I Get It. April 2, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Little Man Dallin, Princess Hannah, Thoughts , trackbackWarning: This is not an announcement, because there is nothing to announce. I am only noting an observation.
Phew! Now we have the disclaimer out of the way clearing up a topic I haven’t even mentioned yet . . .
I know why people do it. You know, get pregnant while their baby is still,– well, a baby.
Don’t judge (never mind that what I’m about to explain is me judging others . . .), but I used to be pretty opinionated about motherhood, and when to have children, how many you should have and how far apart they should be spaced.
I’m not going to mince words here, I used to think that mothers who had children 18 months in age or closer were whacked out of their minds. Whether those childbirths were accidental or intentional, no one, and I mean no one, in their right mind would want children so close in age. I don’t care how sleep deprived you are, logical people just don’t think like that.
Then, I became a mother.
After several blissful months of caring for and loving the most easy-going baby sent to earth, I was hooked. I needed another one. Right. A. Way.
I was addicted to my baby.
I needed another fix.
It was bitter sweet to see her grow and develop so quickly.
Why can’t they be frozen in their cute little bodies?
Worried that the second time around getting pregnant would take another nine years (yes, it took almost nine years for us to get our first), we decided on baby number two much sooner than we would have had we known my body would get pregnant easily.
Both shocked and excited with pregnancy number two, we were well on our way to becoming the ideal American family of four.
Four is good. It’s an even number. All basic dinner tables have seating for four. The average American home has three bedrooms, (ideal for a couple and two children). If you ever win a trip somewhere, almost always, the prize is for a family of four.
So why would I consider making our family an odd number?
Maybe it’s because my eight month old baby always smells like bubble gum. Maybe it’s because his cheeks are so soft and kissable. It could be because he just sprouted his first tooth after waking up so happy with adorable bed head.
I’m not sure, but something is pulling at me saying, “You need another one. He is developing so fast (you may remember that he started to crawl at 5 1/2 months, and at 8 months, he stands alone . . .), YOU NEED ANOTHER FIX.”
So I get it now. It’s like you don’t have a choice. You just start listening to the voices in your heart and go for it.
Like I said before, this is not an announcement in any way, shape, or form (don’t even read through the lines). All I’m saying, is that my new-open-minded-non-judgmental-self GETS IT.
You want to have seven children all spaced 11 months apart?
I won’t judge.
Comments»
YOU TOO? 8 months is actually my FAVORITE age!!!! Elijiah was the most adorable thing to me at 8 months and I still think the most ideal age of all…Tristan the same. The heart strings tug and now im over it. I still get the urge, but now that Tristan is walking and so busy and Im again beyond exhausted and we have entered another phase which is so hard….I think I can wait a while….:) But yes I get why when you have an easy baby, and that time hits- you say lets do it AGAIN!!!
I still think like you! But maybe that will change.
How is Kansas treating you?
LOL you crack me up! I have 3 spaced 3 years apart and I get why people want their kids close. For different reasons, be it a baby fix or just so they are all in school at the same time or whatever. Yet, I still like my 3 year space! I can wrap my brain around that easier ; )
I DO understand where you are coming from. I love my babies so much that I hate to see them grow up. I just went through all the clothes today and even cried over a few of them.
That said, I can now totally understand what my mother-in-law meant when she said she knew she had had her last. It’s a very bittersweet feeling, but I’m grateful that the time to be done has come.
Spacing has been a big deal for me. I’m not a patient mother and I’ve been spoiled by getting to soak up every one of James’s nine years. I worry that I would miss one second of Grant’s babyness if I had another one too soon. But about six months ago I began to feel that tug. And my husband promised that in another six months we could talk about it, which means yes. I think three years apart works for me.