"Dancing in the Shower," Prompt: "The Better Half" for RLJ Idol Community

[drippedonpaper]

There's the crappy half, that is certain. There are the moments when she's crying and I moan a little because that certain cry over the monitor means I have to drag myself out of my nice mattress with a box spring into her room. In her room, I have to lay with her on a narrow single thin foam mattress on the floor and hold her while she settles

Comments

[alycewilson]

Thank you so much for sharing the better half of parenting. Too many people right now are warning me against the unpleasant things, like not getting enough sleep. I want to tell them, "Tell me something positive!"

[drippedonpaper]

How about this: You probably won't sleep as much as you want but, in spite of many issues with my life, I wouldn't change a thing because I can't imagine my life without my kids. I've never known the true depths of love until I had them. It's amazing, you feel this overwhelming bubbling up tenderness within your heart for someone who has thrown up on you but it exists.

I'm glad you'll get to experience it. Parenting can be SO frustrating but I would never go back to life without my kids, even if I could.

(and they are by no means perfect angels, I promise you:)

[alycewilson]

Now, that advice is truly helpful. Thank you, again, for showing me the brighter side. Besides, spending time with my niece and nephews, I know I can take a little chaos.

[drippedonpaper]

You'll need the ability to weather chaos, that is certain. But, thankfully, one starts with a snuggly baby. The toddler years come later:)

[theafaye]

That annoys me. People shouldn't be trying to put you off, they should be supportive and encouraging.

You never know, you may well have a baby who sleeps through early (my first did from 6 weeks). Try to nap during the day when they do - that really helps.

If you breastfeed and co-sleep, you'll find that you get plenty of sleep anyway (studies have shown that breastfeeding women's sleep patterns are different so although your sleep rhythms are shallower than everyone else's, you get good quality sleep). And if you don't, you and your husband can take turns getting up in the night, so you're both guaranteed at least one good night.

And as drippedonpaper says, you spend so much time cooing over your baby and wondering at how amazing they are, you don't really stress about the lack of sleep, at least not for the first few months anyway.

[drippedonpaper]

I do recommend the co-sleeping. I actually think it can be safer than getting up and nursing. With my first, I would get up and sit up to nurse and a couple times I woke up in a chair, all worried that I was about to drop him. If you are already both laying down, it is more restful. Nursing does make you sleepy and relaxed anyways.

[alycewilson]

So far, the two of you have been some of my most supportive friends. I've also got a couple close friends who are also parents and are giving me positive advice and offering me used baby clothes and other nursery items.

It seems like some of the negative comments are coming more from people who either aren't parents or who just seem to find it funny that we're going to soon be "in the same boat" as them.

I guess I've got to find a way to deal with it when they do that, like make a joke back.