Some thoughts from mom
I’ve been single-parenting it a bit lately: Q’s gone to a few baseball games (go, Giants!) and I’ve been home with the kids. Whenever I’m alone with the girls, I tend to reflect on parenthood and all that has changed since Avery’s arrival – and I’m happy to report that things continue to get easier. Taking care of two is no longer the exhausting event that it once was: I’ve learned how to juggle the girls’ various demands, and double tears or tantrums (which, thankfully, aren’t terribly common) don’t stress me out like they used to. Another bonus: The girls are becoming more interactive by the day, which means they can entertain one another while I sneak away for a few minutes of quiet (or, relatively, quiet) time. And, unless someone is sick or there’s some sort of fluke, the girls sleep long and well at night – which means me and Q feel, for the most part, well-rested and emotionally strong.
With that said, I don’t remember ever feeling so busy – or feeling like life was moving so quickly – as I have since Avery was born (or, more specifically, since I returned to work a year ago). It’s not all bad – I’m the type of person who thrives on being on the go, and I get great satisfaction out of my job and the activities we do as a family – but I don’t want to be moving so fast that I miss out on the amazing little moments that make raising small children (and life in general!) so wonderful. (My biggest fear: that I’ll look back and regret not slowing down and savoring this amazing time.) And I do wish I could have a bit more time to myself or time with each of the girls separately: time to breathe deeply and soak in my surroundings and just be. (Perhaps I’d even blog more!)
But while a bit of calm, and a little bit of down-time would be welcomed in my life, I can’t really complain. I have it pretty good, and – on my good days, at least – I feel like things will only get better.