Last week I read this post at Momastery. She included two letters from sister moms of infants and she wanted her readers to leave some comments with hope on how to survive the younger years. For whatever reason, I didn’t comment. Maybe because I knew nearly 500 other people would.
Saturday night we babysat my nephew’s daughter. She’s two and a half. She’s as sweet as she can be. She’s funny. She’s also independent, as many 2 year olds are. I was transported back 5 years to when my now 7 and 9 year olds were that age.
And I was glad they’re 7 and 9.
Yesterday I was at church with a couple that had a 2 year old and an infant. The dad was keeping track of the 2 year old and the mom was feeding the wee one standing right in the middle of the hallway.
While we were standing there, a frustrated momma came by with a squirming toddler on each hip. I wanted to take one off her hands, help them to nursery and then give her a nice back massage.
I’m convinced those of you reading with young ones need to hear some encouragement. You can do this. It won’t always be hard like right now. Sure, it will be hard but in different ways.
A day is coming where you don’t have to worry about anyone’s poop schedule but your own.
You won’t even have to look at poop all day if you don’t want to.
In fact, there will be weeks that go by where you don’t even care if anyone else is pooping.
A day is coming when you get to eat a meal where you don’t have to scoop even one bite of food into someone else’s mouth.
You’ll get to eat every single bite of your own food.
And better yet, none of the food will come from your own body!
In fact, since you’ve learned how to eat a dinner in 90 seconds, you’ll actually finish before anyone else instead of being the lone survivor at the dinner table.
And yes, there’s a day when all of you will sit in normal chairs around an actual dinner table. And you’ll ask questions about their day and they’ll tell you and you’ll all laugh and actually enjoy this part of your day.
A day is coming when you don’t have to be in the same room to bathe your children.
You actually get to say grab a towel and go get in the shower.
And they do it. And they know how to shampoo and conditioner their hair. AND brush it when they get out.
It’s coming, momma.
A day is coming when you don’t have to go through gymnastics to get your child to sleep.
You’ll be able to say bedtime and they know what that means. They’ll know how to brush their teeth and get their own pajamas on and read to themselves.
In fact, you’ll have to remind yourself to spend time with them at night just so you don’t miss the best part of the day. Yes! Bedtime will one day be wonderful.
A day is coming when they sleep through the night.
And sometimes, they’ll throw up during the night and they’ll just tell you about it in the morning. “Mom, I even made it to the toilet.”
Doesn’t that sound glorious?
A day is coming when you won’t even know what room they’re in when they’re playing.
You’ll have to walk around and find them and ask what they’ve been doing. And the best part is it won’t be fingerpainting the walls, unbuckling their diaper and smearing it on carpet or rubbing diaper cream all over their face.
A day is coming when you don’t have to pack 80 things to leave the house.
In fact, the kids will want to grab a few of their favorite things and you can just say, “Come out to the car when you’re ready and shut the door on your way out.”
And when they come out, you don’t have to buckle a single person except yourself.
And while you’re driving, you don’t have to entertain a single soul to keep them from crying.
A day is coming when they won’t say no every time you tell them to do something.
In fact, sometimes they’ll even ask you what they should do.
All of this and more is coming. It gets easier. Parenting gets funner. Yes, funner. But it gets that way because you did the hard work.
They’ll know how to shower because you taught them.
They’ll know how to play because you taught them.
They’ll know how to eat because you taught them.
Hang on, mommas. I know these are hard years, but they’re good years. You can do it.
Today’s my mom’s birthday so I can’t let this post go without saying happy birthday and thank you, Mom, for your hard work of raising wee ones.
I’m almost there. I’m almost there. I’m almost there. (One more to potty train and then seriously going to have a giant par-TAY!) 🙂
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Haha! Potty training by far tested me more than any other parenting job to date. I about lost my mind.
I’m tearing up a little bit because I know this time is still pretty far away for me (I’m pregnant with #3, and will have 3 under 4 and a half!). But in a way I know it will seem sooner than I’m ready for. It would be nice to eat a meal without anyone crying or taking all my food …
Vanderbilt Wife recently posted…Lemon Coconut Crinkle Cookies
Aw, wish I could reach through and hug you! You are doing good work raising those babies! If we were closer, I’d take you out and let you eat a very quiet meal!
Thank you my sweet daughter and oh how I wish I could communicate in writing as you do!…..and one day you get to encouraged by them! I loved going down memory lane with you right now. Loved the pics of the girls and the memories!
You’re welcome and thank you again!! Love you!!!
True that. As a mom of 10, 8 and 2 I can definitely say – Yes two years and under is exhausting (well, really until they are like 6 or 7) but also remember that precious time is when they are the snuggliest and everything they say is hysterical – Amy, you would have been cracking up in our car yesterday morning at Charlie saying to the iphone, “It’s yooooading (loading).”- and they think you are the most awesome person in the whole wide world so mommas remember to enjoy the present because it truly is a gift that is gone in an instant. – and I’ve found it’s so much less exhausting if you take time to enjoy plenty of Starbucks.
YES! I feel like a need a separate post to talk about all the wonderful things that make all the hard times worth it. It’s all the major highs and lows bundled into one.
btw, I love the line up of all the dirty diapers on the counter on this first picture! No wonder (as Heather says,) Scott doesn’t want to go through that again! LOL!
Wow Amy… what a great post, brings back so many memories, that pass so fast. But you know what the most important part of these precious babies growing up is. Well for me it was the day, that I started to see the Lord working in the lives of my children, they are both grown now. I thank God for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful transformation He did in their lives. I thank God for your mother also, that taught you how to be the wonderful, loving, devoted Christian mother that you are to my granddaughters. Happy Birthday Diana!!!
As a mother of a 15, 13, 10 and 7 year old, I understand all too well. And I tell all the moms of little ones to cherish these years. CHERISH them.
My daughter is 13 and I would give ANYTHING to have my biggest worry be how to get that crayon off the wall again…
Heather {Desperately Seeking Sanity} recently posted…Oh. My. Word. (Or rather… His Word!)
YES. I am dreading the teen years. But hard is hard. Cleaning crayon when you’re physically exhausted still leads you to a heap of tears. I mean, if I’m choosing, I choose the crayon as my nemesis. Both ages I think have their rewards that make it all worth it though, yes?
We just celebrated my twin girls first birthday! By we, I mean, my husband and I, plus Sophia, age five and Caleb, age two. There are some days I simply cannot fathom how I got myself four kids age five and under (I do seriously know “how”). But, it’s getting easier…each weekend we get through…each long work week, only to come home and “work” even harder on the weekend. It is by far the hardest thing I’ve experienced…motherhood. But oh, so rewarding!!!!
WOW! I can’t imagine 4 kids under 5 including a set of twins. When my kids were smaller, it definitely was like having the day off when I went into the office to work 🙂
The rewards do make it entirely worth it though!
This is my life right now. My DD who is 28 months is a joy, and yet the tears of frustration are getting everyone down right now. Thank you for your timely post!
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You’re welcome. Make sure to read today’s post…a reminder of all the good things you’re in the midst of right now!