Oops...

There have been two big "oops's" this past weekend...

Firstly, Darryl took Malakai on a holiday down to his mother's in Durban (by the sea...)! It was a bit of a last-minute decision and I was left feeling quite unsure about my little boy being away from home without his mommy for the first time... But, with a clenched jaw I waved them both goodbye on Friday afternoon as they left for the airport.

I'm told Malakai had a smashing good time - playing on the beach and doing his fast crawl (arms and legs straight out, bum in the air, squealing with delight) straight into waves breaking on shore. He let the water wash right over him and did a few nose-dives straight into the wet and slurpy sea sand. I am waiting patiently for Darryl and Malakai to arrive home now so that I can see all the pictures they took!

Speaking of waiting - they were meant to be home last night, but it didn't pan out that way and they didn't get on the flight... Oops...

I was devastated that I wasn't going to see them both safely home last night! But they were on stand bye this morning have just boarded a flight and are on their way home now - so I'll see them in a few hours time.

For my second Oops?

Well, despite all the things we tried to calm and soothe little Harlan (and we tried many many things), we didn't think to swaddle him. Yes I know I know... most basic rule of newborns... But he didn't appear to like being swaddled and Malakai was the same (we stopped swaddling Malakai when he was just two weeks old and it was fine by him).

But my sister, in all her awesome brainy-ness, told me "swaddle the child Loren, he's clearly feeling insecure...".

Duh. Aha. Click. and all the other descriptions for when the penny drops...

I have a new baby now. Swaddling him and playing womb-music and he puts himself to sleep, deeply and peacefully and for hours on end... He still gets terrible winds that shoot out of him sounding like missiles being launched, but once we're through that and he's comfortable (yes, comfortable for the first time in two weeks!), it's like he's a new little baby.

Having found the obvious error in my mommy-ways, I feel like a bit of dork. Like I've left my new baby to fend for himself in the world, with no support and no security, for the past two weeks... I feel terrible about this! It was so OBVIOUS! Staring me in the face and practically slapping me silly, but I didn't see it. Oops...

So, what have I learned? That every child is different. That just because I'm already a mom doesn't mean I have nothing left to learn. That it takes time to get to know your baby and that what worked last time will not necessarily work this time.

One Weekend and Two big "Oops's"