... Like a Box of Chocolates

It's true. You never know what you're gonna get.

Some babies sleep all day. Some babies cry all day. Some babies eat slow, others eat fast. The more I talk to other mothers, the more I see the endless combinations of traits and phases these little ones have to offer. These alternate possibilities are not just present baby-to-baby but also day-to-day.

Each morning I'm never quite sure what version of BabyK I'm going to greet. Right when I think we've got a rhythm and I've got things under control; she throws me a curve ball. Some days she needs cuddles, other days she's ready to laugh. There are days when we miss one nap and the whole day is sucked down a snowballing overtired vortex.

One day, we decided that it would be easiest for us to give BabyK a bottle for the afternoon feed. She had always taken the bottle before so there was no room in my mind for a different story. I warmed the bottle and handed it to my husband who was all set up with BabyK in his arms. As I turned to get to my business, I heard a blood-curdling squeal.

I turned instantly only to be surprised to see the resistance. Like the micro-managing mother I can be, I rushed over to see what my husband must be "doing wrong". Going through the motions, all factors seemed to be in order from the milk temperature to the angle she was laying. To my humble discovery, my own attempts to get BabyK eating were only met with more defiance and tears.

My husband suggested that we should cut our losses and offer her the real deal. Reluctantly, I took his advice and switched places. After a few minutes of having her latched it became apparent that I had not been ready to give up the fight. Having seen Indiana Jones a million times, I attempted a good old switch-a-roo. I should have known that such a stunt would trigger the release of a rampaging boulder of a cry.

Needless to say, BabyK did not drink from the bottle that night. It might not have been what I had planned for the evening, but in the end, I was able to appreciate the beauty of another nursing session while my husband washed the dishes. Perhaps it was better this way.

In her own -sometimes sweet, sometimes sour- way, BabyK often reminds me that even though I make plans, I need to be flexible and open to my day panning out differently than expected. Because she will always be changing and these surprises will always vary, there is little point in comparing her to any other baby. Just like a box of chocolates may have certain flavors, babies too can offer a different taste of their own. Some of these flavors may not be as preferred as others, but at the end of the day, chocolate is chocolate. And I love chocolate.

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Proverbs 16:9

"A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps."