Here’s the second-to-the-last installment of my Mommyhood Dictionary. I started it a few weeks back after being inspired by a clever book I had read.

R

• registry (n): I have to admit: I went a little nuts when it came time to select items for my registry when I was pregnant with you, Emily. We were registered at Buy Buy Baby and Target, and it seemed like everything I saw was somehow needed. Luckily, your Daddy was always nearby to be the voice of reason. Although now that I think about it, when it was his turn with the scanner, he selected a number of frivolous items, too.
  
• research (n and v): When I was pregnant with you, I must have read about a dozen different prenatal books, visited countless pregnancy websites, talked with a handful of my friends that had children, and watched a few informational pregnancy videos. I wanted to get as much information as I could to ensure that I was giving you the best 9 months to grow and develop. Even now, I still research information about your developmental milestones and progress.

S

• sleep (n and v): Just like any other new mommy, I did not get much sleep the first few months after you were born. I remember thinking that it was amazing that one could function on so few hours of sleep. I felt like a zombie most days.  When you finally started being able to sleep through the night, fortunately around 3 months old, I think I cried out of sheer joy and exhaustion.

T

• talkative (adj):  Your first word was “mama.” You would say a few other words here and there, but your talking abilities really increased around the time you started walking. It was incredible to hear how many words you could repeat or use when you noticed or wanted something. I have a feeling you will be a talkative child.

U

• ultrasound (n): Seeing you in the ultrasound images was always interesting. The very first time your daddy and I saw you, you were about the size of a sesame seed. As you grew, it was amazing to see you develop into a tiny human. You must have known you were being watched because you were always looking straight at us, which I have to admit was a little creepy especially when you blinked your eyes.

V

• vertigo (n):  I had the worst case of vertigo I’ve ever had while I was pregnant with you. It was so bad that no matter which way I held my head, I was incredibly dizzy. Pregnancy really does make common ailments that much worse and my doctor suggested I take motion-sickness medication.
• vigor (n): Being teachers, both your Daddy and I want you to be intelligent. This is going to sound silly, but I was so proud that you scored a 9 out of 10 on your APGAR assessment right after you were born. You got an A on your first test! You had so much robust health and energy in you, even just mere minutes after your arrival into this world.  When you aren’t feeling well, it’s easy to tell because you don’t show as much vigor. 

*Please return next week for the conclusion of this blog thread…