So, here I am in the midst of my Mommy-dom... Is it as hard as I thought it would be? Harder. But am I enjoying it? More than I ever could have imagined! That little stinker has enriched my life in ways I never imagined possible...and has also deprived me of more sleep than I ever thought I could function without! lol If someone had told me there would be a point in my life where I would be able to leave the house only to wonder, halfway to my destination, whether or not I remembered to brush my teeth I would have thought they were crazy! Anyone who's been in these shoes knows that things like infrequent showers and frequent brain fog are just a part of the job. It comes with long hours, low pay, and it's about as physically/mentally/emotionally demanding as it comes - but it turns out she's actually worth every bit of it! Huh - who knew?!? ;-) She has a big personality and most certainly a mind of her own, which offers the strange dichotomy of being both frustrating at times - like when we're attempting to wrestle her into her pj's - but also reassuring knowing that those traits will likely serve her well in life as she gets older. I've also come to realize that even though I always knew Bill would be a great father - certainly much better than he ever gave himself credit for - I think we're both pleasantly surprised at the fact that he's not only good with her, but he also is really enjoying being such a hands-on Daddy. We are lucky girls! Poor Hershey, on the other hand, is still trying to come to grips with his new reality, but I will say he's been quite a trooper. He's been nothing short of patient and does a very good job of simply getting up and moving (running might be a better description!) when he sees her coming. So far (knock on wood...) we've had no incidents involving any type of aggressive behavior like biting...well, I should say none where the dog was trying to bite the baby anyway! The opposite is another story...again, poor (& patient) Hershey! Anyway, we're nearly nine months in and I can say we've all come through it pretty well so far...we haven't come quite far enough to determine whether or not Miss Ava will be an only child, but I suppose only time will tell with that! I think for now we're just trying to enjoy every minute of it because we are already realizing just how quickly this time is passing...I know that before we can even bat an eye she'll be grown up and taking her turn in these Mommy shoes. So in the words of my mother, and many mothers before her, "I hope she has a kid just like her someday" - she would be blessed for sure!
