Before I start, I'd just like to say that I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and that you'll all have a wonderful time celebrating the upcoming new year! I've only just begun to reflect on the past year, but one thing is for sure - I'm grateful to you all (whoever you are) for sharing life with me. =D My first post in 2020 will be more on such reflections, so stay tuned!
Disclaimer: Just because this post is about babies and my newfound feelings towards them does not mean you should start asking when Peter and I are going to start having kids. They'll come when we're ready, and that's all I have to say about that.
Peter and I recently spent a week in Austin, TX visiting his brother B, B's wife F, and their new daughter, G. B and F moved from Connecticut to Texas back in September, and shortly after they left, Peter and I decided we wanted to visit them for Christmas. All of Peter's immediate family is in Connecticut, so I'm really glad we were able to make the trip and spend part of Christmas with them (we flew back home Christmas morning, so we also got to spend Christmas Day with my family, as per usual, and managed to see Peter's parents and another brother that evening). Let me briefly share my thoughts about Austin. It's a cool city! It's so spacious because everything is spread out (lots of highways and several-lane service roads as a result), the food options are super diverse, and there are so many fun things to do. The weather was cool when we first arrived, but by the end of our trip, it had gone up to the low 70s. It was actually a little jarring because I'm so used to cold weather around Christmastime. All of the apartment complexes, including B and F's, look like resorts - they're SO nice! I was amazed by how friendly the people were (especially while you're driving) and how cheap the gas was. It reminded Peter and me of just how much we would like to move out of Connecticut in the future. Not to Austin, but somewhere different. We managed a day trip to Waco as well and got to see what all the fuss was about. ; ) Well worth it!
G was just over two weeks old when we arrived. I've never met a baby that young before, so this was completely new and exciting to me. I know most babies are naturally cute (I hate to say it, but yes, I've seen a few ugly babies before), but G won me over instantly. She's an absolute gem, and holding her was such an incredible feeling. I sang her to sleep a few times while we were there, and that too felt amazing. Interacting with her and watching B and F take care of her really helped Peter and me discover what having a baby might look like.
Well, we got to play house twice during that trip! We offered to babysit G so that B and F could go out just the two of them (do I have any potential babysitters I can call on in the future to do this for Peter and me??), and the two times we did it were drastically different from each other. The first time, B and F went out to eat, so they weren't gone for very long, and while they were gone, G slept the entire time. Easy peasy! The second time, B and F went to see a movie, so since they were gone for much longer, I prepared myself mentally to anticipate the need to change G's diaper and feed her from a bottle too. I didn't, however, anticipate the other complications that arose.
We were watching TV when we heard G beginning to stir and also started to smell something a little foul coming from her direction. I picked her up and took her to the changing table. Her diaper was empty. I frowned. Maybe ten later, an ugly-colored liquid began to run out of her, and she started crying. Peter and I whipped into action, cleaning up the mess and changing her diaper as quickly as possible. That wasn't so bad. We realized though that there was still a foul smell emitting from somewhere. Turns out one of the cats had missed his litter box when he pooped. Peter went to take care of that while I dressed G and started prepping her bottle.
While I was feeding G, we tried talking to two friends of ours about upcoming vacation plans that were a bit time-sensitive. All of a sudden, I felt something wet and looked down to see that she had spat up her milk all over my dress (In hindsight, yes, I should've changed before feeding her. It's part of the learning curve!). I tried feeding her some more, but the same thing happened, except this time she spat up on herself. I left Peter and our friends on the phone and ran to change her...only I couldn't find her clothes. She's smaller than B and F were expecting, so they bought her clothes specifically for preemies. I was struggling to find them amidst the other clothes she had. It was the first time I had fully undressed her, so when she started crying (I would be crying if I had been left naked too), I picked her up...and felt the softest skin I've ever felt. It was surreal! I was ready to ditch the search for her clothes and leave her the way she was. The moment passed when the doorbell rang. Our takeout had arrived, so Peter had to hang up with our friends to meet the delivery guy, and I was still holding a crying G while frantically looking for clothes that would fit. Peter set the food down in the kitchen and came to help me look. We finally found a shirt and a pair of pants that didn't match in the slightest, but we were relieved to have found something at all for her to wear, so he helped me dress her. I made a mental note to apologize to F for the fashion crisis lol. When we went back into the hallway, Peter spotted one of the cats helping himself to some of my takeout food. -_- Eventually, Peter and I both managed to eat while switching off who held the baby until she fell asleep and was laid down in her bassinet.
Things I learned about babies based on our week in Austin:
1. If I had any doubts before, I don't have them anymore. I love babies.
2. Just like it takes two to tango, it also takes two to take care of a baby. B and F came up with a really good system for taking care of G, and I hope Peter and I can emulate that system when the time comes for us. We had a good start that second night of babysitting, that's for sure!
3. People change when they're around babies. B and F are fairly cutesy with each other, but that has been heightened 100 times now that G is in the picture. They actually sound exactly the same when they talk to her too haha. I felt the change in myself as well - not necessarily because I acted more cutesy around her than I do around Peter, but whenever I held her, I was completely spellbound. It was a very strange sensation, but I didn't dislike it. I actually told Peter though that I would have to be careful not to turn our future children into idols that I worship and obsess over... Having the ability to bring a baby into the world is a miracle, and children are blessings, but I don't ever want to put them above my relationship with Him...or even with Peter because it could negatively impact our marriage. It could affect the way we raise our kids too. Easier said than done, I know, but it's not something I would've necessarily reminded myself to be mindful of before having my own.
4. Lives aren't ruined because of babies. I'm exaggerating a bit here, but some people really think it's the end of the world for a couple when babies enter the picture. That is downright false. I think B said it best - you don't lose your free time when you have a baby; it's just that your schedule is now determined by the baby. If a newborn needs to be fed every two hours, yes, that's something you need to attend to. However, B and F were able to do plenty of things in between, while G was sleeping. They took turns getting out of the house or even doing fun things at home. Peter and I weren't neglected while we were with them in the slightest either. We got an ample amount of quality time with both of them, and it was great knowing we could do that even with G in the picture. I think it's important to find a good balance, and learning to be partners in the process is key.
Having said all of that, I'm definitely excited to have babies of my own someday and will cherish my sleep until then. ; )
Note: I was also reminded of how much I appreciate Nymeria and how much she spoils me. The worst I have to deal with from her is the occasional hairball. Mama loves you, baby girl!
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