They were absolutely adorable, sweet babies. They seemed so content to just hang out in arms and nurse and sleep. Occasionally, one would smile at us or look at us. That sort of behavior is completely alien to us.
I think this was the crux of why the first year of DD's life was so difficult for me. I had a vision in my head of how life with my baby would be and she pretty much threw that right out the window from the moment she was born. Many friends and family members had babies of similar ages and my DD was just not comparable. I don't think I have a single picture of her smiling until she was close to two. She just wanted Mommy - 24/7. We had to be physically touching and engaged in some type of movement or verbal stimulation at all times. I am not ashamed to admit that the day we discovered Baby Einstein videos at around 4 months was one of the best days of my life. 20 whole uninterrupted moments in a day!!! I had no one to talk to about my DD. I honestly think that they all thought I was exaggerating or PPD. Those that would listen and try to understand would pass it off as something I did. My mommy-esteem took a big beating. Everything turned around when she was about 13 months, though. I was at my very wits end (in the grocery store, go figure) and a middle-aged lady came over to tell me that she thought I was doing a great job with my little girl and how lucky she was to have a patient mom. She went on to say that too often others point out what we do wrong and fail to mention everything we do right, and that as mothers we need to have the confidence to parent our children in a manner that works for them and us.. everyone else be damned! What a revelation for me!! I just stopped talking about my problems and started doing whatever would work to make DD happy instead of trying to do things the 'right' way, as stated in all parenting books.
So here is my advice: you do what works and love your baby and don't let a single person make you feel bad as a parent!! Sure she's different... but think of how all of her strengths will translate into adulthood. She will set the world on fire!
