...the Adventures of The Bumbling Mommy
or...
...Learning As I Go.
If I had a dime for everything I am learning about parenthood as the mother of a newborn, well, I'd have a whole lotta dimes, my friends.
Now, I assure you, getting your first taste of parenthood at the two-year old level was no cake walk. It came with its own share of challenges including how not to FREAK OUT when your son--who has only been home for a week--pushes his rocking horse down the stairs and into the wall. And, instead of nuzzling and bottle preparation, I jumped head first into a need for discipline and guiding a child (who didn't understand my language) on the relationship between sharp metal thingies and light sockets.
I did a lot of praying, I did.
But this time, it's an entirely different process. This child has needs that have to be met. That's it. He gets hungry, lets me know about it in a sudden, shrill, demanding way and I feed him. He has a wet diaper and I change it. He is tired and I rock him to sleep. There is no need to discipline or explain the finer points of the "inside" versus the "outside" voice. He is fully reliant upon us for every need. In some ways this can be a bit overwhelming but, in others, it is quite refreshing.
But, boy am I learning as I go along. I've been "christened" by the poop uzi and the pee fountain. I've learned that all those cutie-patootie outfits don't mean a hill o' beans at 3:30 in the morning when his diaper has leaked and he needs something else to wear. In the dark, instead of choosing between the precious green gown with the fuzzy yellow duck or the soft blue sleeper with the ABC's on the front, I grab the first thing my hand comes across in his drawer. And, to top it all off, I finally have a system for keeping bottles clean and no longer feel like a failure if he cries a little.
But, for all the things I'm somewhat "mastering" (using that in the loosest sense of the term, of course) there are plenty of things I'm working on. Gingerly putting little arms in and out of long-sleeve sleepers is still a challenge as I try to keep him from looking like he's in a straight-jacket. Keeping track of pacifiers is an ongoing mission as is having sufficient diapers/wipes stashed around our home for "emergencies." I'm learning about the delicate balance between jumping to action every time he cries and letting him try to self-soothe...but not for too long.
Most of all, I'm learning that the gaze of a three-week old while you're feeding him is one of the most heartwarming exchanges I've ever experienced. And, I'm thankful every day for this gift we've been given...this miracle that has befallen our family...stretching our boundaries and capacities to love, nurture, adapt and care for something so small.
Yes, I'm learning as I go but I'm enjoying every minute of it.
8 comments:
i used to lurk and check in here often, and lost the link for a while. i just saw your comment on boomama and jumped back over here. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! i am just full of joy for you all and that you have a sweet, new little boy. hug him tight :)
we are beginning our adoption process in feb/march and can't wait for what God is going to teach us through it!
Awwwww...Jacob is a blessed little baby. :)
Yeah, newbornhood does sortof reduce everything and everyone down to the very rudimentary, doesn't it? Yet the rudimentary becomes curiously holy and ... wholly ... somehow. Suddenly poop and milk and sleep become elevated to a status they've not held in life before. And over the course of 2 or 3 years, they're slowly demoted again to just plain old poop, milk and sleep. Ho hum. It's weird, to say the least. And miraculous, too. I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Oh Katie! You are so right with ALL the things you have to learn and figure out! It seems just when you have it figured out, he'll change and you'll have to do it all over again for the next stage of life. This is what makes us Moms so smart! : )
Since you were talking about having a dime for everything you learn... do that! Find a container and put a dime in for each new "ah-ha" mmoment. In a year or two, you'll save enough up for a cool family vacation!
Motherhood is indeed a learning experience. It changes as the child changes and ways that worked for one child don't always work for another. Enjoy learning what is right for you and your child.
You are an organized person and will get a routine down that will make things easier, but try not to expect everything to be perfect. You are not a failure in any way if your child cries a little. My mother used to tell me to let my son cry a bit. His lungs need the exercise and sometimes they WILL soothe themselves. It's hard not to rush to them when you hear the whimpers.
You will do just fine.....
Keep this up and I'm going to have to start buying waterproof mascara.
I bet you are doing GREAT! I had four newborns. AND YET, I was too scared to give any of them their first baths and dreaded doing long sleeves on those tiny little bodies. It is all so tricky!
And there is absolutely nothing like it on earth. I'm so thrilled for you. And maybe a tiny bit envious.
You'll get it all in stride and the next thing you know you're a pro who can do it all half asleep! But admit it you wouldn't trade this for anything.
I understand what you mean! When our girls were placed with us, the youngest was 20 months. So I've never had an infant.
I began babysitting my friend's little girl when she was 1 week old, and she's 10 months old now. Whole. Different. World.
It's beautiful, though, isn't it?
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