A 3-man village

I can't do anything alone.

The days that my mom was here she kept saying "it takes a village...." and she's right. For a couple of days that village was Josh, my mom and me.

It took a village to get Thomas to latch on. All three of us standing around my open boobs trying to figure out why the screaming baby with a mouthful of milky nipple wasn't sucking. Incidentally, my milk supply seems to be up. The herbs I'm taking are fenugreek and blessed thistle. Still pumping, still supplementing, but headed in the right direction it seems.

It took a village to go to the pediatrician. My mom just happened to be here when we went the 2nd time and the 3 of us walked in with 1 baby. Josh carried the carseat and Thomas. Mom carried the diaper bag. I carried the purse and signed the papers. All 3 of us got him dressed and undressed. Twice. All 3 of us helped change his diaper in between weighings. All 3 of us were necessary at this appointment. Josh is pretty sure the first weigh in where Thomas was declared 6 lbs even was wrong. He swears he saw the scale and it said 6 lbs 5.9 oz. That makes a lot more sense than Thomas gaining 1/2 lb in 1 day.

It took a village to change the diapers. Josh and I teamed up on the kid for the first couple of days. We're getting to be pros now (especially Josh) but for the first little while we were glad to have 4 hands against his 2 legs and 1 overactive wienie. Since I have a baby boy, I'm allowed to say "wienie" right? I say uterus, cervix, boob and nipple, so wienie is no worse.....right?

It took a village to take my pills. with 30-something pills per day to remember, Josh and my mom were constantly asking if I was ready for more drugs.

It took a village to watch the baby. Of course we had to stand in line for a turn, but we each got our turn to watch him sleep, identify all of his body parts, "oh....look at his little tiny fingers!" and try to decide who he looks like Thomas. He just looks like Thomas.

All of the in between moments have been made up of other incredibly kind "village members"; phone calls, visits, e-mails, meals, stranger lady who didn't make fun of us at the park, and Dr.'s have made the first week of Baby Thomas's life a smashing success.

It does take a village to raise a child, and I'm glad my village is made up of the greatest people there are.