Check Yes or No

Wyatt is now two months old and I have some good news. I think he likes me. The first several weeks of his life have been exhausting (see last post) and pretty much more than I ever imagined. Wyatt's pediatrician spoke truth to me a few weeks ago when he said, "You know, in the first few months of a baby's life, mom's give way more than they have to give." He followed up with a gentle reminder to take care of myself. Being in the communication field for a few years now, I've learned much about the power of validation and acknowledgement, even teaching new mediators to use these skills during mediation to help people feel completely heard and to give them permission to experience what ever it is they are feeling. I so needed this validation and didn't even know it. I felt like giving him a hug but I restrained myself, not wanting to have to find a new pediatrician or be known as Wyatt's crazy mom (at least not yet).

It all started about two weeks ago. First he started showing emotion with his eyes. They would grow wide and bright, as if he were using them to smile. Then one corner of his mouth would curl up a bit, exposing the dimple on his right cheek. After teasing me with these not-quite-smiles for several days, he broke into a huge grin complete with dimples on both sides and in response to my voice and smile across from him. All I could think was, "He likes me!" A comparable emotion takes me back to about fifth grade when I wondered if Brenton Parker liked me and I decided to write him the token "Do you like me? Check yes or no" note. Little did I know that this note would lead to my first boyfriend and date (to Turlock's classiest mini-golf course and skating rink).

I can only hope my relationship with Wyatt has a bit more staying power.