Life in Wonderland: An Introduction

I decided when Alice was 6 months old, that I would start a blog.  Now she is 8 1/2 months old and I am just now getting around to my first post.  That is a pretty good indication of how life has changed after having her.  In the past, if I wanted to start a blog, I did.  I had no limitations on my time, no real obligations, nothing stopping me from doing what ever I wanted, when ever I wanted.  Now, she is my obligation, my limitation, the center of my days and my life.  Everything I do, I do for her and because of her.  It is a strange adjustment, but I think we are handling it well.

We parent peacefully, we respond to her cries, we cuddle her, we love her, we trust her when she says something is wrong.  When we first brought her home from the hospital, I remember thinking that I would be sitting on my couch, holding her, for the rest of my life.  I never got irritated with her, or frustrated with her, but it felt like there was no end in sight.  I did get frustrated with myself for not being able to get her to stay asleep when I had to put her down, or any number of other things.  I was sleep deprived, my body was torn apart, and I had a tiny human relying on my to make her world a safe and perfect place.  It was very overwhelming.

Now, that time is a distant memory.  Now, I am typing a blog post while she happily plays with her toys and babbles.  I have watched her grow and change over these eight months and I have seen peaceful, gentle parenting work.  She rarely cries, she smiles and laughs constantly, she is happy and secure.  Our parenting decisions prove to be the right ones everyday.

With any luck, I will continue this blog and not lose interest or get too busy.  My intentions are good, but life with a child can be unpredictable, so I make no promises other than that I will try.  For now, I am going to play with my little Bug.