A very recent baby boom among our colleagues and friends has made me reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of newborn vs toddler parenting. Yes, I must admit that I occasionally get "baby lust," as they say, for those early days when Holden was a wee wee one. But then I remember the 2-hr feedings and late night wake ups, and things stop seeming so rosy. So I thought it would be fun to consider some of things that make the "newborn" stage great, and some of the things that definitely don't!
Five Great Things about the "Newborn" Stage
5) Limited mobility (no baby proofing required!)
4) Communication is Direct (sure, they cry a lot, but it only means one of 2 or 3 things)
3) Need to do something? Just wear them! (I can't emphasize this benefit enough)
2) Car-seat sleeping (you can still bring them to parties at this stage, and they'll snooze through the entire thing)
1) The way they fall asleep on your chest for hours (nothing better!)
Five Not-So-Great Things about the "Newborn" Stage
5) Lack of adult sleep (no explanation required)
4) Limited mobility (I just LOVE watching my toddler run around with glee)
3) Breast Pumps, Bottles, and the constant dish washing, ugh
2) Sooo much diaper changing
1) No hugs, no blowing kisses, no "mamas," no giggles (these things light up my day, every day)
Hey, you are welcome to come down for a visit whenever you have some of that "baby lust" in the upcoming months!
ReplyDeleteOne other thing that I forgot about newborns, all of the fluid that comes out of them. How quickly I forgot, picked up my friend's baby, and got covered in goo. Doh! :-)