Whenever people ask me how has this journey of parenthood been, I usually smile and say it's been good and The Bubs is a good girl, and I'll leave it at that. Then they'll follow up with the usual "are you getting enough sleep or rest? It must be tiring..." and I'll just nod and say ya it's more tiring but she's quite ok and again I'll smile and nod and kind of leave it there again.
It's hard to not boast and brag and gush non-stop about The Bubs without sounding too much like a raving fanatic from the Cult of The Bub once I start so I usually reign in my responses and mute it somewhat, because my honest answer would be "OMG SHE'S THE ABSOLUTE BEST BABY IN THE WORLD AND WE'RE BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE (BEYOND MEASURE!!!) THAT WE'RE HER PARENTS!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE OUR GOOD FORTUNE????" and I'll mean every last word and then you'll back away slowly mumbling something about catching a flight and then you'll run away in case the condition is infectious. (It is, by the way. Once you meet The Bubs you'll be besotted. Promise. Let me show you her pictures... all 6 Gb worth...)
The Bubs is cheerful and cheeky with a wonderful sense of humour that is apparent at 13 months. She plays peekaboo with us, covering her own face with whatever cloth she can get a hold of and will unveil herself with an impish exclamation. We're so besotten with her laughter that we'll be complete clowns at home and in the public just to hear her giggles. When she totters towards us with outstretched arms and a toothy grin, our hearts melt and nothing is more important than scooping her up in our arms at that moment in time.
Before we became parents, we ridiculed couples whose Facebook profile pictures were that of their baby / babies. Have some sense of identity! we scorned. Get a life! The rest of the world isn't fixated on your kid's every minor and mind-numbingly boring achievements - in fact, the term "achievement" is already a bit of a misnomer. Get a grip of yourself and stop shoving baby minutiae into our faces on Facebook.
Now, we understand. Everything we had scorned before is what we're doing now. My baby's achievements are to be celebrated - again and again. And again. Nothing is more interesting than my baby's minutiae. No selfie is anywhere as fascinating as a picture of The Bub's toothy smile. Identity? It's right there - wrapped up in the baby swaddle.
Having a baby is like being in love all over again and we would brave through sleepless nights, thinned out wallets, eyebags and public humiliation just to keep her safe and happy.
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