I sat behind a mom with a newborn yesterday at church. I couldn’t see the baby because it was underneath a nursing blanket the entire time but I could tell it was a new baby because it made the most precious sounds that only a newborn can. Instead of paying attention to the sermon, I listened to the baby. After she fussed for a millisecond, the mom began to nurse her and I could hear the tiny gulps of milk.
Oh my goodness, my heart.
My youngest is now eight years old and I’ve always felt our family was complete after she was born. Six kids are more than enough, right? I’d like to think so.
But that sweet little baby though.
So precious. I can remember what it was like to hold my newborn babies. My favorite thing ever was inhaling that lovely newborn scent. To nuzzle my face in their soft, downy neck. To be their everything. Hmmm. Maybe I’m feeling a little hormonal. Maybe I’m sick of the teenage boy stage (my lungs can only take inhaling so much Axe spray). I didn’t even get to see this little baby nursing under a blanket, but the mere sound of it triggered something inside me.
Later on that day we decided to take advantage of the sunny Southern California weather and take our kids to the park. As I was standing there watching my daughters play, a woman who I knew through a mutual friend walked up to me and we started chatting. In her arms was a delicious two month old baby girl. She was in that perfect butterball stage, past the fragile newborn stage but not quite in the sturdy hi mom, I’m six months and can sit up by myself now stage. As her mother talked, the baby fidgeted around because the bright sun was in her eyes. I strategically placed myself so my shadow could shield her from the sun and within a few minutes she fell asleep. Splayed out on her back on top of her mom’s chest, her chubby feet dangling. As we chatted, I couldn’t help but touch her soft little feet.
Sigh.
I know for a fact that this baby yearning doesn’t have anything to do with my biological clock ticking. I’m turning 42 next month and um, no thanks–this factory done closed. My kids are too young to make me a grandmother so I’m just going to have to chalk it up as a yearning for my own children when they were babies. It was such a precious time in our lives. So simple, so much happiness. Their loveliness, their delicate little hands and feet, the sweet sounds they made–it was so intoxicating.
This explains why my husband and I welcomed each of our six children into the world.
Funny thing. When you are enjoying the blissful thoughts of a new baby, your mind automatically blocks out diaper explosions at the mall, colicky cries in the wee hours of the morning, the inability to eat a meal in peace, scabby nipples and hemorrhoids.
Enjoy your little ones, friends.
Six weeks after my first was born, baby fever hit again. I managed to resist it until he was 6 months but then we started trying for our second. They ended up being 19 months apart. I was okay for a little while, but then TWENTY of my friends got pregnant within months of each other. That yearning got so strong that I went into a deep depression trying to ignore it. I had another year of school left, but we decided my mental health was worth more than that wait. I got pregnant right away and our baby just turned one, and I graduated on time! It’s been a huge challenge but worth it. We know we want more, and even though a lot of my friends are pregnant again, that feeling hasn’t returned so I know it’s not the right time yet. But when it is, there will be no ignoring it!
I was 41 when my second child was born (age 38 with my first–we started late). I have always wanted 3 kids and as soon as our second baby was born, I knew I didn’t want her to be the last.
But now she’s a year, I’m 42, Aunt Flo hasn’t even returned yet, and while both pregnancies were healthy, the second pregnancy was pretty hard on me. If my husband were up for adopting, I’d love another newborn. But sadly, I think this factory is closed, too. We’re tired and we’ll be old enough by the time these 2 are out of the house.
…The funny thing is, I have a now 2yr old daughter, and four months after she was born I told her father I wanted another one! He said I was crazy of course, and told me that I must be on some kind of drug, lol. Needless to say, I still want another child. Yes, I remember the baby blues in the beginning, and the diapers, and transitioning to a new phases, as soon as you get settled into the last phase. But so what, my heart warms every time she smiles at me, asks me for a kiss or a hug, tells me bless you when I sneeze. She is a joy, and no matter what we fight about or go through, I love her and she makes me want another one. But boy do i miss those early baby days, when i could just hold her, now I can’t get her to stop running!
Oh my! I know exactly how you feel. We have five, the youngest is seven months.. And I just start yearning for more while I’m cuddled with him and he’s nursing. Right now, we are done. But in three years? Who knows. We might want another. 🙂
Third child arrived in December and I’m still in that sleepless, newborn chaotic stage, but my favorite moments are holding him and smelling his little head – smells so good! And though breastfeeding this time has been truly awful so far, I am starting to appreciate our time together and recognize that this is it for us. No more babies for us, sigh. I would love to have just one more, but I know that realistically someone else would have to raise (and be pregnant with) any future baby we would have since right now I’m seriously struggling with these nights with no sleep (and the pregnancy was more difficult and the strain it put on our family was (and still is) very tough). So…no more babies, but I reserve the right to continue to have baby fever for the rest of my life!
I was just thinking this same thing this morning. We’re done,and yes, six is definitely enough! There are days that I think I’ll lose my mind. Our oldest is a challenge on all fronts, and it leads to trouble controlling all of them at times because they copy her (as she wants them to) and more are just not an option. You can ask my husband, there is no way we are reversing that decision! 🙂
But, oh, the little babies. They are so precious. While I know and am at peace with the fact we are done, I wouldn’t be totally disappointed should God decide we made a bad decision and override it. Those little gulps while nursing and the soft little chubby feet. Umm!
I don’t think ill ever get over my baby fever. Who knows maybe one more hehe! 🙂
I have never had baby fever but when looking at pictures from when my kids were smaller, they are still young at almost 5 & 3, and I want those moments back. The endless cuddles and being all they want.
My son who is almost 3 is not big on hugs, kisses, and cuddling, this is sad for me as I want to just cuddle my baby and he wants to run around like a crazy man. The other night he asked for “someone to cuddle me” at bed time, I could not help but cuddle him. It will only last a little bit then it is gone.
“The days are long but the years are short” Do not know who said this but it is so true.