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Hi! I’m Emily from Wife, Check. Mom, Check. Now What? I’m so excited to be guest posting for Sara. I started blogging for a few reasons a year and half ago, but one thing I never expected was to grow such great online friendships. Sara is one of my most faithful followers and bloggy friends. I can always count on her for a giggle here at Unofficial Mom and sweet comments over at my place. I was really, really excited that after a little bit of shamelessly waving my hand in the air and shrieking, “MEMEMEMEME!” Sara agreed to let me in on the guest posting! Sara gave me free reign for my post, so here goes. My daughter is two and a half. Babyhood is escaping rapidly. Terrible twos entered our realm pretty early and while some days are still a little trying it’s not nearly what it was a month ago. The random tantrums have slowed, reasoning and threats have some weight, and consistent discipline is slowly working.
I feel as though her whole life, I’ve been itching for the next phase. As a newborn I couldn’t wait for her to hit six months old. I’m not sure why six months was a magic number for me, but in my head it was special. Six months hit and crawling hit and I was desperate for her to walk. I couldn’t wait for her to start talking, and eating solid foods.
Now I sit at dinner and negotiate every bite and new food like I’m negotiating health care reform or the federal budget and I smack my head a la Homer Simpson and utter, “doh!” . What was I thinking? While toddlerdom comes with its own rewards, it is exhausting. I mean there is nothing better than a running hug with little arms wrapped tightly around your neck followed by, “I love you mommy, much, much!” The sense of pride and accomplishment you feel when your child triumphantly counts all her stuffed animal friends on the couch and announces, “I got FIVE friends mommy! FIVE!” is unmatched.
I never thought I was a baby person or a newborn person. Two and three year olds always seemed much more my thing. I always regarded babydom as boring. It is boring and exhausting, but in a whole different and special way. My mom always says, “When they are little, little problems, When they are big, big problems.” It’s so true.
Every so often I find myself craving those early days of getting to know Miss Icie. I miss her little coos, and baby smiles. I love that every once in a while when she’s sweaty she captures some of that faint newborn smell that I miss so much. If I’m lucky I’ll catch her napping on the couch, with her hands over her head in that classic infant sleeping pose and I get a little nostalgic.
I guess it’s a case of the grass always being greener on the other side, or perhaps it’s time to start working seriously on number two.
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Thank you so much Emily! I know just how you feel. Pie needs to slow down, maybe she and Icie can have a chat about it!
