Even Better

If you're going through IF treatments, or are in a rough space with regard to your reproductive health and choices--this is not the post for you.

Move along.

No, I'm serious.

See, this post is about the good stuff.  The stuff that you sob over when the last thing didn't work.

I have my child. She's 3 and a half.  If you leave out that half you are in trouble.

She expresses herself. She is fun. She is wonderful.

There are some things that are even better than I imagined it when I wanted a child. Some experiences that I thought would be good, but are even better than that. Here they are.

1) The smell of freshly bathed child.

I love hugging her and toweling her off after her bath.  D does the lifting but I get the story cuddles.  She smells like baby shampoo, soap, and her own clean Lotus smell.  It's wonderful.

2) Cooking and Baking together.

We have a tower so she can help me cook and bake.  She can crack eggs better than I can. She can sift  and keep the flour mostly in the bowl. We like to cook and bake together and it is better than I even imagined it.

3) Rocking a sleeping child

Her night time routine still includes a bottle and me rocking her to sleep while singing.  Yes,  I know she's three, but I'm not willing to stop it until she wants to. If it makes her happy, I'm fine with it. Her weight as she sleeps is getting heavier, and I love it.

4) Her compassion

I prayed for a compassionate child. I got one. Oh did I get one. I recently had oral surgery and I was not "normal" mommy afterwards. My beautiful girl climbed up next to me and stroked my hair. "It's okay mommy, I'll take care of you."

5) The "You're Here" Hug

Mostly this one comes when I pick her up from pre-school.  She sees me and I hear "Mama!" and she runs to give me a hug. OH do I love this hug.


Parenting is hard, thankless, work.  But these things, make it all worthwhile.