In my personal experience, I have found that parenting can present you with incredible moments to learn more about yourself and your strengths and struggles, figuring out what you are made of as a person, the strength of your marriage, what your spouse is made of, what you hope to share with your kids, as well as what you hope your kids will never duplicate of you, since now you have someone watching you 24/7. I am learning what I can handle and what I need to let go of. I have never wanted to be so healthy (spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally...) as I have since being a mom. I want Ryder to have the best parents possible. Parenthood is the best adventure we have ever been part of, (and we have had some amazing ones...)
There are so many times that Kit and I look at each other and we say to ourselves, "Well, we know for next time..." There is so much that is new in being first time parents, so much we are figuring out, which can be exciting, but can also be stressful. And right when you think you have something under your belt, something changes. We are finding that adaptability and flexibility are key in parenthood.
(Teach that in birthing classes...)
These last several days, I have been going out of my mind because Ryder had three teeth coming in at the same time, which meant no sleeping (for anyone in the house) and it's pretty funny how strung out you can feel when you have no idea what to do AND you are exhausted.
After one night, we noticed that Ryder's crying was sounding even more painful and I was so tired of being told it's just teething. After a trip to the doctor's office, it turns out that Ryder had a pretty bad ear infection on one side, and do you know, as soon as we got some medication on board, he is COMPLETELY back to his old self. (Well, on wednesday he did get his first top tooth on the left, so he is back to being himself, with just more teeth...) I beat myself up like crazy thinking that I wasn't paying close enough attention to him or that my poor little guy was so miserable and I could have done something sooner... Kit reminded me that we are doing our best and be just have to give ourselves a little grace because we have never been parents before. If anything has put me in a consistent posture of prayer, it's being a mom. I keep reminding myself that though I want to do it all perfect and right, I am going to fail sometimes (Ok, a lot...) Thank goodness for grace.
I know that there are lots of parents out there that are in the same boat. You are figuring it out while trying to do your best. Well, from our house to yours, you are not alone... Know that we are in it together!
