What comes around goes around

I caught up with a friend who had a three week old new babe. Her family had recently left town and her hubby was back at work so she was home getting to know her wee one.

The same friend who listened half-heartedly when I told her stories from the early weeks of child rearing was reciting my same tales back to me (the overwhelming exhaustion, what really happens when your milk comes in, night sweats, lack of schedule...etc.). As I was listening to her version, I was reminded of when I was in the trenches with Boden in those first few (and sometimes horrible) weeks. I remember cursing my friends (in the nicest way possible, of course) for not giving me tips about the littlest things and wondering why no one tells you how exhausting and all-consuming a newborn can be.

Then it occurred to me--no one really cares about the details unless they have gone through it. When you're caught in the minutiae of day-to-day living with a newborn, the only people who understand and can really listen are those who have already been there. It's like a "My kid's a toddler now and I lived to tell about it" support group. I'm sure my friends who had babies before I did shared their anecdotes and warnings with me, but, I was only half listening and full of judgment (roll eyes, pass judgment: "I mean really, how hard can it be?").

I found myself giving my friend the same "oh, yeah--I remember; you'll get through it, too!" pep talk that I got from others. It feels good to be on the other side and I have a little validation that other new parents struggle, too. Whew.

(Photos: Kitchen - nearly complete and mostly usable!; Boden and Sloan playing ball).