I do a lot of complaining. Here, elsewhere, pretty much anywhere I can. As a personal goal, I’m trying to do less of it. Smile more. Breathe more. Live in the moment more. It’s not always easy, and every parent’s bane. As some of the most joyous moments of our lives are unfolding, we are so beat-up, fatigued and otherwise exhausted that it’s hard to process. It’s hard to keep up the baby albums. It’s hard to find matching socks.
And then sometimes, like right now, they are both asleep, and it’s pretty easy. Is it not a universal truth that kids are cutest when asleep?
Anyway, I just want to take a quick time out here to slow it down and reflect on a few things:
1. Bub is officially in a big boy bed. He loves it. We talked it up, of course, he introduced all his animals one by one, and he is proud of himself for sleeping in the big boy bed. The best part is, though, that while he climbs into bed himself, he hasn’t figured out that he can just get out whenever he wants. Still calls for us when he rouses to get him, like we put up an invisible force shield after tucking him in. Hilarious.
2. HP is already a daddy’s girl. My wife’s words, not mine. I’m not even sure what that means yet, but I never get tired of that smile. It’s so wonderful to have a smiley baby. It absolutely never gets old, defies the law of diminishing return. Makes everything feel better.
3. The kids get along. Sure, Bub was apprehensive at first (“angry” was the doctor’s words), but we are really selling him on the big brother thing, and it seems to be working. We were super nervous to move HP into her crib in the shared bedroom. But we’re a few nights in now, and while they still wake us up at will, they don’t seem to bother each other, adhering to the ancient sibling sleep cycle code.
4. They are healthy and happy. Bub has had a couple colds, a fever once or twice, a few falls and bonks and bloody lips. Nothing serious. HP is not only healthy, but eats like an offensive lineman and is just a training beast. She practices squats anytime her feet touch the ground; she actually enjoys tummy time, and kind of looks at me like ‘What else you got, Daddy?’ Um, I’ve got a Shake Weight you can borrow. Just don’t hurt me. Terrifying.
Parenting is hard. It is full-time, relentless, heart-wrenching, draining, and nerve-wracking. Wait, wrong post. This is the happy post. My bad. Okay, parenting is still all of those things, but it is also absolutely worth it. Yes, my old life is just that. Old and dried up. Sometimes it feels like a dream I woke up from, was sure I would remember, so I went back to sleep, waking with only have bits and pieces, no context.
This is my new life. It’s not always glamorous or fun. It’s tired. It’s more laundry than I’ve ever seen. It runs on routine and coffee breath. But the kids are still asleep, and it’s awesome. And in the words of the immortal Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
