This morning Liam slept on my chest. I watched his uneven newborn breathing – now fast, now slow. Squeak, sigh, groan – flail the arms, relax. He waved one arm around violently until it landed on my neck and he felt my skin, and then he spread his tiny palm and held it there. He often does this. Skin on skin. His hand, fingertip to fingertip, is still not much bigger than a silver dollar. His head is warm and soft.
He slept beautifully last night – from 11 until 5. I nursed him at five, and then took off the swaddle. Whenever I do this, he stretches his arms and his legs, wearing a very adult facial expression that says – it feels so good to stretch these old bones. Except they’re not old in the least – his bones are 4 weeks old today, not counting, of course, their pre-world existence in my womb. Tiny and perfectly formed, my son, and healthy and well. Both of my boys are strong and happy. What a lucky mother am I.
We had a perfect summer day yesterday, heat notwithstanding. We – Jack, Liam, and I – slept until 10 am. After a late, leisurely breakfast, the Professor and I did yet more rearranging of the house – I am forever changing, reorganizing, straightening things, and he is my willing slave. Jack took a solid nap, and as soon as he woke we took him to the pool, where we splashed and played. I weighed myself, and let it here be known that I have 25 pounds to lose to get back to my pre-baby weight. Zoinks. I wonder how much of that I gained while my parents were here, feeding us so well.
This morning we are watching what is perhaps the perfect movie for our budding linguist – the Swiss Family Robinson. A MONKEY A MONKEY! OOH OOH AAH AAH! A DUCK! QUAAAAACK! A TIGER! WAAAAAH! <ROAR!> He is captivated by the menagerie on the screen, by the G-rated action, featuring pirates, tigers, and a cross-dressing cabin boy. He sits for about two seconds on his Big Boy Chair before leaping to his feet, shouting OH NO! WUN! WUN! <RUN!> and then settling back down again, til the next exciting event which requires his shouted instructions.
It’s been a lovely 24 hours in July.