One thing I’ve realized about myself over the years of being a Mother is that I am a baby person. It’s funny, because before I had kids, I never really thought this about myself. And, even after the birth of my first, I still didn’t quite realize it. I loved her, and goo gooed and gaa gaaed over her like any first time mother would. I was smitten, of course, but didn’t realize that I really loved the baby stage until she got a little older.
I read this great blog post the other day about just this topic. It was titled, “Do I love her best of all?“. The mother writing this blog expressed perfectly what I realized about myself a while ago with the birth of my second.
Now that I have three, and I have children in various stages of life, I realize that I am truly a baby person. You see, when you have a second child, the older child is possibly (and my oldest was an angel and still is) starting to enter a phase of life that is more trying. They talk, assert their will, and can fight for that will. Many times, their will is different than your will for them, and so the conflict ensues. By comparison, a baby can seem easy.
For me, babies are all about kisses, smiles, and cooing. And, that’s all from me. But, the return is amazing. To have a baby smile at you is the best feeling in the world. When that baby is YOUR baby, then the smile is even more amazing. And, the great thing (and sometimes the hardest thing) about the baby stage is that they need you all the time. They follow you around the room with their eyes, and there is nothing in the world that can distract their gaze from you. Because, as the mama, you are number one.
Even with my boys who have both been very difficult babies, I still find myself smitten. I will make a fool of myself to make them smile. And, I do quite often. I love all the kisses. I love watching them sleep. I love holding them and feeling their soft breathing. There is nothing like it in the world.
Do I love all of my children? Of course I do! But, do I have a special place in my heart for the time when they are babies? Absolutely.
I think I will always look back at their baby pictures and videos and get tears in my eyes. What mother wouldn’t? While the baby stage comes with its own difficulties and challenges, it is just a fleeting moment in the life of a parent. It disappears all too quickly. You can’t possibly love it every single second, but you make sure that you don’t let those precious snuggles pass you by when you have the chance.