This word had been on mind the last few days. I know, I know... of course it would be, I have two kids, it would be silly if I did not see myself as a parent. But this goes deeper than just being a parent. It's more about the relationships and emotions that come with being a parent. The word parenthood seems to encompass, a lifetime, rather than just one single moment. It encompasses the whole, from even the mere idea of having a baby to... well parenting never ends... but you get the idea...right? I dunno, maybe I am just rambling on... and on... and on...
I think a lot of it has to do with the recent baby boom that seems to be surrounding us at the moment. I have several friends who are pregnant, and another who delivered a bouncing baby girl just a few days ago. Not to mention, that my sister in law is in a hospital, at this very moment, waiting to meet the child she has nurtured for 9 months, face to face. Hopefully by this time tomorrow, our kids will have a new cousin. We are so thrilled.
Anyway, this brings me to my point. When I got pregnant the first time, we were so excited, and we could not wait to enter into parenthood. The whole idea of being parents and having a baby was exciting and yes a little scary...If I knew then what I know now, I think I would have approached it a little differently. Oh, don't get me wrong, the rewards far out weigh the bad things. But for all you first timers out there... they smell fear. LOL
No really, the first few months are a little tough, but you manage to get through it. I think, it's that thought and the first few months of parenthood that actually prepare you for the rest of it. You see parenthood is not easy. And it is something you do for the rest of your life. Once you have a child, you never cease to be a parent. Yet somehow, we mange to get through (most days with a smile). Granted, there is a lot of God's Grace, a little raising of the voices every now and then, and lots of sticky, muddy, gooey hugs. (I love the hugs... they are the best)
Parenthood. It's a big word... it encompasses so much more than I ever realized. And for that I am truly thankful.
If parenting were easy, I don't think we would feel so many emotions all at once... joy, fear, happiness, anticipation... all at the same time. As a mother I take these feelings for granted. All these emotions that hit all at the same time. I take this in a stride these days. As a mother of two preschoolers, I don't have time to dwell on every emotion that comes my way. But I should... at the very least slow down, and savor these times a little more than I do.
Mike and I talk all the time about how fast the kids are growing and learning.
I think this will be more pronounced in the up coming weeks. My brother in law is a Marine. He is returning from a tour of duty and will be home this upcoming week. We all are very excited to see him. My mom (in law) always tells me, he would ask how the little ones are, when he would call home. Just in the 9 months he has been gone my kids have changed so much. I mean, Tim can hold whole conversations on particular topics, tell riddles and actually understand the punch lines. 
Alexa is getting more girlie all the time. She loves to dress up, sing and dance to her favorite princess movies. 
These are recent things. Mike's niece's baby was just a few months old when Jess left, now he is almost a year. He is trying so hard to walk and talk... and he has managed to put on a few more pounds in the process.This is the process of parenthood. It's not just the big milestones, but the little ones. The things that will help your child grow into a wonderful, compassionate, caring, smart, witty adult. It's a long process, but worth every minute.
Anyway, I am not sure if any of this makes much sense, but in looking at the time, I suppose I would be shocked if it did. This is what I get for deciding to blog at midnight. heh
I hope that the thing you take from this post, is this...
Parenthood is not easy, but it is worth every minute. Take time to savor all the moments you can, because it really does go by fast.
Anyway, thanks for stopping by to read the ramblings of a very tired, yet ,very content mother.