July was a tough month. I was chief resident on the adult neurology ward, which meant 24/7 calls. On average, I would get four calls a night, scattered between 8pm and 5am. Lots of interrupted sleep, and busy days with new interns to guide. July is the beginning of the academic year for medicine, so there are a lot of new doctors taking care of the patients.
What did this mean for Eleanor and Miranda? Basically, they had to deal with a grumpy mom all last month. And now, it’s their first birthday.
I’m trying to think of something insightful to say about motherhood, but in reality, you just do what you have to do. Everyday. It’s kind of a grind really. But while you’re grinding away, you try to be alert for those great moments where you feel like you’re actually connecting with your kid.
Here are some of my favorite moments with Miranda and Eleanor:
Miranda often has a kind of slightly frowning stare, and she isn’t that cuddly, but one night, about two months ago, I was holding her and absentmindedly patting her back. I must have stopped, because she suddenly looked up at me and started patting my chest. I resumed patting her back, and she snuggled in closer. Then, as an experiment, I stopped patting her back again, and she looked up, made a small sound in protest, and patted my chest again. Wow! Communication that doesn’t consist of crying is great, I thought.
Some of the best moments with Eleanor are with music. She definitely grooves to any good songs like the “Miffy” theme, “Twinkle Twinkle”, “Do Re Mi”. Initially, she would sway to the music, but since she started standing, she also wiggles her butt.
So how long are we going to keep blogging? I’m not sure, but someday, when this time in our lives is a hazy memory, it’ll be nice to look back and see all the fine details.