smartignani

Well, she is talking now. Sort of. And she will not stop. She talks as if she really has things to say and it is partly funny and partly confuddling. I enjoy seeing her attempting to copy the conversations and I listen closely to the intonations of speech that mark per-linguistic perception. Her vocabulary is spectacular, I can already tell!

She is also teething which is always a pleasure, or so I hear. She is great during the day but at night, one or two hours before bedtime she Mr. Hydes it on me and begins to be a very whiny and irritable child. It feels like I am suddenly just not good enough or fast enough or smart enough. She looks at me with some undisguised anger and frustration. Her expressions portray limitless patience run dry and unbeguiled disappointment. There is nothing quite more disquieting than when you feel your baby looking at you and clearly thinking “You just don’t get it- do ya?”

So I write today from the corner of my couch as my husband and father of my baby plays a video game and she is sound asleep. I also spoke to a few people today at my church who not only openly admitted that they read my blogs but that they like them! I am amazed that my candid thoughts in blog form can be enjoyed and I am flattered. I enjoy knowing that others are reading and sympathizing/agreeing/disagreeing/raging/crying/scoffing/mocking/sharing my blog. There is no better feeling than knowing I am being related to through my experiences as a first time mom. I am tempted to give my blog address to new moms in the street but I live in constant fear of being the next blog-ovah witness.

Back to my blog. In trying to make this entry really exciting, I will rhyme everything:

My baby is now 8 months old and a week, she yammers on as if she can speak

She is teething and seething at bedtime nightly, crying, contorting her face- unsightly

She is stubborn, strong as well as strong-willed, take her toy and oh if only looks killed

My baby is loud and proud and vocal too, as I look helplessly around- what should I do?

My embarrassment at her screeching is inevitable at best,yet I am sure she is just like the rest

New moms often seek to find if their babies are normal, may it be through inquiries both direct or informal

But only reassurance and confirmation is what I seek, even though I know my baby is unique

I am a blank slate in the parenting foray, which is why I ask, beg, plead and pray

That I don’t accidentally miss a step or stage and suddenly mess her up for an entire age

It seems there is one question that is constantly on mind…

        When oh when, is it a good time...

…to start the sippy cup…to buy her a pup…to stop bottles in bed…to give her some bread…to start daycare…to cut her hair…to change the car seat…to put shoes on her feet…to push her to crawl…to let her just sprawl…to potty train…to teach her to deal with pain…to teach the ABC’s…to teach the 123’s…to linguistically diversify…to teach colours and how to classify…to let her cry it out…to let her figure it out

It seems that as a mom I worry about each and every step, stage and milestone,

But I know she will figure everything out on a timeline that is all her own,

So I stand aside and in awe observe, as she lives life with carefree diligence and endless verve,

I am amazed at how excited she is to begin each day, deep inside I wish she would stay this way

I know because I was a cranky teen, that soon things will change from the way they have been,

But until she turns 10 and starts to refuse my kiss, not a moment, a heart-beat or chance I will miss

This may be my first time around the motherhood block, but I know that I’m in a race against the clock,

I have been told over and over again, that time really flies and that it is almost insane,

I believe and I see it for she is 8 months and a week, and she yammers on as if she can speak!

Take Care,

Smartignani

Mother and wife

B.A. Psychology and B.Ed