Reflections on Mothering Infants

DISCLAIMER:  I feel sad that I have to preface this post, but it seems lately that any time I write anything about pregnancy or newborns or anything of the sort, all kinds of feelings and comments come out about how some can't have them, and so I become insensitive, and it becomes an offensive topic. I want you to know that I in no way mean to offend. I'm simply writing to write. I hope you will take the things I write in the spirit with which they were written--merely for my own reflection. If you have tender feelings on the topic of pregnancy and newborns, please do not read what follows.

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My son asked me this evening when I was going to have a baby. I guess that's what got me thinking along these lines.....

I have decided that there's just nothing in this world like bringing a brand new baby home from the hospital. It's better than Christmas. It's better than any birthday party could EVER be. It's magical.

Oh, I should add here....NINP (no, I'm not pregnant).

Maybe it's because I'm not pregnant and have no plans of ever being again, that I can look back and write on this topic.

I think babies are amazing. I have a definite philosophy on infants. I think that they're each their own person from the very beginning. They have things they like and things they don't like. They have so much potential it's overwhelming to even think about--it's kind of like thinking about where God came from--that kind of overwhelming.

image credit: migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au

When I was little, every so often, my mom would get the Japanese puzzle box down for me to look at. My dad had brought it home from one of his trips on the oil tanker he worked on in the Navy in the early years of their marriage. With the box, if you knew which panels to move and moved them to just the right spot, a little door would open. Inside that door, was a key, and then if you moved other panels to other positions, there was the key hole. Once you turned the key in the hole, the box would open. It was pretty fascinating to me. That's how I feel about being a mom to a new baby.

I guess I have taken it as my personal mission, as the mom, to find out just what has made each of my little ones tick. What does he like? What makes her happy? I feel lucky to be the person to have figured these things out first. I have felt it my blessing to be the one that has gotten to meet these needs. To me, nothing could have been better. What an honor--there is none greater.