Baby Mama Drama

So...why do babies not come with instructions? That would sure make my life 100% easier.

In lieu of a "baby" instruction manual (as I do actually understand that this is impossible as every baby is different) , I must resort to something else on a daily basis. You know what I am talking about. Gulp....I will just come out with it:

GOOGLE

I am googling baby stuff every day. From, "excessive drooling" to "what should bowels look like" to "baby schedules" and so on and so forth, ETC. I have petrified myself beyond belief that a small rash (attributed to a sensitivity to the lotion) was actually chicken pox. When my mother in law's dog got worms, I called my pediatritian, vet, sister, mother AND google before I would accept that there was no threat. Don't worry- even with no threat I STILL sent my dog home to the in laws for a few days until he finished antibiotics and it was clear that he didn't have and had never caught the worms.

Sigh. I guess this is what first time parents go through. I feel like I used to be this laid back person. Now that I have this little man in my life, I feel like I will rattle every cage until I know for sure that he is safe.

Speaking of Baby J, he is now a whopping 3 months old. Holy cow! How did that happen??? Major updates to speak of:

1. J is no longer sleeping in the swing. He has successfully slept (all night) in his crib for almost a week. As sad as it was for him to leave our room, I feel like a better parent now that he is in the crib. Talk about societal pressure.

2. We are hanging in there on the breastfeeding. The pumping 3x daily at work is a bit wearing, BUT, all in all I am still trying and he is still eating :-)

3. J is starting to babble. Mornings are his favorite time of the day. Nighttime brings meltdowns and tears. He is definitely his mother's son. We are so synced scheduly (not even a word I am sure).

4. J's favorite nursery rhyme is "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater" I say this approx. 678 times per day. He smiles every time. As soon as the word "peter" gets out, he knows what's coming. So. stinking. cute.

5. For our 3 year anniversary last week, we had our first real (i.e. not related to us) babysitter. She was fabulous and I was so happy to get a couple hours out of the house to be the "couple" again.

Having a child is the most difficult thing I have ever done- but also the most fun. I feel out of control, like an idiot most days and am never sure what each day is going to bring. The planner in me wants to scream, but the type A cleaner in me has relaxed. I just wonder how people KNOW certain things. How do you KNOW your child is ready for solids? How do you KNOW what activity your child should be doing at this age? How do you KNOW just what to do to make them stop crying?

I may not have all the answers, but I do know that for winging it, we have a happy, healthy, bouncing baby boy. And right now, it seems that's good enough. Drama and all.