Days become nights, nights become days, days become weeks, weeks become months, time... just... goes...
My precious little girl grows and changes so rapidly. We spend our days and nights mothering her, comforting her, listening to her, caring for her, loving her, keeping her near, showing her the world, being with her. Small hints of her independent will have started to emerge - she gets upset if she lies down when she's awake - she'd much rather be sitting propped up checking out the world. Upon waking from the night's sleep she reaches her dear little arms out to me and smiles from the cot knowing that I will then smile and coo and scoop her up into a big warm hug, in which she gently rests her still sleepy head on my shoulder and we inhale each other's presence.
There is this persistent notion I keep coming up against that we should train babies, put them on a routine requiring sitting at home most of the day, clock-watching, controlled crying and strictly regulated feeds. Whatever happened to a mother's instinct and her understanding of her baby that develops over the days and weeks and months you spend together? To listening to her baby's needs, and that some days she's hungrier than others? Is it so bad that I take Sophia into bed with me in the morning and she sleeps on her mummy pillow (who is also grateful for another hour's kip!)? That her bath and bed time are not at exactly the same time every night? That I take her out with me, letting her sleep in the stroller or my arms, including her in the vibrancy of my/our life rather than sitting in the quiet at home? Does it really matter that her day time sleeps are in different places depending on where we are? Sophia is so dearly loved, her needs and wants met as best I can, and kept physically close to me throughout the day, is that enough? Can I do more? It is no small thing to be a mother, working out what is right for you and your child, dodging the minefields of opinions and parenting advice!
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