unswaddled, so we rock him to sleep and gently swaddle him without waking him up. You can’t half-ass it though, otherwise he’ll wake up and you’ll have to start all over. He’s about to outgrow the biggest Velcro swaddle Babies”R”Us makes, so I’ll report back on the transition. That’s probably a lie. I’ll forget.

7. In a recent Instagram post, I jokingly wondered whether he’ll be able to wear all of his 3-6 month outfits before he outgrows them. He decided to simultaneously help me make sure he wears them all and show me he’s actually the real jokester by blowing out three outfits today.

8. While we are on the topic of baby poo… it smells so good. I wish I could bottle it up and turn it into a candle to burn when he starts eating food. I thought selling baby poo scented candles might be a profitable side gig, but Rob shot me down. Considering he’s the only one making money at the moment, we’ll hold off on investing in my million dollar idea.

Maternity leave is moving too fast. I think I’ll break her legs so she has to crawl like the last 12 weeks of pregnancy did.