Like many of you, I have a tendency to overextend myself--and by default, my entire family. We are not slow movers. We like to have plans and go places and take pictures of us going places and keep up the pace. (I am, quite possibly, speaking out of turn--I like all that, but they sometimes don't!) Relaxation is not something I do well, even with effort.
One thing a new baby will do is slow you down. Things take longer, require more fore-thought (is that a word?), and flexibility is key to maintaining any level of sanity. So far, our Amelia is a laid back, sweet kind of kid. But when she is hungry, the world stops on its axis. And my world does, too. Frankly, I kinda like this aspect of parenting this time around. When Amelia squeals (and this is an apt word to describe her insistence), I slow down. I sit down and nurse her with pleasure and relaxation. The dishes will wait. The kids can hang on one more second for me to find that marker. The phone will ring. For those 20-30 minutes, Amelia and I can stare at each other and touch fingers. I can stroke her hair and tickle her toes. It's really quite wonderful--somehow I missed how great this is with the first two. I found myself nursing with the baby cradled in one arm while walking around picking up toys and laundry with the other arm. Not this time. I am taking the time to enjoy the smell of Amelia's hair and the sounds of her tiny hiccups. Because, as we all know too well, they just grow up too darn fast.
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