this normal

This isn't normally what I see on a Wednesday afternoon in the fall. Normally, there would be a classroom full of teenage bodies. Likely disinterested, some mildly amused. Most trying to get as much (or as little) done so they can get out.of my classroom the moment the bell rings. There is always homework. As the bell rings and the day ends, I am left to assess the growing piles of paper on my desk, the unread messages in my inbox, and the solid blue light that informs me that voice mail awaits.
But there's a new normal these days. This normal is one body instead of two dozen. This normal weighs around 14 pounds and tends to be demanding. There's a lot of eating and sleeping. We go for walks. We go to the store. The new normal attracts a lot of attention.

For one, there's her hair.

When we're out and about, I can do a countdown to the response I know she'll get as soon as a passerby peers into her stroller.

Look at all that hair!

If I had a dollar for each time I've heard it over the last 8 weeks....well, I'd have a lot of dollars.

I don't get tired of hearing it. In fact, it's one of the best parts of getting out. I know every mom feels this way, but she really is a beautiful baby. Even the nurses at the hospital thought so. "She's not one of those FLK's we see," Linda, our day nurse confided to me. FLK's? I asked. "Yeah, funny looking kids." Nope, our girl has big blue eyes, crazy, spiky hair.  Long arms and legs. My skinny feet. Her daddy's toes. The power of genetics.

So my new normal is a happy, healthy baby girl. The new normal is diaper changes and cluster feedings and cries in the middle of the night. I'm home this semester with our girl and I couldn't be happier. Sure there are days when I miss even the bored faces in my classroom, but I wouldn't trade it for a minute of what I have now. My new normal. The cries at 4 AM that are stifled as she latches to my breast. The smile that greets me when my face appears over her crib to lift her from a nap. A warm body stretched across my lap, sleeping peacefully after a fussy and fitful afternoon. I like this normal.