2. Babies appreciate every minor sensation the world has to offer because it's all new to them. As a writer, this can be invaluable to observe. (Yes, you know what, Elliot? You're right: The way light comes through the window and creates shadows along the wall IS beautiful and worth staring at.)
2a) What once seemed like minor scenarios have become highlights of my life. Like Elliot dancing, teaching himself to roll over, splashing in the bath, and blowing raspberries. Each milestone squeezes my heart. And he'll never be this small again, so each day is acutely poignant.
3. Sometimes a 2-hour commute on the 405 on a Monday morning is a welcome, restful respite from the 96 hours that preceded it.
4. Changing diapers, long feared, ended up being nothing whatsoever and the least of my worries.
5. I always knew Joe was my partner, but now he's really been in the trenches with me. And there's something sexy about a guy who knows how to rock a baby to sleep.
6. With time to read at a premium, only good books make the cut. (Sorry, bestseller that shan't be named. You've sapped my will to live. Although the extraordinarily repetitive nature of your prose does make it easy to drift off, which is sometimes helpful.)
7. My respect for other parents -- particularly my own -- has increased one million fold.
8. Just when I think my friends, loved ones and neighbors couldn't be kinder, someone does something so generous and thoughtful it blows my mind. Example: my cousin sending me a sleep mask and a bright red leather bag so I would feel pampered as a new mom. And the things my parents and in-laws have done for us are too numerous to even grasp or summarize.
Hooray! I both miss those baby days and feel relieved that I managed to live through them. Your baby is adorable!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elana. I know exactly what you mean -- I wouldn't go back to that first week and I feel relieved it's over, and yet I look at pictures of him as a one-day-old and cann't believe how much he's changed already.
DeleteI agree with everything you said. I've loved seeing the world through the eyes of my babies.
ReplyDeleteYou seem like such a happy new mom. I love that you love it so much. :)
Thanks, Natalie. I'm in awe that you have four little ones!
DeletePoignant is right. The biggest challenge for me as a parent has always been to appreciate each stage without getting too depressed about how quickly it's passing. When older people used told me to enjoy being a mom because it goes by so fast, I always wanted to throttle them. I know! I'm trying not to cry right now!
ReplyDeleteWhen older people used told me to enjoy being a mom because it goes by so fast, I always wanted to throttle them. ME, TOO. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
DeleteSarah, beautifully written. Every new mommy has to know about the Ladybug constellation night light. Our little guy is no longer afraid of the dark. He loves staring up at the stars in his room. Sweet :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds adorable. Thanks for the tip, and the kind words. :)
DeleteI had my first on Christmas Eve 2009, and am expecting my second in July. Everything you say is so true. I remember the biggest shock to me was how everyone says "it goes by so fast, treasure it!" It doesn't. The first month took three years. Why does no one remember this?
ReplyDeleteOh, just wait until he first time he says "I love you" or "I need a hug." You THINK your heart has melted into as liquid a form as possible, then they learn something new.
Mishell, you're SO right about the first month. I think it took 10 years off my life (and I have the gray hair to prove it).
DeleteLooking forward to the other milestones you mentioned. My heart will be a gooey mess :) Thanks for commenting!
I miss the baby giggles when they can't stop and you can't figure out what they're laughing at.
ReplyDeleteSo sweet! :)
DeleteWhat a sweet post! I agree about daddies with a baby asleep on his chest. So precious.
ReplyDeleteAnd I remember that red bag...it's so cute!
Thanks, Julie!
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