Parenting Ah-Ha #1

Those of you who know me, know that I am kind of a "do-er." I was raised by a feminist who taught me how to get stuff done and to be brave enough to try to do it myself, even if it meant learning a new skill. What I am saying is that I am not exactly the kind of girl who waits for a guy to open a door for her, if you know what I mean.

Being very pregnant does not have a lot of perks. Basically one: you know the pregnancy is almost over! Mostly, you are big, tired, and don't really feel like doing a whole lot. However, you don't really have a good excuse to quit work, and there are a lot of things to do at the house before the baby comes, etc. In my opinion, having a newborn baby is WAY easier than being 9 months pregnant. After all, you can set a baby down...you can't exactly take off your pregnant belly.
Plus, once that cutie comes into the sunlight it seems that people bend over backwards to help you. They cook dinners, carry things to your car, bring you pillows and drinks. When I had my first daughter, I thought this was a little absurd. If I wanted to be a competent, independent mom, I needed to know how to manage myself and the baby on my own. I might as well start as soon as possible.
Then I began to notice a whole set of tasks that people did NOT want to help with. Namely, waking up in the middle of the night or a baby that won't quit crying. I noticed that if the baby dirtied her diaper, people passed her directly to me. I found myself making sacrifices so that my husband could get more sleep since he had to wake up at 6 AM. I found myself spending dinners at a fancy restaurants in the bathroom trying to calm a baby. That is when I decided:

"If I am going to have all the DISADVANTAGES that come with being a mom (accepting them with grace and joy), then I was not going to feel guilty about the ADVANTAGES of being a mom."

Yes, I can get my own drink of water, but if someone else wants to, that is an easy way for them to help. I now smile and accept.