I'm trying to think happy thoughts while the baby cries and refuses to nap...
I just can't get enough of Emma these days. It's interesting as I reflect on the different stages so far of her fairly short life. The infant stage was pretty tough for me. I dealt with postpartum depression, among other adjustment issues for the first 12-15 months. That was compounded by the fact that Emma and I had a difficult time establishing the nursing relationship in the beginning. I remember turning that corner around 5 months, and by 7 months, I was starting to say, "This parenting thing is kind of fun!" Not that I didn't adore her and feel extreme gratitude for her... it just became less exhausting and mysterious, and more fun. At 15 months I began getting wonderful chunks of sleep at night and wow, did that make a difference. Around 18 months, she began to get difficult taking into public. Prior to that, she would soak up restaurant and store experiences, saying "hi" and waving to anyone who would look her way. She would giggle and sit fairly still. From about 18 months to 2 1/2, that completely changed. We decided it was no longer fun to go out to eat because it wasn't worth the stress of entertaining her, trying to keep her in her seat, etc, etc. And 2 1/2 came then with a whole new set of challenges. Days of flat out defiance, tantrums, you know, normal toddler stuff. We just had to wade through the waters of toddlerhood. Fortunately difficult times were interspersed with her sweet personality. But I won't lie, it was a tough year.
I feel we've turned another corner this fall/winter. Emma has demonstrated a new sense of maturity, can verbalize her thoughts and feelings better with each day, and is just downright fun (usually) to be around. I'm sure the fact that I'm in a better place emotionally than I have been at certain points in the last 3 1/2 years is significant as well.
Some of my favorite regular phrases or questions these days:
"Mommy, did you take a shower today?" (asked when I lay down with her for a few minutes before nap and she wants to play with my hair)
"Do you have to go anywhere tonight?" (her response if I said I did take a shower... she knows she has no chance of playing with the top of my hair if this is the case :))
"Mommy, is anyone coming over today? Are we going anywhere?" (every morning)
"Having Daddy home all day" (her response 95% of the time when I ask her at the end of a weekend day what her favorite part of the day was)
"How can I help you?" (what she's learned to say when I'm making lunch or dinner and she's really hungry and ready to eat NOW)
"Mommy, I love you. You're a good mommy." (I need all the reinforcing now because I'm guessing I'll be hearing little, if any of this in about 10 years or so.)
About Me
- Kris
- I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. But first I'm a woman and I'm committed to taking care of myself so that I can have good relationships with others. This is not always easy. Okay, some days it's just plain impossible but I'm working at it! For almost 3 1/2 years I have been home raising children. Though quite difficult at first, I feel very content with my lifestyle choice. I am grateful that I have this "choice" and that it was mine to make. In college, I spent three months living in Costa Rica, Central America, for a Study Service Term. While there, I became familiar with the term Pura Vida. My interpretation of the phrase is "life is good." Sure, I have complaints and I am full of flaws. Many times things don't go my way. But hey, who has the perfect life (and wouldn't that be boring)?! My life is good!!
6 comments:
Hi Kris!
Glad to see you're back from a blogging break.
We, too, have gone through several stages like you have. I'd say we're not quite in the clear yet. Sometimes she's the sweetest little being, but othertimes the 3 yr. old comes out with someone else's personality and it isn't pretty.
Emma is about 3 or 4 months older, I think, so I'm looking forward to spring and perhaps Avery will follow suit!
I do love their thoughts though...isn't it fun looking through the eyes of a little person.
Have a great day!
Jill
At church on Sunday, Emma so willingly took Sienna's had to go up to Sunday school worship together. It was Sienna's first time and Emma was a great "big sister". What a sweetheart she is!
I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, Emma truly is a "Caring One" (which is what her name means). I think of that often when I see her interacting with others, especially those she holds closest to her heart.
I second Jill's comment. Jonah is seven months younger than Emma and this post makes me hold out hope that there are some brighter days around the corner. He still makes me want to scream a lot.
Oh Kris...how I remember those days. Sometimes wondering how we do it and be so thankful for the friends that help us through.
My boys are night and day. Although Jacob, now 9, has always been the mellow one, Jared, now 6, was always a handful (hence part of the reason there's a 6 year gap between him and my Emma, almost 1). As for Little Miss Emma - she's such a joy to have in our house. She's alittle bit of both of the boys, yet still different in her own way. Anxious to see which way her toddlers years will lean.
Noone ever said parenting would be easy, but those hugs and kisses at the end of each day - make it all worth it:-)
Emma is a sweatheart, that's for sure.
Being a fellow mother of a three year old girl, I can say that they can be so sweet, sincere, loving, and sensitive to others (as well as for themselves!). They all have good days and bad days; don't we all? I'm enjoying my daughter more and more as she matures and learns about being a big girl.
I'm with you on this one, Kris! The older my kids get, the more I like being with them! Your conversations with Emma remind me of my conversations with Sophia and Meiling. I just journaled about one of these conversations and I'll share it with you here. Just to note that we use the term
"goddess" with the girls when we talk about the divine feminine. Here's the entry:
I’m sitting on the floor in the living room. Sophia and Meiling have taken the couch pillows off the couch and are jumping from the couch onto the pillows on the floor. After one of her jumps, Sophia runs up to me and says, “Mommy, I want to tell you a secret.” She whispers in my ear, “The goddess loves you.” Meiling follows suit: she jumps off the couch, runs up to me and whispers, “The goddess is true.” The game continues with Sophia’s next secret: “The goddess is around you.” Meiling finishes with one last secret: “The goddess is patient.”
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