Perfection

As a new mom, I consider myself very lucky. Lukas has continued to sleep quite a bit at night and is still gaining weight, so those long stretches of sleep at night are not affecting his growth. He loves to be outside and does not cry very often. We are absolutely spoiled. So another 3 weeks have passed and I have been remiss in posting photos. We have them. They are just still in the camera. Guess I'll have to post those later.

What have we been up to for these past few weeks? We have had a few out-of town visitors. Bro-in-law Alex came 2 weekends in a row for work. Then, Cousin Esther came in for a few days to visit. Priyanka and her family came for a short visit too. In the past, we used to go to nice restaurants for dinner to catch up with Priyanka and Matt. However, parenthood certainly changes things. We now run to the supermarket to find food for the kids, get them in bed, order take-out or cook, and then make breakfast. Activities are a lot more home-based, especially when there are more than 2 children involved. We're still able to go out since Lukas spends most of his time sleeping, but I see that this is how our future will most likely be. It was still a great time, just different.

Ellen also came for a visit last week and it was a really great timing because Edwin's went back to work last week as well, so she helped me ease into taking care of Lukas by myself. Last Monday, it was just me and Lukas. It was pleasant, but I was nervous. It does take longer to do things by myself. Ellen arrived on Tuesday and we had a great time with her baking banana bread, having a semi-impromptu party, and "meandering" around SF on a lazy Friday afternoon.

I now find myself constantly fighting the clock. You remember that game Perfection? You know, the one where you have to put all the puzzle pieces into their respective spots before time is up. That's how I feel. I have to try and fit things in between Lukas's naps. Shower, breakfast, lunch, chores (laundry, dishes, paying bills, etc.), email, return calls, blog, etc. all have to squeeze in and before Lukas wakes. The difference is that I never know when Lukas is going to wake up whereas in the game Perfection, the time you are allowed is constant. I used to sweat and get stressed out by the game, but I find that with Lukas, it just makes me more efficient. I move faster and watch less TV. I try not to stress out if I'm not able to finish what I'm doing and just figure that I'll do it during my next "break."

I have also found that perfection has changed for me. Perfection is now defined as a fun day out with Lukas and Edwin with no poopy explosions, not getting peed on, a 7-hour stretch of sleep, and a toothless smile from Lukas. Lukas has started giving us his social smile which means that he is now smiling because he wants to, not just because he has gas. We haven't really been able to capture it fully on film yet, but it's really priceless.