The main tactic in my distraction plan is to think about a happy, lovely thing that brings joy and contentment to my heart. Seriously--more joy and contentment than I ever thought possible.
It's something I've posted about before: my afternoon reading naps with Baby Girl.
The gist is that she naps, I hold her whist simultaneously reading, and both Mama and Baby Girl stay very, very happy. For proof of this happiness, see below:
Doesn't she look like she's smiling in her sleep???
For the record, I do know that this tradition has to end at some point, but not now! The one day I tried to end it--for some crazy reason still unknown to me, but mostly driven by societal guilt that I was coddling her too much--I had a total and complete mental breakdown, during which I called both my mother and my husband weeping incoherently and blubbering, "but I just wanna h-h-hold my baby. Waaaaaaaah." It was ugly. And snotty. And some more ugly. (Seriously, ask my mother or my husband). And I ended up with a massive headache because of said breakdown.
So the next day, I struck what I believe to be a reasonable compromise: Baby Girl naps very unhappily in her crib in the morning---thereby gaining a little independence and a greater ability to self-soothe, just like she does at bedtime--and in the afternoon, we get to snuggle. Win/win.
I truly believe that these precious, quiet hours will stay with me for a lifetime. But today, it struck me that certain books will also stay with me for a lifetime, because I'll always associate them with this beautiful time together with my newborn.
For example...
This is the first book I read with her in the rocker, just a couple weeks into her life, when I realized we could enjoy this sacred tradition of ours:
It's not an earth-shattering read. More like happy fluff reading. But it will always, always have a special memory pocket it my heart, when I think back on the series of cloudy, rainy days I spent holding my daughter while reading it, and feeling that life just couldn't get any better.
Because it gives me warm fuzzies to think about books I love and the memories I have associated with them, I'm gonna share a few more randoms with you...all part of my distraction plan, of course ;)
Okay, here we go:
I know, I know...for two reasons, people seem to be reluctant to read this one (I'm talking about you, Mother). First, because they occasionally have something against Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight novels. Second, because they read the blurb and think it might be too out there for them. But I promise you, if you read this, you will not be sorry. And you can trust me. I'm a lover of books. And this is in my Top 5 of all time. 'Nough said.
But back to the point of this post: I'll forever associate this book with sitting in the stands at my younger brother's college graduation. I couldn't put the thing down. And let's face it, graduations can be long and boring. All those names. All those diplomas. (You're all thinking it; I'm just the one to say it.)
Next:
Another one in my Top 5. It's incredible and so immersive that it's physically painful to detach yourself from it at the end. Thank goodness it's a looooong read--and a series, to boot. I'll forever associate it with a business trip to Montreal for a round of television production (in my former life, of course). I had a free afternoon following a pre-production meeting, and I walked from my hotel to a nearby park on an unseasonably warm autumn day, and camped out to read. Heavenly.
This one--the first in the Bride Quartet series from Nora Roberts--is just great fun. It makes you want to gather together three best friends, chuck your current life, and start planning weddings for a living. And I'll always associate it with a freezing cold week in January, right after the New Year, when I cuddled up on the couch and read all four books, back to back to back to back.
Here's another one with January associations for me. I read while my husband worked from home--both in our bedroom, which was recently revamped. It was just about the one and only time I hoped he'd keep working for a few more hours.
And finally:
Another fluff one that might not have warranted a permanent spot in my brain, had it not been for the time and place of its reading. I was on a flight back from Paris (I know, I know...I sound like a snotty, bragadocious brat) and must have been highly impaired from: a) to much Frenchie food, b) the high altitude and lack of fresh oxygen, or, c) just extremely jet-lagged, because I don't think I've ever laughed harder whilst reading a book. And because of the aforementioned impairments, I'm not sure if it was actually funny or if I just perceived to be funny. But it doesn't matter, 'cause it earned a spot in my brain. And that's some coveted space in there.
In case you can't tell by all of the above, I'm a voracious reader. It's truly a part of who I am, and I'm so incredibly glad that I've been able to continue it as a new mother. And I hope beyond all hopes that my little one is picking up some of that love through osmosis, because nothing would make me happier than to see her at my age, rambling off some of her favorites and the memories associated with them.
Over and out.
No comments:
Post a Comment