First Week Flying Solo.

So, we've survived, Noah and I, the absence of Daddy. He of course calls several times a day to both hear Noah coo and make sure Mommy isn't spouting baby gibberish from our apartment building's rooftop--but, nope, no signs of new mommy insanity in sight--it's been smooth sailing so far. One of the many good things about living in the city is the many walkable outings that are possible--grocery stores, outdoor shopping malls, farmer's markets, restaurants, parks . . . not such slim pickin's for cabin fevered families! And despite the rainy cold weather as of late, we've even managed to begin to get into some semblance of a routine and it's only day three. Forbearing no major munchkin mishaps or meltdowns, Mr. Noah Finn gets a baby massage in the sunshine that comes through our bedroom window and a bath every other morning, a mid-morning walk to the Tar Pit Park and afternoon walk to the Pan Pacific Park every day, and a sponge bath every night. In between all of that, we spend our time singing, reading, talking, sunning, gazing at our spacemat mobile, chillin' in our bouncer chair, pooping, peeing, eating and napping.

And for those of you who were wondering, yes, we made all three mommy group's "final cuts"--but now we've decided to make a few cuts of our own. "The No Drama Mamas" it turns out, were everything but "low key"--the group leader seemed to be something of a diaper dictator and required attendance from moms at least several times a month along with other obligatory silliness. It was my intention to meet other moms for leisurely park strolls and have a real tangible reason to spend three hours preparing to leave the confines of the home via a vehicle for playdates once in a while--not feeling guilty for not making a meetup if Noah and I feel like sleeping in and ditch a date because we want to stay in our jammies all day. The "Stroller Striders", too, were nixed from our list. They require an $80.00 a month "membership fee". I don't know about other new mommies out there, but cloth diapers, enough clothes to keep up with weekly growth spurts, and other "necessary" baby baubles and gadgets have drastically curtailed our expendable income. Which brings us to the last mommy group that we applied to--"The LA M.I.L.K.s." (The Los Angeles Moms I'd Like to Know)--no fee required and no rigid obligations--just other mamas looking for fun, friendship and support. Our first meetup will be tomorrow at a park just a few blocks away. It's at 9:00 a.m. which may pose a slight problem for us because of our nighttime nursing schedule, but the promise of our first mommy & me friendships will hopefully be enough to pull us out from beneath our snugly covers. So, wish us luck--the idea of adding regular mommy group playdates to our new schedule is simply thrilling!

Before we close, a quick breakdown of Noah's current daily friends and foes--and luckily there are more loves than not:

• loves bathtime
• hates getting dressed--particularly the putting the shirt over the head part
• (still) loves watching the ceiling fan go round and round
• hates tummy time
  
• loves being on his changing table
• hates his swing--sorry Grandma and Grandpa Surette--this could change . . .?)
  
• loves being naked--particularly without a diaper
• hates the feeling of wind on his face--he wrinkles his nose, clenches his eyes shut, and gasps for air
  
• loves his spacemat mobile
• hates sleeping without being swaddled
  
• loves sleeping in his Baby Bjorn carrier
• loves his "white noise" machine
• loves dancing around the living room with mommy
• loves classical music
  
• loves getting his baby massage
• loves sunning on the sand at the beach
• loves breastfeeding every minute of every day even when he's not hungry
• loves sucking on his fist (his hand is a newly discovered body part)
• loves sticking out his tongue and licking his lips (a newly discovered skill)
• loves cooing, gooing and giggling at mommy and daddy instead of taking naps