kids…they grow like weeds!

Whenever I’ve heard people say, “Kids grow up so fast!” I’ve never believed them. Especially in the first two months after Mason was born. To me, time was going by so slowly. Each day was pretty much the same…the cycles of feeding, sleeping, diaper changing and playing were a little monotonous. Not to say that they were boring, but definitely repetitive. The days seemed to blur together into one big day, and only after a night of very good sleep did it feel like a new day began again. When Mason turned a month old, I felt like he’d been around forever already!

It was just last week that I felt like I’d turned my head away for a second and when I looked back Mason seemed so much older. I was a little taken aback. Where did this vocal, animate baby come from?

My son has learned how to do so many things. He makes all kinds of sounds– and there are different sounds for different moods, toys, and people. He coos at me after he eats, grunts when he gets frustrated, and practically yells when he’s overcome with excitement. He’s trying so hard to laugh, and is such a smiley little guy. This morning I caught him passing his toy from one hand to the other hand. A couple weeks ago he rolled from his tummy to his back, and now is trying desperately (and almost successfully) from his back to his tummy.

We layed in bed today when I was trying to get him down for a nap. Mason wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet, so I was just talking to him. Every time I would speak, he would look at me, pause for a second, and then make a noise back. By the time he quieted down and decided to roll on his side to go to sleep, I felt like I’d had a full-blown conversation. Even though he isn’t saying words, he’s so responsive that it actually feels like he knows what I’m saying sometimes.

How cool is that?

My biggest issue with staying home all day and all night by myself with Mason in the beginning was how lonely it was. The majority of the time he was sleeping, and when he wasn’t he was either crying, eating, or needing to be rocked to sleep. I was either trying to pass time while he slept, or stuck in one spot while he was awake. I felt a little trapped, and the lack of interaction with someone who could respond to me was stifling. I was resentful of being stuck in the house…resentful of being so tired without ever even stepping outside of our apartment.

So it’s really fun for me to take notice now of how much it’s changed since then. I’ve never considered Mason boring…I think when you have a newborn, even if they don’t do much, getting used to them being around is an amazing process in itself. But now, I would say that I DEFINITELY consider him a lot of fun. I really, really enjoy spending the night in with him while Jon is at work. I get to try out different toys and see what else he’s discovered for the day. And now, we can even have conversations even if all they really are is a bunch of nonsense.

The stay-at-home mom gig will never be my thing, I don’t think, but I can say wholeheartedly that I get a lot of joy out of quality time in my home– the same apartment that I used to wish myself out of. All thanks to a kid…he’s growing up so fast!