Moving Forward: Life with Maya

Nov. 15: checking out the neighborhood construction with all my kiddos.

It would be hard to make life with Maya any better. From the second she was born, she has been a magical little one in every way possible. It started with her not having any medical conditions. To have been blessed with a healthy and medically un-needy child is beyond our wildest dreams, and something I was beginning to wonder might be just a figment of our imagination.

Shayna loved Maya from the moment she knew Maya existed in my belly. That love only grew stronger when we brought Maya home. Shayna lays on the floor next to Maya singing Shayna songs about joining our family, growing up, and learning. Elijah preferred the ignore it and it will go away approach but after watching Shayna for a few days, he decided that loving on Maya was a much better thing. He's even sung a few songs to Maya in Shayna fashion.

Maya has been all one could ask for in a baby. She nurses well but hasn't gained weight like she wants to be a sumo wrestler so carrying her is still easy. She sleeps easily. In fact, Shayna would tell me, "can't you wake that baby up so I can see her eyes," or, "let's call her Sleepy not Maya." She yells at me when something is bothering her (hungry, tired, wet). (In fact, she loves getting her diaper changed.) As soon as the problem is fixed, she's back to her mellow self.

She's given me recognition smiles since birth and started with social smiles around five-weeks-old. She started to do little laughs at 10-weeks which she saves mainly for me or her mobile. When I put her under her mobile, she either gasps with joy or does a little internal-style chuckle and grins with anticipation just before I turn it on. When she's dry, fed, and rested, she can't decide who she loves more Shayna or me as her whole body lights up when we come to talk with her. She's been delightfully cooing back to us for the last three weeks. Nothing makes my heart lighter than a conversation with Maya.

It's been a dream for me to relax and enjoy this baby time as it goes so fast. At this point I was still enjoying Shayna I'm sure but what followed has left those memories as only fleeting glimpses. At this point with Elijah, I was still heavily traumatized by his birth and heart-monitoring needs and I was sinking into my own pit of heavy depression so my main memories are of the slog life was to me. With Maya, I'm relaxed and happy so am able to bask in the glow of new life. Yes, the days are a little frantic with three kids to keep track of but we started with lots of help in the form of visiting grandparents. Since then, Nahum has been great about taking the other kids in the evening so I can care for Maya. For instance on Sunday, Maya was having a rough afternoon so after dinner she and I went to take a bath. We fully relaxed in the warm water while she lay on my chest. We had some great conversations, beautiful smiles and even a few little laughs while Nahum played with Shayna and Elijah and their new toys from the Solstice Fairies (that's for another blog). Maya and I also have a few hours each morning to ourselves as the big kids are both in preschool. I've been so relaxed I started Elimination Communication with Maya at six-weeks (something I thought impossible). We only do it when it feels natural and I'm not stressed so she's reacted wonderfully. We still have more misses than catches most days and I don't leap out of bed at night to take her potty. If I catch her signals before she's wet, we get a catch. If not, she gets a fresh diaper. I haven't quite figured out what to do in the grocery store but I am getting braver about setting her on her potty in front of friends.

On Sunday, Maya was 11-weeks-old. To celebrate, she found her fingers on the hand she has been chewing all week. It was so cute to watch her suck her little fingers like Shayna did at that age. I also got proof of my suspicions about her excessive hand chewing and drooling, my sweet baby is teething. She has two little bumps rising on her bottom gums in the front. That also explains her fussy evening. Thank goodness she found her hand.