I have always been a “baby person”. I was the one who babysat all the cousins and for just about everyone else we knew. I worked at day cares and preschools. I even nannied one very cute little girl for about a year. Babies smile at me in the store and friends babys that won’t go to anyone else go to me. People asked me all the time when I was going to have my own. But one thing or another wasn’t “right’. We were broke, or more importantly I was in a bad relationship. Which some people didn’t think really mattered, but I did. Then I got divorced and spent some time by myself getting my head together.
Then things were right. I was married to my best friend and everything fell into place. Fast forward 8 months and Lily’s born. And boy let me tell you now I’m a true baby person. I loved my cousins and all the other kids I took care of but none of it was like holding that little Peanut in my arms. I even love all the hard stuff and parenting is full of hard stuff.
One of the hardest things and something that surprised me was that my baby is growing up. Every day she is learning something new and no longer as helpless as she was the day before. I love watching the little gears turn and discovery and excitement wash over her, it’s the greatest thing ever. But I can’t imagine my little baby girl as a 1 year old or OMG a 10 year old. I am just going to miss this little person so much when she’s gone.
I love all the decisions that parenting comes with. Yes they are hard but each one of them shapes Lily just a little more. I love being a stay at home Mom but could do without the stress of being a one income family. I love deciding when and what to feed her because I’m hoping she isn’t as picky as I am. I love deciding to cloth diaper because its more healthy for Lily (it doesn’t hurt that Bum Genius diapers look so cute on her) and I love being able to decide where Lily sleeps, which is usually with me. I love making all the decisions that go with Lily, all the little every day ones to the big life altering ones. They are all part of this crazy hard job and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
In all of this I used “I” a lot but my Hubby helps me decide and stands behind me on the things that I feel are important. Having Waldo as my partener in all of this is the best thing that I could do or my children and myself. Having him by my side also helps me appreciate single parents more. I have no idea how they do it all.
Go check out Tatiana’s Babies of 2009 Carnival at It was a Very Good Year. Lily wasn’t born in 2009 but she only missed my a week. 🙂
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So sweet! I’m happy you found yourself in the right relationship before having a baby 🙂 I remember wondering how a single mom does it duringthe first few weeks after Maia’s birth, too.
I was never really a baby person. Never really wanted kids even, at least from like… 16 years old til I turned 25, at which point I was like “I’d kinda like a baby”.
Oh, Jinxy! How odd is it that it feels like I could have written this post! You stole the words right out of my mouth. We seem to be living parallel lives! Everything you wrote is true for me too…although I wasn’t married to my ex. We were together for five years though and engaged. Thank goodness we didn’t have kids together though! Everything happens for a reason!
You know, I sometimes look at Little One and get a bit weepy thinking about how much she’s growing and how fast! She’s seven (almost eight) months old already! Gah!
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