Baby Speed

These days pregnancy has been teaching me a thing or two about the speed of life. Now with Baby #2 on the way and an incurable back pain that's due to last until she comes, things have changed a bit.

For starters, I can't always carry Junior up to his room or to the potty or the car. That means he has had to learn how to obey when I ask him to come or hold his hand and lead him somewhere. Then there's the issue of housework. Sweeping, cooking, laundry and grocery shopping all involve some element of back-strain which I never really noticed before, so I have to pace myself to the limitations of my back. That means less going and doing the 'fun' stuff. I hate to say 'no' to a weekend away with friends or a trip to the pumpkin patch, but the fact is that I can't handle much beyond the basics just now. And then there are those delicious moments when my husband is home. They used to be a lot more free for fun and 'us' time, but now he spends a lot more time carrying things around the house in order to make my days easier.

So what's the point of my woe? Learning, of course! Parenting has this sweet way of pulling out our selfishness and helping us mature. I have to slow down. I have to accept my limits. I have to ask for help. Grr. I have to be humble.

As I am training our 19 month old to do more on his own, I am seeing a lot of benefits. He is getting better training on obedience because he has so many opportunities to practice it when I don't pick him up and essentially obey for him. He has become quite helpful, throwing things in the trash for me or picking things up off the ground that are hard to reach; and he's getting better at coming when I call and happily getting into his carseat on his own.

And surely my husband is learning a lot about "respecting the wife as the weaker vessel" as he takes on so many of 'my' jobs on the weekends and after work. Practice at selflessness always does people good (though he is already quite good at it, in my opinion).

So, am I in a position to give any advice? Well, life isn't always easy when you're limited, but slowing down brings into focus a lot of rich moments. If you take a moment to just notice how much your husband does for you or talk your kids through accomplishing a task you might normally do for them, you might gain a new appreciation for your family too.

Photo originally uploaded by National Media Museum
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