Motherhood: This Is My Life
Jun 1st, 2008 by michelle
Although, we did not have our second child to keep her big brother company (she was in fact “a surprise”- “surprise” number two to be exact), but this cartoon is a good depiction of my day-to-day life. David on my heels with Grace right behind him. However, more accurately, it is Grace literally climbing up my leg with David trying to get my attention.
Motherhood isn’t quite what I thought it would be. It is much better in many aspects and simply different in others.
When your children are polar opposites, your expectations become irrelevant.
David was your typical “easy” child. He slept through the night, grew like a weed, played on his own, ate like a little piggy, and was, and still is, very independent. He didn’t even sit up on his own until he was 10 months old, crawled a month later, and then walked the following month. He has never been very dependent or clingy. Naturally, after having such an “easy” time with David, I had no fears about what it would be like to have two. I figured #2 would at least be similar to #1.
And then came Grace.
Grace is my spitfire. When she cries, tears stream down her face and she screams. When she is angry, she makes little fists, turns bright red and shakes. She refused to eat vegetables for months and would make herself gag on purpose. She still isn’t sleeping through the night. And, to top it off, she wants her “Mamom” all the time. If I leave the room, she chases after me and cries, “Mamom! Mamom!”- it is quite pathetic; although, still endearing.
This transition from one to two would have been more manageable if my first born had remained exactly the same. But just as my little lady came home from the hospital, my little man was gearing up for his terrible twos, which he hit a few months early. He was two, and he was going to be every bit of two that he could be.
And, of course, I naively assumed that my girl would be similar to my little boy: quiet, gentle, laid back. She threw a temper tantrum when she was only a few days old- made little fists and turned bright red. And as she got older, her will became stronger.
Now, all this to say that motherhood has surprised me in ways I didn’t expect.
My assumptions were, of course, wrong. Not all babies sleep through the night at two weeks old. Not all babies crawl at six months. Not all mothers do well on three hours of sleep. But I love my kiddos more than anything and they bring more joy to my life than I had imagined possible.
The simple lesson that I have learned is: Every baby is different.
So simple, and, yet, such an important lesson to learn.
My question to you is
What Is One Important Lesson that Your Have Learned from Motherhood?
If you want to join in and answer the question on your blog, leave your link!
ohh, I’m going to ponder this a bit and get back to you.
My oldest is, in all ways, my most challenging. He’s also the most spiritually inclined. It really is interesting how different they all are. Enjoy them!
Heh. both of my kids are challenging in their own ways. Motherhood shakes you down to your inner core more times than I’d like to admit.
And, the comic that we always quote is an old Baby Blues, “Let’s have two she says. They’ll be best friends, she says” as the kids are arguing in the background.
How old is Grace now?
Off topic: Join us in a swap I’m having over at my blog! Spread the word! http://www.orthodoxmom.blogspot.com!
Grace is 10 months old
Hhmm, the most important thing is hard to come by… Our son is 21 years old and I enjoy every minute of his life, but the one crucial thing about raising a son is recognizing how crucial his father is to making him a man. I cannot make my son a man in the same way that his father can, I don’t know “manly stuff.” This began with my having to let him go at about the age of 7-8 to really be with his dad. Such silliness on my part and selfishness too, to want to be the one in control of our child. So I would say that as the mother of a son - never be afraid to trust your partner and cut those apron strings.
nice post.
my kids, by the grace of god are saving my soul. they have revealed all kinds of faults and strengths in my personality. i am so far from where i want to be as a mother, but at the same time, right where i need to be.
james pulls on my pant legs or the edge of my skirt hanging on me as i work in the kitchen going “whaaa whaaa!” it’s very fun.
I’m doing this on my blog. See ya over there!