This will pass. You'll be fine.
Nov. 1st, 2006 09:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ste_noniIn my last post, I was all upset about Ellie going to daycare. I still am, but I don't want to forget this one particular moment from yesterday. Originally, I was sort of mentally dedicating this post to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
zmayhem, but after an exchange with aimeejmc, I feel like maybe I need to dedicate it to me. Or her, for reminding me about the whole thing. Anyway, here's what happened:
I was in the commissary yesterday buying groceries. Ellie was sound asleep in her stroller and I was really enjoying shopping in peace. As I headed down the baking goods aisle, I heard a newborn cry and I looked up to see a mom and two little baby feet poking out form under a blanket. The mom was holding the baby tucked up against her and the baby was under a blanket. I recognized the "trying to breastfeed a small baby who still requires two hands and doesn't latch all that well on her own" pose immediately. The woman looked tired and stressed. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure she was wishing she was alone in the aisle, or more realistically, that she wasn't in the aisle at all but was back at home in a comfy chair with her feet up. I had this urge to run up to her and say, "You are doing such a great thing for you and your baby. I know breastfeeding is hard and sometimes painful, but I love that part of my relationship with my daughter so much and I'm sure you will too! I know it's hard, but I promise, this will pass and you'll be fine." Of course, I restrained the urge because she would have thought I was crazy. I walked past her and didn't stare because I figured the thing that would help her the most would be to give her privacy.
Then, as I rounded the end of my aisle, pushing my stroller ahead of me, I had this epiphany. That was me, just over a year ago! Look how far I've made it! Going to the grocery store with Ellie used to be a huge production that took lots of timing and planning. Now I throw a diaper and some wipes in my purse and off we go. I actually got chills and goosebumps thinking about how, 15 months ago, I was that woman in the aisle. It seemed like Ellie would be an infant forever! I loved her so much then, and I thought she was as close to perfect as humanly possible, but look at her now! She's cuter and way more fun and interesting.
Life has a funny way of bringing you full circle. I was sitting at home tonight (Joe's at a work thing) feeling so sad about Ellie and daycare. It just seems so hard and scary. And, after posting about it here, I got this response from Aimee that, among other things, said, "This will pass. She will be fine." And thanks to the woman in the grocery aisle, I knew she was right.
zmayhem, but after an exchange with aimeejmc, I feel like maybe I need to dedicate it to me. Or her, for reminding me about the whole thing. Anyway, here's what happened:I was in the commissary yesterday buying groceries. Ellie was sound asleep in her stroller and I was really enjoying shopping in peace. As I headed down the baking goods aisle, I heard a newborn cry and I looked up to see a mom and two little baby feet poking out form under a blanket. The mom was holding the baby tucked up against her and the baby was under a blanket. I recognized the "trying to breastfeed a small baby who still requires two hands and doesn't latch all that well on her own" pose immediately. The woman looked tired and stressed. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure she was wishing she was alone in the aisle, or more realistically, that she wasn't in the aisle at all but was back at home in a comfy chair with her feet up. I had this urge to run up to her and say, "You are doing such a great thing for you and your baby. I know breastfeeding is hard and sometimes painful, but I love that part of my relationship with my daughter so much and I'm sure you will too! I know it's hard, but I promise, this will pass and you'll be fine." Of course, I restrained the urge because she would have thought I was crazy. I walked past her and didn't stare because I figured the thing that would help her the most would be to give her privacy.
Then, as I rounded the end of my aisle, pushing my stroller ahead of me, I had this epiphany. That was me, just over a year ago! Look how far I've made it! Going to the grocery store with Ellie used to be a huge production that took lots of timing and planning. Now I throw a diaper and some wipes in my purse and off we go. I actually got chills and goosebumps thinking about how, 15 months ago, I was that woman in the aisle. It seemed like Ellie would be an infant forever! I loved her so much then, and I thought she was as close to perfect as humanly possible, but look at her now! She's cuter and way more fun and interesting.
Life has a funny way of bringing you full circle. I was sitting at home tonight (Joe's at a work thing) feeling so sad about Ellie and daycare. It just seems so hard and scary. And, after posting about it here, I got this response from Aimee that, among other things, said, "This will pass. She will be fine." And thanks to the woman in the grocery aisle, I knew she was right.