Thank God for Mom

I really don't know how I would have been able to handle all of this without my mom. Who knew that belly buttons kept bleeding/leaking even after the cord fell off? Not me. I've also learned the best way to swaddle, how to properly burp a child, and the importance of keeping an infant's stomach and back warm and covered. I've also learned not to freak out every single minute of the day (that one I'm still working on.) I have to say, though, I think I might have been more freaked out if my mom weren't here.


Samir has been colicky for the past three nights. He hasn't been sleeping well, and as a result, neither have I. Last night was major. Poor kid couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, and couldn't stop screaming. I felt so helpless and powerless. Again, mom came to the rescue. She saved the day with a pacifier and a hot water bottle to the abdomen. She knew how to burp him to maximize gas output, and she didn't freak out when the vomiting started.


I seriously need to stop arguing with her. From now on, even if she says to coat him in chicken fat for his skin, I'll do it. 

Becoming an Expert and a Milestone

I can now change a diaper in less than thirty seconds! Taking my cue from Alton Brown, I prep all of my hardware beforehand. Wipes on my right side, opened diaper on my left, and a small plastic bag above Samir's head for the dirty stuff. In the middle of all of this is the plastic changing pad. However, despite all of these precautions, I experienced something I hoped I never would, no matter how common it is for the mothers of baby boys. Yes, I was peed on. Twice. Twice today. So, I guess I hit a milestone. My boy peed on me.

I also had to do something that I hoped I would never have to do. Samir's nose is a little runny, and it was impacting his milk consumption. So, I used a nasal thingy that sucks the mucus out of a baby's nose. It wasn't as gross as I was thinking. I just didn't look too close at the tip of the bulb as I cleaned it out. All I need now is to get pooped on and the triad of grossness will be complete! 

How it all began

     S. and I never thought we would adopt a child. It wasn't until two miscarriages and years of negative pregnancy tests that we considered it an option. It was actually S. who broached the subject. 

   

     "What do you think about adopting?" he asked one morning after yet another single blue line."Look how much we love our cat. Why couldn't we love another human in the same way?" He clinched it with "Maybe we're meant to be parents to a child that doesn't already have them."

     I had to think about it. In my heart, I wanted to be pregnant and deliver. I wanted to be able to look at my child and see my family. I wanted to be able to say "Oh, she gets that from my dad." However, what I wanted most of all was to be a mom. That trumped it.

     I started researching, which is what I always do when faced with something new and scary (it must be the potential lawyer in me.) S. and I both agreed that we wanted a Pakistani baby. It was around April 2010 that I looked into adoption agencies in Pakistan, and found The Edhi Foundation. I called the New York office, and the woman who single-handedly runs the orphanage was there. I talked to her, and she made me feel like I was doing the right thing. I found a good place for getting the homestudy done, and it all started. We went through interviews, medical exams, awkward questions from ill-intentioned people, and spent a ton of money on application fees and other expenses. There was a lot of heartache and tension (for other posts) and lots and lots of sleepless nights. However, it's done. Now, only six months later, S. and I are parents! There's a whole new level of worry and tension now (checking that he's breathing every ten minutes will go away soon, right?) and the sleepless nights continue. But it's worth it. My God, it was worth it all.