Babes In Arms

When I first sat down to write a blog post today, Boo (my 15 month old) had just gone down for her morning nap. I put Baby in her bassinet next to my desk, fussing a bit, and put on my headphones so she wouldn't distract me from my writing. Then I proceeded to stare blankly at the screen for the next several minutes, while Baby's cries grew louder.

My goal in the last couple of months has been to carve out some "me" time, an hour or two a day (Boo's nap time is ideal), and although it's not always easy, it does help me cope with the all-day-every-day demands of child rearing. Today though, as I tried to block out the crying baby, I suddenly was hit with the conviction that my approach was absolutely wrong. It's good to take time for myself, but when my baby needs me, I need to put her first. All it took was 5 minutes lying down with her and letting her nurse (just to soothe, she wasn't hungry), and she was sleeping peacefully. Now I have some time to myself, guilt free, and my girls are both content.

My precious girls are one of my greatest inspirations to write, and they will only be babes in arms for a short time. I need to savour those sweet moments when they need me, even if it cuts a little bit into my "me" time. It was good to have that attitude check and re-evaluate my priorities.

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