When Emerson was first born I felt like I had a total grasp on having a baby. The transition was relatively simple. It was for all intents and purposes exactly as I had expected. Less sleep, painful nipples for a while, but over all my life stayed the same. I could take Emerson everywhere, stick her in a wrap and off we went. Grocery shopping, momma baby yoga, visiting friends, days out with dad. She was a trooper, totally relaxed, could nap anywhere, breastfeeding left us unencumbered; as long as we were together life was good. Then she turned 6 months old, she started being too curious to nap out and about, she started to put everything in her mouth, and she needed time at home to practice crawling and being mobile.
Suddenly, I felt tied down. I couldn't do whatever I wanted. Life HAD to change. Oh! And we found out we're expected a second child and I really felt tied down. I vented my frustrations on facebook and the outpouring of encouragement and "this is totally normal" was amazing. I've been pondering what this means for me. It can at times feel like I am loosing myself, like I have to give up all these things. And the truth is I do. I'm a mom now. But I can also take advantage of the nicer moments; like playing in the livingroom with Emerson and Thor. Or going for a run on Friday morning while she naps in the buggy.
I have to say, embracing this new stage by enjoying time at home with my kiddo, by taking the time to prepare meals ahead of time (before the work week starts) and by embracing the alone time that I've been craving while she naps has been liberating. It's better than trying to ignore that life is different. I actually like this new phase. Bring on that second kid.
