Being a Mommy

I love being a Mom. I didn't think I'd ever be one, but here I am. But I will have to admit the enormity of being responsible for another life didn't hit me totally till I had my first baby. I remember creeping over to the side of her hospital bassinet and looking down at her. Who is this little person? An amazing experience.

We had our 3rd baby in April of this year and everything just comes like second nature to me now. Well, 3 kids in 4 years will do that to you. I have been asked many times if we still plan on having more children, or if 3 is enough. Well, no we are not done yet. We would like at least a couple more. Maybe 3 more. Who knows. And no, we are not quiverfull. So just had to get that out of the way.

What I have noticed is that there is a LOT of competetive mothering (parenting in general). Stuff I didn't even think was an issue, suddenly WAS. Like breastfeeding vs. bottlefeeding, co-sleeping vs. Cry It Out, and so on and so forth. You know, we are all just moms and dads, we are mostly just trying to get on with life and doing our best. We don't need to put others down just because we think the way they are raising their kids is not good enough for your standards.

I will be the first to admit I had a touch of that judgmental attitude when I first became a parent. I wasn't quite holier-than-thou, but I did have a cup of the Kool Aid. Now that I have 3 kids? I realized that their birth and first experiences are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their lives. It will not break them. Children are more resilient than that. As long as you love your kids, listen to their needs, feed them, keep them safe and do what is best for your particular circumstances, it is all good.

You couldn't be too fussy about things concerning your baby. I have seen parents fuss so much about what their baby eats, getting on a strict schedule, or being too die hard a follower of certain "parenting gurus", that they are just getting so exhausted and frustrated that they do not enjoy their babies and their being parents. What a waste of time! Believe me, those babies don't stay babies for very long. Before you know it they will be running away from you because they want to do other things.

So enjoy your kids. Cuddle them. If it is late at night and they woke up YET AGAIN, realize that it's not going to last forever. Look at their little faces and toes, touch them because, you know what? They will never ever be that little again. So treasure those moments.

Brings a tear to my eye thinking about that.