Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Enjoying the moment

Here's a good representation of my life right now:


Elliot is almost exactly two months old...and everything else is a byproduct of life with a two-month-old.

I may or may not have showered that day.

Seriously.  I have no idea.  The hair up doesn't bode well for odds that I did.

I'm wearing gym clothes; not for going to the gym, but because not much else fits properly.

I have circles under my eyes.

Look in the background--the apartment is trashed.
As people have asked me about the adjustment from being a parent of one child to a parent of two, I think that just being okay with everything I just mentioned is the biggest adjustment for me.  I like things tidy, including my own body and while it's important to me to still try to have a clean home and such, this isn't the measure of my worth as a wife and mother.  I'm grateful for moments like this--I asked Grant to take this picture because I wanted to remember this specific moment where I feel like I really had my brain wrapped around that.

Because right here, the only things that matter are the willing cameraman I'm so blessed to be married to, the daughter we have together asleep and thus absent from this picture, and the sleeping baby on my chest.

Everything else...is just a detail.  I'll remember/be able to shower every day.   I'll wear my "real" clothes again.  I'll get some sleep.  I'll keep things clean.

Later.

When he's grown, I seriously doubt I'll say things like, "I wish I would have showered more when you were a baby..." or "I wish I could have kept things cleaner when you were a baby..."  But if I don't just stop and let those things go, I will be wishing I had just stayed up with Grant for a while and held Elliot more while I could hold him on my chest.


So here's to greasy hair and messy houses.  Here's to crazy schedules and late nights.  Here's to enjoying what there is to enjoy about welcoming this precious little one into our home, our family and our lives.

After all, we just wouldn't be complete without him.

7 comments:

avonlea_ann said...

This is such a beautiful post Ashley! I really needed to hear this today!

Lily said...

I second that! A beautiful post from an amazing mother. Thank you for the inspiration, Ashley!

Danielle said...

Great post! I think a messy house means mommy is doing a good job of taking care of her babies. :) At least that's the excuse I always give myself. ;P

Jacqueline said...

Hear, hear!!! I couldn't have said it better even from my perspective of after the fun part is over.

Laura said...

Great post, Ashley! Thanks so much for sharing and reminding. :)

Kristen and Andrew said...

What a perfect perspective! Way to go! You love that little man!

Kathleen said...

Beautifully said.