Thursday, May 6, 2010
Thursday Morning Free Writing - Keep it to Yourself
I feel like as a Mother who has had all the children she is going too...I am now a magnet for other Mother's newborns. I an not sure if it is their sweet little baby sent wafting in the air or if I zero in on them but I just sigh with sweet baby memories of another time in my life.A sweet little family came into the restaurant where I work a few weeks ago. This beautiful young couple had just had their very first tiny little baby. While waiting on them - I was finding it hard to concentrate on their service as I had to stop the flood of information that I wanted to pass along to this newbie Mom.
I wanted to tell them...
Spread those children out...when my kids got to about 10 months old I got this urge to have another baby. I think it's no surprise that that this is also about the age that they start pulling away - don't get me wrong - they still need you - but they have figured out that there is more around them than just you. But the truth of the matter is when you have your kids so close together - it's physically tiring...imagine a Mother of 3 trying to get groceries with a newborn, 2 year old and a 3 and a half year old. That was me! LOL - Imagine carrying all that weight - holding all those hands. Complete circus act. Now that they are a little older - I think it's just more mentally tiring. One of them always needs you to do something, be something or make something. They all talk a lot. They all talk at the same time. They all have questions and need help, inspiration and a Mother who has had her morning coffee.
Put one of those headbands on your little girl. You are missing a window of opportunity to instill in her that it's normal. I didn't do this. So when Miss Maddy's hair was finally long enough - and I started putting clips and bows in her hair...she just ripped them out...make it normal if you want to decorate their heads later.
Vacuum when your baby is sleeping. This one just sounds weird. When my kids were babies...I didn't shh anyone...I didn't turn off the ringer on the phone...or put one of those cute little baby is sleeping pillows on the front door. I never worried that they would be startled awake by the normal noise of the day - since they had to become accustomed to it as babies. Now my kids can blissfully sleep through just about anything.
Enjoy it - it flies by. We've all heard it before...probably said it too...but in the rush of life - to get it all done...we sometimes miss this simple step. Get down on the floor with your kids, take them to the park, chase lightening bugs, let a caterpillar walk along your arms so that your son will too, pick up a crayon instead of your iPhone, go for a walk, ride bikes with your kids, plant flowers, play trains and enjoy them when they are little.
I didn't tell them any of this though...I kept it to myself...why?
I didn't want to be that crazy lady who walked up to me in the grocery store - put her hands on my pregnant belly imploring me to make sure to give my baby enough tummy time.
She was right though - that's important too!
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Too, too true! I've only got one, and she's just 13 months...but already I am amazed at how fast the time is going.
ReplyDeletei want to have kids close in age....i know it's going to be hard, but i think that give them a chance to be closer. Less age gap. Maybe it's just that my brother and i are only 18 months apart and we had such a good relationship that i want my kids to have the same :)
ReplyDeletelove ur tips!
This is an excellent post! Your free-writing is getting better and better!!
ReplyDeleteWith my first child, I felt robbed of information. It was so hard, and I kept thinking, "why didn't anyone tell me it was going to be like this?" In hindsight however, people did, and as much as I heeded their warnings, er advice, the meaning was very much under appreciated by me. It was not until I fully experienced the joys, and lack thereof, of motherhood that I was fully capable of comprehending the wisdom being imparted.
ReplyDeleteCompare it to the birth of a butterfly. If helped from its cocoon, the butterfly withers and dies. When left on its own, struggling and emerging, it becomes strong, and like us mothers, one of the most beautiful creatures on earth.
Happy Mother's Day to all!
Deb @ Chalk Notes
Love this post! Thanks for sharing. The vacuuming around babies makes perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteYour post made me laugh! :)
ReplyDeleteAwww....If it were me at the restaurant, I would have loved that advice! And...did someone REALLY come up and touch your belly? HA! Very funny post. Stopping by from sits and I'm your newest follower!
ReplyDeleteI love this post! As a new mommy, I'm taking notes and taking it to heart!
ReplyDeleteAww, such a great and sweet post.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find that triggers the, "Aw, babies!" moments, is when I walk past the clothing section at Target. Their baby outfits are so stinkin' cute, and remind me how much fun I had dressing my girls and shopping for their clothes.
Excellent points! It is so easy to forget the wear and tear once we get into the groove of taking care of our very cute new born. Then life kicks in and all the other normal demands are now doubled. I hear you!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth - Team Lamby (love that name)