Unsolicited Advice

It's been everything I thought it could be.  Incredible, exhausting, exciting, exhausting, fantastic, exhausting, eye-opening, exhausting, awe-inspiring, exhausting.  How can something so little make your heart ache and soar all at the same time?  All 9 pounds of Annabelle are precious and I love her so much.  It really is amazing that one day this little person, who is a complete stranger, arrives in your life, demands so much and you just suddenly love them, for no real reason at all.  She is perfect in every baby way.

I've tried to keep all of the challenges in perspective and the best tidbit came from my friend Donna, who is a mother of two grown children.  She is a Louisiana native living in Baku.  Donna said,

"Women wear lots of hats - daughter, sister, wife, employee, boss, etc; MOM has always been my favorite.  If I could offer some unsolicited advice...don't wish it all away.  Certain stages of parenthood are more challenging than others and we tend to think, "I can't wait till she sleeps through the night, holds her own bottle, eats table food, sits up, etc,"  Don't.  Enjoy every stage because before you know it, they're walking across the stage at their college graduation ready to take on the world and you're wondering where the time went."

I immediately thanked Donna for making me cry.  And then sincerely thanked her for knowing just the right thing to say at just the right time.   I'm still exhausted, but happily so.

New Born Pics, courtesy Melanie Wright:

Watch me outgrow my rugby bear! Annabelle, 1 month old, April 1, 2012