Before I had a baby I felt like I had all the time in the world. I could do anything I wanted at any time with no one to answer to. We understand that all this will change once we have children, but the reality doesn’t set in until the moment has come. For example, you see a movie trailer of a book you love and then realize that once in your life you would have been able to go without finding a caregiver. Since my husband and I have uprooted our family 300 miles away from our relatives, date night isn’t something that’s actually in the cards for us. Yes, we could hire a babysitter, but our little one is extremely attached to me and we don’t know anyone in town that we feel close enough to trust with our child. Maybe it’s because she’s our first child, or maybe it’s dateline news, but at this point we only trust family to be alone with our child.
I know all this is temporary, but it’s moments like these that make me miss all my free time. These days the sun comes up and then goes back down in the blink of an eye. I try to get as much done throughout the day as I can but still find myself struggling for more time and energy. Is this what having a toddler feels like? Yep!! It’s a harsh reality but I wouldn’t change a thing. We all know how amazing it is to watch our little one grow. The movies can wait, the laundry can wait and the slow cooker can make dinner as I cherish every moment with her. I wish I had more time to savor each day before she gets older tomorrow and is never the same again. Parenthood is such a blessing and all that free time from my past is a once upon a time.
Grace Madylan 