Parenthood. Sigh. So much to learn. So many years yet to input. I look at people with many children and I shake my head going 'how do they do it?' I'm not sure yet how many children God will bless us with but this I know: it's a lot of work raising kids! Case in point:
the bad parts [of parenthood]
-when your child learns to say no and says it with every question you ask.
-when your child is getting too heavy and too big to effectively pin them to the floor to change their bum
-when your child refuses to eat and there's nothing you can do about it
-when your child picks a 'catch phrase' and repeats it. ALL. DAY.
-when your child learns the word 'cookie' and 'video' and somehow doesn't forget these wonderful experiences and begs, pleads, and begs some more for these things
-when your child has a fit. Every. 10. Minutes. And each time it's something different, and each time it's something that's seemingly inconsequential or that you cannot control "the lights are off......." [fit ensues] because the neighbor turned their Christmas lights off. [Sorry?]
-when your child smiles when in time-out or seems to laugh off your discipline. arg.
the good parts [of parenthood]
-when your child comes running to give you a kiss and hug for bed or when they haven't seen you
-when your child randomly says words that you don't think you taught them and they just learned
-watching your child do a puzzle you didn't know they could do, or get excited about building a tower on their own
-when your child prays or sings a song about the goodness of God, without prompting
-when your child reminds you to pray before a meal
-when your child's eyes sparkle when they see christmas lights or a snowman, or something else new
-when your child laughs, hard, at something that you did
the ugly [of parenthood]
-trying to coordinate two children's needs of feeding, diapering etc, while at the mall or stuck in the car
-strapping children into carseats that they hate, then listening to them scream and not being able to do anything about it [I know, safety, yadda yadda, it still stinks]
-learning about yourself that you, as a parent, aren't patient, are not always loving, are innately selfish, and that you look forward to your children sleeping sometimes for peace and quiet.
-also learning about yourself that you forget to be intentional and that the teachable moments are fleeting and momentary and can so easily be missed. Lord help us!
Other recent parenthood thoughts:
1. My toddler is a giant. I cannot get over how BIG he is compared to his new little brother. How DID he get that big???
2. How/when did my toddler get to be so smart?
3. or independent? He refuses to hold my hand at the mall, or wants to wash his face himself....what?? When did he get so old?
4. Time passes so slowly [at night, when you're awake for the 4th time to breastfeed] but SO fast [when you think that your first child is almost 2 years old].
5. What. Did. I. Do. With. All. My. 'FREE.' TIME [before having children? clearly. I wasted it].
6. How does a small, itty bitty newborn poop so much?
7. I cannot believe I actually forgot about how physically demanding and difficult it is to have a newborn. So tiring. [God's way of ensuring you have more than one child...]
7. What am I going to do when Jason goes back to work? No seriously. What AM I going to do? So far he gets the toddler and I get the newborn. Done. But what happens when I am in charge of BOTH [at the same time]. Eek.
Agreed!
ReplyDeleteBrad took a week off and that was it. So hard!! But he still gets lily a drink, cheerios, and a fresh diaper every morning so I can feed Oli who wakes at the same time, so I guess that's how I'd say I'm surviving.
Also for Tobys nights, is he feeding on both sides every time you
Nurse? Cause if he were getting a full feed each time, four times would be insane (but possible I guess!). Or does he fall asleep like Oli does mid feed? Hate. That.
The first 6 weeks is the hardest, you're almost put of the woods :)
Em- He is feeding on both sides. But he does fall asleep at the breast. Yes- hate that for sure! The whole thing takes about an hour- feeding, changing, resettling. AND then he sometimes wakes up an hour later already. (What?) Thing is, Toby is not settling well at all even during the day. Walking, rocking, carrying, holding, swinging- is the only way to get him to sleep. You put him down, he wakes up. Crying. A lot. ARG. Hard. But we're getting through somehow =) Good thing for Christmas good times to help!
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