The Days Are Long, And You Won’t Miss The Baby Stage
I’m just two years into parenting, and it’s already going by way too fast. Suddenly, I’m realizing the truth in the annoying statement that every new parent hears: “The days are long, but the years are short.”
You know what’s coming next”¦ ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS. Yes, more experienced parents that kindly patronize new parents are well-meaning, but they must also have amnesia. I can promise you that you are not going to enjoy the baby stage, and you’ll be happy to see it go.
This doesn’t mean you are a bad parent; you’re just a normal person that likes to get eight hours of sleep at night. I loved watching both of my sons grow as babies, but it wasn’t until my first son turned one year old that I thought to myself, THIS is why people become parents.
Once my first son hit his first birthday, he started to develop an adorable personality. He was walking and eating regular food. He was off the breast milk and formula and on to good old cow’s milk. He was more so resembling a miniature person instead of a giant baby that spit up on me and kept me up at night.
My second son just hit 10 months, and I am chomping at the bit for his unique personality to emerge. He’s a really happy, adorable, pleasant baby, and I love him so much that I want to eat his face off. But still. Last night he was teething with a mild fever and kept us up for several hours crying and moaning and thrashing around.
No, the baby stage is not easy. In my personal experience, it is that one year mark that brings sweet, sweet relief. Now that my older son is two years old, I want to freeze time. The terrible twos aren’t that terrible. Sure, he screams like a maniac when he doesn’t get a popsicle during dinner, but I am obsessed with his funny, defiant little personality.
When my younger son turns one in just a few months, I may officially be in my parenting prime. Soon enough, I may be one of those annoying parents who encourage new parents with the same, tired advice they’ve heard one hundred times before””you’ve got to enjoy it while it lasts. It goes by way too fast.
(Image: lisalucia/Shutterstock)
