Parental Developement

Being a parent is a rewarding yet challenging learning process. Just in becoming parents we learned so much, and that hasn't changed. In some area's we are seasoned veterans, in others we're just beginning.

I found it sweet a few days ago when my husband and I were out. There was a man holding a newborn, and I wasn't paying much mind. The baby was fussing slightly, and my husband looks at me and says "He doesn't have what that baby wants." I was somewhere off in Lala land and respond with "huh?" "Look," he says, "That baby is rooting, he's hungry. I am willing to bet that man isn't equipped for the job."

It kind of made me smile. As awkward and nervous as he can be sometimes with the little babies, he knows more than it seems. We both do. We have been initiated into the parenting club, and now we understand those knowing smiles we'd get when we had to drag  screaming baby out of Golden Corral. It was that "Yeah, I been there." type of look. Usually followed by "Wait til' their 3... 5... 10... teenagers!"

We've noticed we share and receive baby wisdom from everywhere. Theres no manual to parenthood, but there's always a more experienced parent willing to help out someone new to the life of a parent.

Our oldest daughter is approaching three, our little one is 18 months, and I am in my third pregnancy. By this point we're pro's at this. We know all about morning sickness (ugh!), complications, ultrasounds, and birthing babies. We can change a poopy diaper blindfolded, and now without puking (although sometimes its a close call still). We've swaddled, rocked, bathed, and fed babies. We've been up all hours of the night with a screaming child without the foggiest idea why she was so angry.

Yet there is so much we have yet to experience. Kae goes to Preschool next year. We'll be parents of a school aged child, and I know that brings a whole new world of questions. Come on though, if we can handle a poop so big it wets through their pants in the middle of the mall playground without breaking a sweat, how hard can school be?

And it doesn't end there, I hear it doesn't even end when they graduate school and move on to college. In fact we'll still be parenting when our kids have kids, and Joel has to teach them what a hungry baby does. It's exciting though, and I wouldn't change it for the world. There are no happier moments in life than seeing my children learn and grow.