We've now passed the two week mark, which means that the feeding every two hours and constant diaper changing are no longer the fun and adventurous duties they were before!
Both Tyler and I have permanent bags under our eyes and our idea of a full day consists of one of us making it down to McDonald's to pick up a Red Box. Each morning I wake up with one goal - to take a shower before noon. (And, if I can brag on my super husband, who graciously watches D, I have been able to accomplish this every day so far!!)
Being a mom / parent is by far the most challenging thing that I have done - hands down. Never have I truly had to practice denying myself and dying to my selfishness before. I want to sleep. I want to be able to jump in the car and go somewhere new. I wanted to spend tons of money at after-Thanksgiving sales. I want to finish this post before dinner. But, none of those were in the best interest of my baby, and right now, as much as I want to do those things, there is a tiny little 8 lb. 5 oz. (probably more at this point!) baby boy who needs to be held, loved, fed, and nurtured.
Enter a new thought - being a mom / parent is by far the easiest thing that I have done - hands down. I have one job - care for the baby. I get to spend all my time holding him, showing him his hands and feet, telling him about all the sounds and lights and people he hears and sees. I feed him, rub his soft back, and help assure him that he is loved more deeply than I can ever tell him. I have no other commitments at this point - I am a wife and then a mother.
Mothering did take me by surprise - it is tiring and really hard and usually a person begins it with no instructions whatsoever. But when I see that little tiny baby boy, a spitting image of his daddy (I wanted a mini-Tyler since day one!), I realize that this is the best spot for me to be in right now - hands down.
P.S. There is a song by Dashboard called Hands Down. Of course, the lyrics refer to love interest slightly different from that of mine with Dash, but there is one line that keeps playing over and over in my head..."Hands Down this is the best day I can ever remember, I'll always remember..."
2 comments:
First, congrats on finding a song by DConfessional that isn't ENTIRELY depressing and making it relevant to Dash.
At work today I was actually listening to Dave Matthews Band - 'So Right' and a few lyrics jumped out as applicable to the new parent, specifically "stay up and make some noise, yeah."... have to ignore the clear romantic undertones (as you mentioned for the Dashboard song).
Keep up the good fight... you put it so well: you have accepted a tremendous responsibility, one that tests your physical and emotional limits, all while replenishing the same (clearly a miracle).
As we were letting our whining puppy out of her kennel at 3am this morning we thought about you guys... I think Ha'Bibis orientation to the house has provided a tangible preview of what to expect when Aiden arrives (add 2 or 3 more nightly interruptions and MUCH messier accidents!).
Much love for the Maddox's.
What a beautiful picture. I am so pround of yall!
Kiki
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