1. He won't break if I drop him. Not that I have tested this theory, but he is far less delicate and fragile
than I thought he would be during pregnancy. He gives me heart attacks with his antics and then gets
up without so much as a bump and keeps on going.
2. It's okay to let him cry for a few minutes. While neither of us likes it when he cries, he does so for many
reasons. He cries when the cat won't let him pet her. He cries when his toys don't work the way he wants
them to work. He cries when I close the gate and go downstairs for a few seconds. The point is, tears are
easily triggered for many reasons... not once has a few tears shown signs of harm. Sometimes it's better
for his confidence if I sit back and let him figure it out for himself.
3. I'm not a baby wearer... nor does he like to be a fashion accessory. I got a moby wrap for a baby
shower gift. I thought it would be the greatest thing ever. I tried it a couple of times... and discovered we
just aren't really into that sort of thing.
4. I am a baby food maker. I have always loved to cook, so it's no surprise I love cooking for my adoring
son who loves to sit in the kitchen and watch me as I create concoctions for him to try.
5. Tony prefers my cooking to store bought foods. He will actually visibly snub store bought foods and
ask for my home-cooked goodness. He's shunned foods he sees in baby packaging and pointed at bowls
containing something I've cooked saying "want that" on more than one occasion. It really makes me feel
awesome.
6. I won't break down in intermittent sobs if I leave him with someone else for a few hours. I dreaded
the day I had to return to work after maternity leave. I didn't want to miss a single moment of my sweet
little boy's life. I really hated myself for not being able to be a stay-at-home mommy. (Damn my desire to
take my son on adventures and buy him great clothing in lieu of staying home!)
I learned that, as wistful as I may get when I kiss him goodbye, I'm fine when I get to the car. Being a
working mom is tough, but the look I get when I come in the daycare providers house every day is
priceless. It's something I wouldn't get if I didn't leave him in someone else's care.
7. LM won't hate me if I leave him with someone else for a few hours. Sometimes, when I drop him
off at daycare, he cries tearless cries. It's mostly a phase he's going through. The second I'm out of sight,
I'm out of mind and he starts laughing and playing with his daycare friends. One would think this would
bruise my mom-ego... but it really doesn't. I am so proud of the fact my son is secure enough in my love
for him that he is able to handle my not being by his side every waking moment. I'm also proud of his
ability to handle change. I always return, I love him too much to be gone for too long.
8. I don't have to make stupid faces or talk like a baby to make him laugh. A good, old-fashioned tickle
monster is all it takes sometimes. Or blowing on his belly. He will laugh at me if he finds things funny... and
I may not always know what triggers his giggles. The one thing I will always know is that his laugh is the
best thing I have heard in my entire life.
9. I don't have to be a constant source of entertainment. He is independent enough to know how to
occupy himself and creative enough to use his imagination. He's only a year old, but I can watch him use
his imagination when he's playing. When he's ready to be entertained, he will come to me or bring me a
toy or a book so we can play or read together.
10. He has defied every single thing I knew about baby development. I've always known children
develop at different paces. What I didn't know is that my child would be so far ahead of the curve. We
are amazed at his learning rate... he went from crawling to walking overnight. Not just tentative first
steps, actual standing up and walking down the hallway. He talks in partial phrases and knows more
words than most kids his age. He even knows some sign language. He amazes me with his abilities...
but it's also incredibly frightening.
