How Did My Baby Turn Ten?

Was it really ten years ago? Because I still think of myself as a “new” and “young” mom. Then I look at the gangly kid playing on his DS across the room, and wonder where the time went.

The birth of my first son was exciting, overwhelming, and not at all what I expected it to be. I studied all the books– from Baby Wise to Dr. Sears’ The Baby Book. I had it all planned out. I wanted to be an attachment parent, but I also wanted to get a good night’s sleep. I was going to have a natural birth and would breastfeed exclusively. Within two months, I’d be back in my pre-baby form, and was so sure of it that I bought a Diane Von Furstenberg dress to wear to a friend’s wedding. My husband and I had just bought a starter home, which we would fix up (while the baby was napping!) and sell within five years.

Within hours of setting foot within the hospital, my plans began to unravel. There is too much to explain here, but the quick and blurry story is this: induction, epidural, spinal headache, jaundice, incubator, bili lights, formula, colic, GERD, sleepless nights, bottle rejection, extended breastfeeding…

And there were those other things I didn’t expect: a head full of hair, a face wise beyond your years, speaking at six months, obsessed with garbage trucks and so much more.

Ten years later, I look at this boy — almost at my eye level — and I still don’t know how we got here.

Turning ten feels like a big milestone. I was hoping to celebrate in style — with a sleepover, as Big Brother requested. Again, the best laid plans. It turns out that most of our friends would be out of town for the big day. So we rescheduled, for a pool party, a few days earlier. Then, remember the fever I mentioned at the end of last week? Follow that up with: strange rash, visit to the doctor, hand foot and mouth disease? cancel all activities.

So we asked Big Brother what he’d like to do for his big day. He requested a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

And cupcakes– yellow with chocolate frosting. No trucks, no dinosaurs, no decorations. Well, maybe a few sprinkles…

 

 

Happy Birthday.