When they say the days are long, but the years are short, listen.
21 years ago, we were expecting our first baby boy. We had already named him for my father-in-law, but we had kept his name to ourselves. On the morning of his birth, I was having major cramps and stomach issues. I was 37 weeks and 6 days pregnant, so it was possible that I was in labor.
Spoiler alert: I was not in labor. I had food poisoning and was sent to the hospital to get checked out. I was examined and it was determined that I was “not in labor.” I was soon to be sent home when my waters broke.
This was my first delivery and I was nervous. Now that my waters were broken, I was told that I had 24 hours to deliver the baby or we would need to do a cesarean section. (c-section) I was sad to be forced in to an induction, when that wasn’t a choice I was given. But, I wanted to do everything I could to bring this baby into the world safely. We gave labor some time to start on its own and when it didn’t, we started Pitocin. This was brutal. The contractions were difficult and felt unnatural as my body fought them one by one.
After a few more hours without progression, I gave in and asked for an epidural. Progression happened fairly quickly after this. Our baby boy was born that evening with the pointy head of a first child. This concerned my husband more than me. I had read the books and knew (as much as possible) what to expect. “This was normal,” I kept assuring him. After a few days, his head was normally shaped, but after 21 years, it still comes up in conversations about his birth.
Caring for him was like learning a whole new language: baby language. Once we figured out one thing, we would be in another stage. And I was a little over the top with scheduling and sleep training and nursing. I didn’t know how to let go and I was definitely not relaxed. That kicked in around the time we were expecting our second son.
For me, the lesson is that each season may feel long and intensely hard, but they pass quickly. I honestly can hardly believe that my baby is 21 years old. We have been through so much. So many firsts. So many wonderful moments. So many hard times and challenges. And so many more triumphs.
Whatever stage of parenting you are in, remember that it truly will be a memory before you know it. So, either savor it or let it go. Because, it will pass soon.
Happy 21st birthday, dear son. We love you.
Love,
Momma
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