Parenthood

I wrote this for my other blog but figured it belonged here....

"They" say that nothing can prepare you for parenthood. That no one can explain to you the feeling of holding your baby for the first time. That you can never know how becoming a parent will change your life.

"They" are other parents. And "they" are absolutely right. There is nothing on this earth that can even begin to explain to the childless how a child will rock their world. Nothing can prepare you for the surprise of falling in love with your husband all over again, but in a different way; this time as the father of the best thing that ever happened to you. There are no words that could ever accurately explain how much your heart grows, how drastically your perspective shifts, and how much you, yourself, will change the second you see your newborn for the first time.

"Your life, as you know it, is over." This sounded so foreboding to me prior to Audia's arrival; it sounded like such a negative thing. I hated hearing it. But you know what? I don't think I could be any more grateful for the death of my life 'pre-child'. Things I cared about just a mere three and a half weeks ago I couldn't care any less about now. My life, the second I met my daughter, immediately revolved around her. She is the center of my universe and I couldn't be happier for it. My world now revolves around breastfeeding, changing diapers, and making sure that she is as comfortable and happy as possible. And this sounds dreadful to the childless. To me, it is pure bliss. They say that parents and those without children feel sorry for one-another and it's true. I know because I've now experienced both sides of the coin.

This isn't to say there aren't struggles. There are times when she is fussy to no end; various changes in position and scenery only comforting her for a few minutes at a time. And there are nights she is in a total feeding frenzy, where I am getting up every hour to hour and a half to feed her. But the point is that these struggles are nothing compared to the joy that she brings. I never in a million years would have thought that I would not care one bit about how tired I was. Getting at least 8 hours of sleep was ridiculously important to me prior to her birth. Now it seems like an unnecessary luxury. Sure, I'm tired during the day. But so what? If I were sleeping I might miss that fleeting smile, that steady gaze, watching her play with her daddy, or the chance to rock her to sleep for the fifty millionth time. And I wouldn't give up any of these things for the world.

But enough already. If you have a child, you know all this already. If you don't, you won't get it till you do. The point is that having a child, if you're ready for it, is the most wonderful thing you could ever do. I decided.