Recently I attended a baby shower for my sister in law. She is pregnant with her first child. She is excited and anxious - everything a mother to be should be.
Watching her open gifts took me back to the days when I was pregnant with my first, Ellie. I remember listening carefully to all the practical advice - which brands of diapers were more absorbent and which diaper rash cream worked better. I was confident in Bob's ability to operate the car seat and the baby swing. I understood on an intellectual level that my life was going to change.
You can't prepare for how much your heart will change. The same heart you thought had experienced emotions before will grow 3 sizes bigger when that baby is placed in your arms. Having a child means you experience everything acutely . . . including worry and fear.
My wish for her is to know contentment. To not miss a single moment of joy with her baby because of worry. To live in the present and not wish time away. To know she will have days where she feels like a total failure, but failure is not a word her little one will be familiar with. To feel confident in her ability to care for and nurture the little life who's contentment is found in his mother's arms.
