Oliver can play by himself now, if you count "play by himself" as being happy unattended for 15 or so minutes. I guess I was doing it all wrong before because I've adapted my alone-play-time techniques and he seems just peachy. Allow me to share the mistakes I made:
1. Giving him toys to play with. TOYS!? What makes you think I would want to be left with toys, you cruel mother! These fun, bright, colourful toys! What have I done to deserve this?!
2. Leaving him on a soft surface. Softness!? But how can I hit my head against the floor!?!
3. Leaving him on his back. Put me on my stomach! So I can immediately flop over to my back and THEN I can be happy. Because I did it by myself. I don't need your charity, woman.
How did I remedy these problems? Well. I give him a diaper to play with. A piece of printer paper. My empty water bottle. GREAT FUN TOYS! I put him on a blanket on our hard floor. Makes a great noise when his head crashes into the ground. I leave him on his stomach so he can roll over super fast and scare himself to death temporarily. Of course, how did I not see this before?
But anyway. I'm digressing. Oliver is playing with a diaper right now so I can write this post.
2009 I think deserves some recognition.
1. Barfed my guts out in the dorm hall and lived to tell about it. "They" say you forget all the bad things about pregnancy, labor, and delivery but I'm not buying it. I can still remember it like yesterday.
2. Found an apartment, furnished it, set up shop and made it into a good home for our family. It feels like home here.
3. Faithfully went to the doctor at least once a month. Even though I hated it. Even though probably40+ different people had to look at my vag. I call that bravery.
4. Pummeled the insurance company reps into submission so that I might have health insurance to cover Oliver's entry into the world. And by pummeled, I mean cried and begged with as much dignity as I could muster. It was hard and scary and I'm actually proud of what I did do, as embarrassing as it was.
5. Gained 50 pounds, and in a herculean effort expelled 10 + of those hot wriggling pounds out of my loins. I'm working on those other 40. That'll be in next year's summary.
6. Learned how to eat a salad without projectile vomiting or feeding it to a dog.
7. Got engaged to my favorite adult person.
8. Decided that I am okay with being a mom now, even though it makes me different. And I'm not half bad at it, either.
9. Breastfed even when my nipples were BURNING AND DYING AND OMG JUST ABOUT FALLING OFF.
10. Traveled with a 3 month old infant on an airplane on Christmas Day and did not get mad once.
11. Decided to really let go of my "friends" who weren't supportive of me and Oliver. It was hard to do but I feel better for it.
And LAST BUT NOT LEAST!
I got the most awesome son ever in the world. He smiles and laughs and it makes me feel so happy. I've always been terrified of calling strangers over the phone, but I've done it so many times for him that I think I'm over that now. I'm able to be a little silly-er because sometimes making him happy means doing a stupid little dance at a Target check out. I'm better since he's gotten here, and that makes me happier.
This is the first year in a long time that I've made a New Year's resolution. But I'm not going to tell you what it is.
Belated Happy New Year's, Internet.
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