The difference

I have realized a few things over the last 3 weeks. The difference between your first child and your fifth...with your first child, you lay around after the birth feeling so exhausted and almost sorry for yourself--as if you want the whole world to know how life-changing this has been and how you will never be a real person again! With the fifth, you just get over yourself --and very quickly--not only do you not worry about being a real person again, you have long forgotten what a real person really is! With the first, you spend hours looking at their tiny hands, feet, and just overall admire every little inch of them. With the fifth, you are so thankful to be nursing because if it wasn't for these precious moments with the baby, you are sure you wouldn't recognize them in a police line-up! With the first, you use Dreft laundry detergent, wash their clothes separately from everyone else, and fold each little article of clothing so specifically so it will stay cute and fresh in the drawer. The fifth probably will never even have their own dresser. With the first, you change their clothes numerous times to get them in each cute little outfit and you take their picture in each one. By the time you get to the fifth, you have such appreciation for those little gowns that make middle of the night diaper changes so easy, that you might even keep them in the same one for a few days! Our first child was sung to and read picture books, and taught the alphabet, got appropriate "tummy time", etc. Our fifth child is learning all about 1st and 2nd grade homework, could write a paper on World War II propaganda after attending my History Classes with me, and probably thinks "Dax-no!" is something that must be said to leave the house every day--hopefully he'll pick up his alphabet somewhere in there!
However, there are some things that stay the same with the first and the fifth. I have a picture of "Daddy and baby both sleeping on couch" for each one of my kids. There has never been a picture of "Mommy and baby both sleeping". This could be for a few reasons..1. Mommy takes all pictures because Daddy just forgets we have a camera. 2. Daddy never takes pictures because he secretly doesn't enjoy these early days and feels no need to remember them. 3. Mommy takes so long to get her body back and has traditionally had such a bad case of "post-partum camera distress" that in all of my children's photo albums it appears that they spent the first 3 months being raised by their father and a series of teddy bears. Finally, and probably most likely, Mommy NEVER sleeps! Another similarity between numbers 1 and 5 is that you still can't believe the gift you were given and the miracle each child is.
Today, a lady at church said, "Are you back to work yet?" I reminded her that Drake was only 3 weeks old. She acted surprised and said, well you just seem to be doing so well, I figured you were back to teaching. Back to work after 3 weeks???? Doesn't it take longer than that to cure a ham???? I really think, as a society, we expect way to much out of women! Ok--maybe I do still feel a teeny-tiny bit sorry for myself, maybe I'll reflect on that next time I have a minute or two to myself! Ha! Even in this "all work, no reward" stage--he is worth it, but I am hoping to see a smile soon!