Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The What Ifs of Motherhood

I have decided in my short 4.5 months of being a mother that basically you move from one nervous situation to the next with intermittant smiles and moments of joy with your baby to get you through. I don't know if you just become more relaxed the longer you are a parent or if you are just so tired from living in a constant state of panic that you do not feel as jittery as you did those first couples months. Either way I know we have come leaps and bounds from when Ellie was first born and I am actually beginning to really love this whole parenting thing but that does not mean that I am not faced with a litany of questions on a daily basis about whether what I am doing is right or am permanently harming my child in same and just adding to her list of things she will someday have to seek therapy for!
For example, Ellie has begun to roll over. We are so proud of our baby especially because she is rolling from her back to stomach which I am told by my mom is much harder than rolling from her stomach to her back so there is no doubt she is "advanced" and the next albert einstein. However, with this momentous development comes a whole new list of fears. Ellie now rolls all over her crib and oftentimes when I glance at the video monitor (best invention ever) it appears as if she is trying to suffocate herself (probably to escape from the ever attentive eye of her mother). I am repeatedly going into her room to check to make sure she can still breath and I find myself waking up in the middle of the night and actually turning her back unto her back for fear she cannot roll from her stomach to her back. I can not imagine when she begins to sit up, crawl and god forbid- WALK.
Which raises the question- when does being a caring and attentive mother turn into an obsessive compulsive mother who needs therapy before she decides that she should cover the entire house in bubblewrap to ensure no injury befalls her child- because I would say I am on the verge.
And don't get me started on the other debates out there such as when it is ok to introduce solid foods; whether giving my baby a pacifier is a good thing; how many naps is to many; how much and how often should I be feeding my baby, etc. etc. etc.
I understand now why grandmas are so enamored and loving of their grandchildren- they get to love and enjoy the babies without having to struggle with the what ifs. It is like their reward for keeping their sanity throughout the years of being a parent.
For now I will try and take it one question/crisis at at time, and if that doesn't work there is always prozac!

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Welcome Family and Friends!

With addition of our precious angel, I figured it was time to start a blog so that everyone could be blessed with updates on her many developments and pictures of our adorable baby. All this plus my witty insights - who could ask for anything more from a blog. Enjoy!