My little baby is growing up so fast!!! It boggles my mind. Some days feel slow and repetitive, and yet in the blink of an eye, another month has flown by… how is this possible!? Well… let’s test my mommy brain… in the last month, James has started clasping his hands, sucking his fingers, drooling, and drooling some more. He giggles at the purple elephant, at my dad’s vocal range, at his reflection, and during peek-a-boo… but apparently the funniness wears off after a day or so. He loves looking around, especially at our toiletries in the bathroom. He can push up on his arms and lift his head about 45 degrees during “tummy time”, which filled me with so much pride the first time he did it, it was kind of ridiculous! He consistently sleeps a 6-7 hour stretch at night (yay!), but still puts up a fight before falling asleep. He prefers mommy to daddy rocking him to sleep. He outgrew the bassinet and moved out of our room into his crib, in his own room… a little bittersweet. He also outgrew size 1-2 diapers and is onto size 2. We just finished a box of 1120 wipes… how many diaper changes was that!! He sports a bib on occasion. He tried the bottle, but again, prefers mommy. He’s beginning to dislike the pacifier and the cradle hold, and he gets angry at the mobile. His hair is falling out and his nails grow fast. He doesn’t mind the carseat because it means we’re going to the park! Bumpy ride = good sleep.
It’s wonderful being able to stay at home and witness all these little developments. As school is starting up again soon, I feel blessed to have the year off to savor motherhood… otherwise I’d be a nervous wreck right now! Props to my husband for being the sole breadwinner of our family. Sometimes I give him grief for coming home a little late, but really, I am thankful he works hard to support our family. I try not to spend too much of his hard-earned moolah on my daily expeditions!
I read an article recently that described 9 reasons why life is better with a baby. It struck a chord with me, so I guess I’m blogging this to remind myself the next time I’m having a moment or a rotten day that LIFE IS GOOD, JENNIFER, life is good!!
Life is better with a baby because…
1. You’ve got an adoring fan. So true. Usually we think of parents loving their children unconditionally, but I’d say that babies “love” their parents unconditionally too. James doesn’t care what I look like or what I’m wearing, how bad my singing or dancing is, or that I didn’t accomplish anything all day… he adores me as is… just because I’m his mom. He digs my song and dance, and he never turns down a cuddle!
2. You belong somewhere. We’re now part of the “back row” community at church… not the one for latecomers or the anti-social… but the one for parents who pray with eyes open (to keep watch on the baby) and leave mid-sermon to nurse!
3. You’ll make new friends. I started walking with a colleague once a week… a colleague who, prior to us having babies, I had never spoken to before! Suddenly we have so much in common. Also, during a visit to another mommy-friend, I couldn’t help but laugh when we lifted our shirts–no shame–to check out each other’s postpartum bellies. I’m looking forward to meeting more people thanks to James!
4. Your heart opens wider than you ever thought possible. I remember looking at a homeless man in an intersection and thinking, this is someone’s son. He was once someone’s baby and his mother must’ve loved him dearly. “It’s hard to be jaded or self-centered once you’re a mom. You gain much-needed perspective, your compassionate side blossoms, and in many ways, you finally grow up. It’s a beautiful thing.”
5. You get things done. This is half true. Days go by where I don’t accomplish anything… and coming from a highly productive, highly efficient lifestyle (i.e. first year teaching), it took a bit of adjustment and reminding myself that my worth is not based on how much I get done in a day. I still struggle sometimes when Eric asks “what’d you do today?”, and I have nothing to say. To maintain status quo at home (laundry, dishes, making the bed) is an accomplishment in itself! It’s hard to get things done with a baby. However, what the article meant was… moms become super efficient with the time that they do have. I guess that’s true… when he naps, I try to make every minute count.
6. Your body is awesome. Riiiight. “It’s not like my body was rockin’ before pregnancy, but after a baby, there is no mercy.” I will say that I’m amazed 1) I grew a human inside me, with bones and fingernails and eyeballs and a brain, 2) the body’s ability to stretch large enough to pass a watermelon, then return to a somewhat normal size afterwards, 3) a mother’s ability to nourish her baby through breastfeeding.
7. You know what matters. “Living with more love and less stuff is liberating.”
8. You cut yourself some slack. “As your child grows… you’ll come to the freeing realization that parenting is no place for perfectionism.” Yeah… parenting demands a lot of patience and grace, both with yourself and your spouse. And your baby.
9. You’ve built a family of your own. So Much Responsibility!! Some thoughts: 1) trust your instinct (there will always be moms that do it differently), 2) the grass is always greener, i.e. “you get to go to work and pee and eat when you want!” “you get to stay home with James!” (of course Eric doesn’t complain, but if I were in his shoes I would totally say that!)… but at the end of the day, both mom and dad are needed to make the family work, 3) despite having my “own family” now, I have not outgrown being my mom’s baby… she still takes care of me, feeds me, advises me… Mom, if you are reading this, you are amazing! Mom & Dad, thanks for all of your TLC in this new stage of my life!!
To this list I would add 10. He’s just plain cute! Babies are so innocent, simple, vulnerable, playful, impressionable, full of hope. They bring joy to everyone, they make strangers smile. “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward.” Psalm 127:3 