Ben's lab threw us a baby shower this afternoon. I wasn't sure how Finn would do seeing that the last non-family member he has had any contact with in the last 6 weeks was his doctor who gave him 4 very painful shots....but he did beautifully and was very charming. He didn't nap well in the morning, so I was a little worried he'd be really fussy, but I got him to sleep in the Moby wrap for a while. Then Duygo, the post-doc from Turkey, held him and absolutely fell in love with him....I think I have a babysitter any time I want....then one of the new graduate students, Christian, asked if he could hold him. He didn't have a lot of experience with babies but he did just fine. I coached him a little and he was able to get Finn to fall asleep, which he said had been his goal. I held Finn, while he slept a little longer and then I handed him off to Duygo again. All in all I think he got a couple hours sleep in, although it was probably a little too fragmented. After he woke up, while Duygo was holding him, he was all smiles and being very charming. We had a nice long session of everyone sitting around and looking at the baby. Margaret held him towards the end, but by that time he was starting to get a little fussy, so she handed him right back to me. I felt bad that he wouldn't sit longer with her, but there will be more opportunities. When she held him, she immediately smelled his little head and remarked how good it smelled. That started an interesting conversation that involved the guys and the girls all smelling his head. According to those that participated, only the women found that his head smelled good. None of the men said they smelled anything at all. There must be some evolutionary reason for that.
We got a lot of nice gifts. Lots of toys which will hopefully make play-time with Mommy a little more interesting. Hopefully, a few of the toys will make Tummy Time more enjoyable. We also got some very cute clothes, including some sweaters and vests perfect for the son of a Physicist.
They did a champagne toast for us. Ben noted when we got home that here Finn is only 10 weeks old and he's already been toasted by a member of the National Academy of Sciences, which is nearly like being toasted by a Nobel Prize winner.
We were there a total of 4 hours so I ended up having to feed Finn twice. But I brought my nursing pillow and cover-up, so we did just fine although it wasn't nearly as comfortable as at home for either of us. I know that nursing outside my home is good practice for me. Hopefully the more I do it the more confident I will be so that Finn and I aren't quite so home-bound as the weeks and months march on.
Finn was a huge hit with everyone and they all commented on how happy and content he seemed. I don't know whether that is Finn's natural disposition, or whether it has anything to do with our abilities as parents. I rather think it is the former and Ben and I are just very lucky parents!
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