Last weekend, I was surrounded by friends of mine that are awaiting the birth of a child. For some, it is their first, and for others it is their second. The times I spent with my expectant friends reminded me of what it was like to be in their shoes. I hope I wasn't too overbearing in sharing my own experiences. It is just so exciting! There is just something so miraculous and awesome about a tiny human being growing inside of its mother.
As I talked to the first time mothers, it brought back such a flood of feelings. I remember the anxiety; there were so many unknowns and so many questions. Will the baby sleep well? Will she nurse well? Will she be healthy? What about the delivery? What is that like? Is it really as painful as people say? What if I have to get a C-section? There is also so much excitement. Everything is a first for you.
Then comes the second child. That child is no less special; they too are a gift. While the newness is there, the firsts are not. The anxieties are now about how the older child will react to the baby and where they will go when mommy and daddy head to the hospital. There are still the questions about whether the delivery will go smoothly, but there is less anxiety and more anticipation. There is still excitement, but that excitement is reflected differently. It now shows in the eyes of a "big" as well as in the eyes of mom and dad.
Last weekend, I really enjoyed watching three friends experiencing the excitement and anxiety in their own ways. Every woman is different, and those differences carry over to the ways they prepare for and parent their children. No way is right or wrong, and everyone has to do it their own way. If you try to do it the way someone else tells you, you'll just get frustrated. What works for one mom won't work for others, which is why I try to keep my motherly advice to a minimum. I am not going to pretend to succeed even a majority of the time; honestly, I just love to reminisce and tell stories.
In closing, I have a message for my expectant friends. Please know that your way of preparing for, becoming, and being a mother will be just perfect for you. There will be challenges and surprises (whether this is baby 1 or 2), but God will guide you through all of them. When your children see you lean on God, they too will learn to find their strength in him.
