Eternal Sunshine of the Postpartum Mind

Um, hi. Remember me? It was nice to take a six-week blogging maternity leave, but it's good to be back. I'm feeling a bit rusty, so bear with me. There's lots of news and a birth story to share, but I'm going to ease into things with a meme. Thanks, Mommy Daisy!

Da Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you. (See above.)
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog. (I'm going to do seven facts about the past 6 weeks.)
4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
5. Leave a comment on their blogs so that they know they have been tagged.

1. While I was away, this blog turned one year old, Eli turned two years old, and Helen turned six weeks old. Time is speeding by.

2. I received so many wonderful comments and emails--both baby and non-dairy related--while I was away. Thank you all so much for your good wishes and kind messages and for your patience with my lack of blogging and emailing. I will be writing back/catching up with all of you as soon as I can.

3. While I am very vocal with hospital personnel and pediatric nurses about soy vs. dairy ("Do NOT give my baby formula supplements--especially not dairy ones!" "Soy milk IS calcium fortified, you Nimrod, therefore my son and daughter DO get enough calcium!"), I am a big chicken when it comes to being honest about sleeping arrangements. ("Yep, the baby always sleeps in a bassinet or crib. Uh-huh. All the time.") Even though I truly believe that whatever NSSP works for your family is best, as evidenced by the co-sleeping/musical beds thing we have going on here.

4. It hurts my feelings a little bit that SO many people have asked if Helen is a family name. Like, "Dude, the only way you could have come up with that name is to pick it off your family tree." It is a family name, AND we think it's pretty, and it's not as if we named her, I don't know, Ethel or Dotty or something. (My apologies if those are the names of any of your present or future children.)

5. We received so many wonderful meals during our first few weeks home, and almost everything was dairy-free. I am collecting recipes as we speak, and I can't wait to share them. Mmm... meat pie.

6. I really cannot think of an instance where it is appropriate to ask someone if they are done having children or to say, "Please tell me this is your last one." Unless maybe you are their doctor and another pregnancy would kill them.

7. Oh, the birth? The baby? After a day on Pitocin, the delivery was mercifully, miraculously short. (Extended birth story still to come.) And Helen is an angel--a good sleeper and eater who is blissfully unbothered by her siblings' love and attention and overenthusiastic head patting.

I tag whoever hasn't done this meme yet, which I'm guessing is no one. But I'll have to read all of your old blog entries to make sure.