Last year, when I was newly pregnant, I received several Mother’s Day cards and gifts. Although excited, I felt a bit like an impostor. I was carrying a baby and technically a mom, but I didn’t feel a terribly strong connection to “Sesame” – nor did I have a real sense of what being a mom was like. One year later, of course, a lot has changed – and I now happily embrace my role as “Mom.” I finally understand what the hub-bub about babies is about and what an amazing job being a mom really is, and I still marvel over the power of maternal instinct. (I used to think I was missing that “mom” gene – but that has been disproven!) I also have a new-found appreciation for all the special moms who have come before me: my mom, grandmas and many aunts; Q’s mom (i.e. “Safta”), aunt and grandma. Thank you all for being wonderful role models and for showing me how it is done. I couldn’t be happier to be a member of your club!

Happy Mother’s Day.

-M

Well, Zoe has gotten to really love her nightly ritual of milk then cereal. We haven’t ventured off of rice cereal with bananas yet, since she loves it so much. Here she is eating like a big girl (if a big girl spit half of every mouthful out…) Enjoy!

Jon Q

When I went to pick up Zoe at Elena’s yesterday, one of the little girls there told me that Zoe had a surprise for me. After playfully scolding the girl for ruining the surprise, Elena presented me with a brown paper bag with the words “Happy Mother’s Day, Love Zoe” written on it. Inside was the sweetest little homemade wooden flower frame – with a picture of Zoe in the middle! I got all teary-eyed (I’m such a sap) as I thanked and hugged Elena and, of course, Zoe. I really couldn’t have been happier (or more touched) if Elena had handed me a $100 bill, and I couldn’t help but feel very blessed: for having such a wonderful little baby, for having found a loving and caring babysitter and – most of all – for being a mom.

-M

PS – I should note that this wasn’t even Zoe’s first gift to me. On Thursday, she sent to my office flowers that she had ordered online! Now, isn’t she thoughtful – and good with the computer??

A few weeks before Zoe was due, Q and I took a child-preparation class at UCSF. I struck up a brief conversation with the woman sitting next to me – whose baby happened to be due a few days before ours – and we wound up keeping in touch after the class. When Zoe and her baby (Miles) were just a couple months old, Polly and I began meeting for walks or coffees – and now the two of us, along with a new friend, are part of a little mom’s group that gets together on Fridays.

I really look forward to Fridays now – not just because it’s my day off work, but because I get so much from my conversations/interactions with these moms and their babies – and I know Zoe does, too. Our little group provides her with built-in playmates, and I’m sure she’ll especially appreciate this when she’s a bit older. She already enjoys herself when she’s around the other babies; check out some pics of Zoe and her boy pals below.

-M

Last summer, we found Zoe an exersaucer on Craigslist. It gathered dust in our garage for many months – until finally Zoe grew big enough to play with it. Now it sits proudly in her nursery, and Zoe jumps (no pun intended) at any chance to play with it. She has so much fun (bouncing, exploring and eating) when she’s in this thing that I had to take some video. Check out below how much she’s enjoying herself!

-M

This was a big week for Zoe…after her 5 month checkup at the Dr. (her platelets were great), we found out that it would be a good time to start her on some solid food! The Dr. recommended starting with rice cereal. So, of course I ran out to the grocery store that night to find her some. We bought her Gerber’s rice cereal with bananas. (I know, sounds delicious!) It was too late that night, but the following night, we mixed some together and let the fun begin.

Here she is day 1 getting ready for her first bite:

Here she is after her first bite:

Needless to say, we didn’t realize how messy feeding would be…we had to change her and wash her off. So, by the second night, we made a few changes. We made the cereal a bit thinner, so it was easier for her to eat and we didn’t get her ready for bed BEFORE she ate. Turns out by day 2, Zoe was a real pro at this…

She was very excited to start her food on day 2:

Zoe, the eating pro:

As a treat (no pun intended), here are videos of both nights.

Day 1:

Day 2:

Jon Q

I’ve been back at work since the end of Feb., but I haven’t shared too many of my thoughts about life as a mom with multiple jobs. (I hate the term “working mom” – because *every* mom is a working one!) Here are a few observations:

-You know that saying that youth is wasted on the young? I’m often reminded of that when I think about maternity leave and how it’s wasted on the baby’s first few months of life. In the beginning, babies do little but sleep, eat and cry – and it isn’t until three or four months that they develop real personalities and become so much more of a joy to be around. How cruel that this development coincides with most moms’ return to the office!! A co-worker and I once commented that there should be daycare for teeny-weeny babies – and moms should get to take time off to spend with their happy, adorable three- to six-month olds. We were only half-kidding!

-The *thought* of being away from Zoe for several days each week was a lot worse than actually being away from her. This isn’t to say that I haven’t missed her like crazy (see below); it’s just that it wasn’t as heartbreaking as I thought it would be. Maternity leave was such a strong bonding experience that I once reached the point where I couldn’t even THINK about going back to work and leaving Zoe without bursting into tears. (And this from a woman who really likes her job!) Once I left her a few times and started getting into the groove with things, though, I realized it was going to be okay – and I actually *felt* okay. (It helped, of course, that Zoe seems so happy with Elena – and that Elena seems to really care about her.)

-Although it might sound surprising, I don’t necessarily feel *guilty* about leaving Zoe during the day. I love my job and career, I feel like what I do is important, and I believe that Zoe is happy and safe even when we’re apart. In addition, I think it will be good for an older Zoe to see first-hand that women can play many different roles (both inside and outside of the home). With that said, I do sometimes feel sad for *me*. This is very selfish, I know – but spending time with Zoe is a great treat, and I often feel bad to be missing so many fun, gratifying moments with her.

-Since I’ve been back at work, I feel like I’m constantly moving at 100 mph. It seems like there’s always something to do (e.g. write a press release for work, do a load of Zoe’s dirty clothes at home) or to remember (e.g. bring milk, blanket, bib, etc. etc. to Zoe’s daycare). I’m fairly good with organization and time management, which helps keep me sane, but a little breather from time to time might be nice. (Then again, maybe I won’t get one of those for another 18 years or so!)

-Due to what I just wrote above, I often wish I could be two people (“work Michelle” and “home Michelle”) or have twice as much time in the day to do everything I want/need to to do. I know this isn’t a unique thought, though – what parent wouldn’t want more time to spend with their kids?

-My biggest struggle with being back at the office is keeping work-life and home-life separate. If I have a busy day or a looming deadline, I often bring my work home with me (if only in my head). Especially now that Zoe has an early bedtime and we only have a few hours together some of the evenings, I want to be better at leaving work at work – and just enjoying *being* with Zoe. This is something many people struggle with – whether they have a kid or not – and I find it one of the most challenging things to combat.

-This is probably a given, but now that Zoe is around, I always have something to look forward to in the evenings. Nothing makes me happier than reaching Holloway St. around 5:30 each night… Once I make that right turn, I’m only a few blocks away from a smiley, wiggly baby – who often greets me with a sloppy, open-mouth kiss!

-M

The recommendation has changed over the years, but these days doctors believe it’s best for babies to sleep on their backs. Each night since Zoe was born, we’ve put her to bed on her back like good parents – and each morning for at least the last month, we’ve found her lying on her stomach (usually in a completely different part of the crib and usually happily gnawing on her thumb.) Now that she’s learned to flip, there’s really nothing we can do: if I turn her over when she’s sleeping (which I frequently do before going to bed), she just later flips over to her tummy. I do still worry a bit about her preferred sleeping position (and wish she wouldn’t be such a rebel), but I have to admit that seeing her on her stomach – with her head held up high and a big smile on her face – is a super fun way to start the morning. How can I stress after seeing a face like this??

-M

Not only did Zoe spend time with Safta this past week, she also got visits from her Uncle Dan, Tonja, and Jack! She also fit in some time to take a bath or two and to have some good old fashion play time with Mommy. Here is the rest of her week, in a fun pictorial.

Jon Q

Bath time:

Our little ducky:

Hi, T!

Can’t seem to get off Uncle Dan’s shoulders:

Nice to meet you, Jack:

Check out my new friend, Jack:

Play time with Mommy:

As you know, Zoe’s Safta was here for the past week. Zoe had lots of fun running around and doing lots of fun things with her. This is the first morning that Safta is not here and Zoe misses her. Below are a bunch of photos from Zoe’s fun week!

Jon Q

Fun in the sun with Daddy:

Picture time with the Family:

Where’s the camera?

A quick bite at Girl and the Fig:

I can fly!

Playing football is fun…and nourishing:

Good night Safta: