Miss Emma turns 9 months old in just a few short days.
I can scarcely believe it.
Miss Emma turns 9 months old in just a few short days.
I can scarcely believe it.
My mother-in-law, Jean, asked me the other day whether the past several months since our daughter has arrived have gone by in the blink of an eye.
Well, yes and no, I replied. If I think hard I can remember those first fragile weeks, cradling our baby day and night, worrying about every little burp, cry and every other mysterious sound.
Then Groundhog Day set in, when one blurry day seeped into the next – feeding, changing, napping and then doing the process all over again.
But when I compare the past nine months to the duration of my pregnancy, the former has flown by. My pregnancy dragged in comparison. Those first few months I spent retching in silence, staring at my round, but not pregnant-looking belly, and saying mournfully to my husband, “This is so not fun.”
The rest of my pregnancy eked by with nary a hitch. But to my husband, Chris, and I the weeks felt like months as we waited for our little munchkin’s arrival.
The last nine months in comparison have sped by with barely a pause for us to reflect on our daughter’s progress.
The past three months she has been passing developmental milestones like mileposts in the baby derby.
She has gone from pulling herself up on wobbly legs one week to standing up and holding on with one hand the next. Her movements have become more deliberate and fluid; her preferences sharpened and made known.
In a word, she has become, dangerous.
We watch her with eagle eyes, following closely behind her rapid crawl. The other day, I found myself pulling a piece of our dog Lucy’s kibble out of her little mouth. Then I chased down her to retrieve an electrical cord out of her tiny gripped hand.
When I do, she squawks in protest, scrunching up her face and throwing a tiny fit.
But the next second she smiles as I swing her around the family room, planting kisses on her cheek then handing her a favorite toy.
As each week goes by, Emma reveals her personality to me like a precious gift. I feel as if I really know her – her wants and needs, her annoyances and sense of humor.
I am so honored to be her Mommy.
We all had the chance last week to visit with Chris’ cousin, Eric and his wife Carol. They are expecting their first-born in February.
Rounding her fourth month of pregnancy, Carol looks radiant. During her baby shower, she coos over all the impossibly tiny baby outfits and asks me about my own pregnancy and life with Emma.
I try to put into words what it has been like to be a parent: the stumbles, worries, wonderment and joy.
I tell her all about holding Emma for the first time, playing with her, watching her grow and learn.
But I know their experience will be unique to them. They will uncover their own well of worries, relish their own wonders and joys.
I envy them in a way. You can only have your first-born once. They are on the brink of an amazing journey. Soon they will hold their son or daughter and over the course of the months to come, they will truly come to know him or her.
It happens, seemingly, in the blink of an eye.
Kelly Barbazette lives in Gilroy with her husband, Chris, daughter, Emma, and miniature dachshund. She is the owner of Write Now, a copywriting and public relations company in Gilroy. She can be reached at kb*********@***oo.com.
