How incredibly clichéd, smug and arrogant do I sound if I say that you only have to experience my son to witness pure perfection?
Spend a day with him, make him giggle as he gets ready for his bath, kiss his chubby feet, see his intense poo-face, bop him around for his old-man burps and reluctantly put him to bed at night as his sleepy head rests on your shoulder.
Please tell me that all parents think like this about their children and that I haven’t gone crazy! Believe me, no one is more surprised than I am at this… this relentless worshipful awe.
The recovery from C-section and the first three colicky months are a dim, hazy memory, and now, when he’s all big eyes and gummy smiles, I think he’s growing up way too fast! I feel time rush past almost physically as I try to catch my breath, and will it to slow down even as I savour every moment with him.
Don’t get me wrong, he still wakes up 2-3 times at night, but as Darling Husband aka Littloo’s Spin Doctor says, he’s purposely waking up to check if his Mama’s alright. Well, if you put it like that…
Relegation of Mama
My life is now divided into BL and AL – Before Leo and After Leo. BL, my parents used to ask about me, my husband, my work, my life. No more. Now, it goes like this: Papa/Mama: Hello, Simu?
Me: Hello! How are...
Papa/Mama: HOW’S OUR LITTLE BOY?! He’s looking so beautiful in that photo! He’s growing everyday! Is he wearing those pink pjs again? Is he sitting up? He’s trying to talk isn’t he? Why haven’t you sent a video today?! (Etc etc etc.. you get what I mean).
He’s a lucky little boy, clearly. I’m his mouth-piece for the moment but the way he’s already trying to grab my phone, he’ll soon be calling his grandparents himself. Then I’ll assume the role of the tyrant who forces an end to the long, important conversations.
Big Deal, Those Baby Birthdays
Talking of growing up, his social life kicked off in style at the ripe old age of 3 months with a letter arriving in the post, addressed to Master Leo. It was an invitation to a 2-year old girl’s birthday party.
For all I know, they were perhaps just making up the numbers while most children were away for summer holidays, but oh I was so excited for him.
Being the youngest, Littloo was also a prime attraction as all the older kids wanted to pet him and the parents were obliged to coo as well. Apart from that – well, brand me an ingrate and hang me already, but there are better ways to spend an afternoon than standing around making awkward conversation with other parents, who you’re probably never going to meet again at a child’s birthday party.
And the irony is that I’ll be orchestrating something similar in a couple of years’ time – so I was busy shuddering and making notes at the same time.
I used to wonder why some parents put on insanely over the top first and second birthday parties for their children, given that the child will not even remember them, let alone enjoy them at the time. And now I know why – it’s a ritual for the parents to mark their journey, how far they’ve come and showcase the result of all their love, care and dedication, in a job that is sometimes rather underrated.
And, Finally
Remember when I said the first six weeks are a bitch? And that this is a hard, relentless job and all that jazz?
It IS. Littloo has embarrassing tantrums on public transport, insists on being carried around ALL the time and wakes me up way too early in the morning.
And yet, he’s the closest thing to perfection that I’ve ever created and he’s growing up too damned fast!
(Simrat Ghuman is Head of Communications and Marketing at Anthemis Group in London. A former TV journo, she has just taken her first step into motherhood and will be serialising her quirky take on motherhood in the ‘Leopreet Ki Ma’ blogposts. You can read her (hilarious) journey through pregnancy in the Preggers blog below.)
You may also read:
- Dealing With Being Preggers: I am making a Baby!
- Dealing With Being Preggers: Just Where Do Grandparents Fit In?
- Dealing With Being Preggers: Why Not Leopreet Singh?
- Dealing With Being Preggers: Of Cravings And Indulgence
- Dealing With Being Preggers: Husband and I, Rowing the Pregnancy Boat
- Defining Motherhood: What it Feels to be a New Mommy
- Taking Baby Steps to Motherhood
- Leopreet Ka Photoshoot: Where The Baby Refuses To Smile
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