A few months ago I was on the phone with my mother-in-law telling her about how much easier things felt now that the little bambino was 6 months old. I mentioned this to a few of my friends & several of them told me to not take it for granted because it would get harder. This made me mad for several reasons. One, I HATE HATE HATE it when people who have had children 6 months before me take it upon themselves to let me know that they think they know more than I do about parenting. WRONG! What they don’t realize is, is that I have a TON of experience with children! I am the oldest of five children, the youngest being about 10 years younger than me. I am one of 17 grandchildren; there are a ton of kids younger than me in my family and I have helped out with all of them. I’ve practically been a mini-mother since I was 4! Don’t believe me?! Have five children and then let me know how much your oldest does to help out!
The second reason I was annoyed was because I couldn’t understand why my friends couldn’t just relish with me in the fact that life felt easier than it had since the baby had been born. I was elated because I had actually reached a point in my journey as a new mother where things felt simple, on task, and organized. Instead of being met with congratulations, I was met with pessimism and discouragement. Right as I was about to give up on the world, a cousin of mine (yes, one of the 17!) who is also a mother had this to say: “People keep telling me it gets harder but so far with each stage the challeges are different but not harder. I love being a mother!”
This breath of fresh air was great! And she is absolutely right, each new stage is a challenge & it’s different, but it’s not miserable! Which leads me to my new set of challenges…
The babe has started sitting up and moving! It’s definitely a challenge, but so great at the same time. With him sitting up I can now put him down in a play area and hand him some toys (usually wooden spoons from the kitchen or a measuring cup–haha–I don’t know why I have spent money on toys because he never plays with them!)…anyways…I can put him down in a play area and he will sit there happily and I will get lost in my task oriented world and then I will notice that he’s gone. And this is where it gets challenging! Today, I found him in the guest bedroom and he had knocked the vaccuum cleaner over and was chewing on the dog’s bone–gross! He is constantly on the go and he is so curious about the world–it’s cute, it’s new, it’s challenging, & it’s perfect!
Next up, he’s going to be crawling & probably waving…with each new “first” I fall even more in-love with him. I am so grateful for him & I thank God for him everyday. So I say, “Bring on the challenges! Bring on the new stages! I’m ready for them!” As my wise cousin had to say, “I think babies just become more fun as they get older!” And I heartily agree!
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