Mr. A did not want to be a baby- he would scream A LOT with no real explanation. He detested being in the car, the pram for more than a few minutes, did not like seeing new people (heaven forbid if they would actually look at him!) and did not like being in anyone elses arms except for a selected few that he would allow to hold him (and even then it was only for a short time before he would call for Mama Bear). He barely slept, and even then, he would only do so for a very limited time. Needless to say, I was exhausted and torn between honouring my needs and the needs of my little man who was struggling. Somehow, with the help of Daddy Bear, my parents (who I'll refer to as Nanny and Poppy from now on), a baby sling, family, chiropractic, persistence and faith, we muddled through our first year and made it from baby to toddler whilst parenting our boy and listening to his needs as well as our own.
That's not to say that once we reached toddler hood things became easy. Once Mr. A found his voice and some independence it became easier to understand his needs but parenting him is still challenging at times and mind blowingly awesome in others. He is a sensitive soul who does not like to be out of him comfort zone and gets worried easily. He is emotional and really "feels" things, but on the flip side he has a determination that I admire and respect- he is a leader not a follower and it has taken time, trial and error and compromise to find the best way to parent him. My heart told me that whilst he protested loud about most things, deep down he was just as lost and frustrated as I was feeling. I did what my heart told me to do- respond to his needs, love him, persist, be gentle and not expect him to do what he "should" (especially when it came to sleep!), buckle in tight and enjoy the ride!
So, after this long back story, you can imagine my gratitude, love and pride as I dressed my beautiful boy this week for his first day at prekinder. Had you asked me a year ago that I would kiss Mr. A goodbye and leave him in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people for 2.5 hours, I would have laughed in your face- one of those real belly laughs where you could almost pee your pants. But yesterday Mr. A went to his first prekinder session and was quite excited about it. He wore a uniform, looked super cute, posed for photos and was rather vocal that Mama Bear and Baby G had to drop him off and not stay. Needless to say, my heart overflowed with love and gratitude as my little man took another step and milestone in his stride and whilst he was a little nervous, showed a courage and strength that reminded me our hard work, persistence and love is all very worth it.
I am forever grateful for my sweet boy who continually teaches me that the best things come to those who wait, to trust my instincts and above all else, when in doubt love deeply, be patient, let go and just enjoy xxx
