Tuesday, March 5, 2013

A decade of fun!



            Today we celebrate a joyous event at our house!  Today, my middle child--the little girl who looks most like me, who is my most sensitive, most social, hardest-working, and a marvelously imaginative child-- is ten years old.  As I think about this milestone (I now have more children in the “double digits” than the single ones!), I can’t help but think about what life was like when I brought my second baby girl home from the hospital a decade ago…..  

The day we brought our third baby home-- big sister and big brother watch over her
             She came home to a big sister who was 4 years old and a big brother who was just a year and a half.  My life was very full and very busy!  Every day was a challenge that included juggling two little ones in diapers, nap times and sleep schedules that were never consistent, and demands of a pre-schooler, a (very active) toddler, and a newborn that seemed never to end.  But our third child just added more love and more joy to the happy chaos we were already accustomed to.  

I remember being asked, quite often back then, which transition was hardest to adjust to- the first child, the second, or the third.  It was not a difficult question.  For me, without a doubt, going from no children to one child was infinitely more difficult than any other adjustment in my life- ever.  In fact, I recently found an old journal I kept when my first child was just a few weeks old.  As I read my own words, I was struck by how hard the struggle was to find peace in my imperfect mothering.  I wanted so much to feel confident and to truly master the art of parenting.  The old journal made it all come rushing back and I wished I could tell that young new mother that I once was—to relax, trust in herself and just enjoy all that motherhood had to offer.  

Thankfully, by the time I welcomed my third beautiful baby, I had learned a lot.  I was much more relaxed, much more trusting in myself, and much, much better at laughing at and enjoying the ups and downs of motherhood.   

And, now, all these years later, I have learned that you NEVER really master this parenting stuff….but motherhood is an adventure that is **almost** all fun!        

****almost—which means, whenever I remember to relax, trust, laugh, and enjoy the happy chaos****

2 comments:

  1. Happy 10th Birthday to your beautiful daughter! 10, 13, 16, etc. were special birthdays in my house when growing up. It's hard for me to believe that I myself have nearly a double-digiter! LOL Hoping that the year ahead brings your daughter special love and graces...a year filled with health and happiness.

    Blessings,
    Val

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much! It is amazing (and scary) how fast ten years can fly by-- it sounds like such a l-o-o-o-o-n-g time but feels like the snap of my fingers!

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