Last month, in a desperate effort to hold on to the family dynamic I’ve known for the last two decades, my husband John and I took our children on an epic spring break vacation — a cruise in the Caribbean to celebrate family. With my oldest child being so busy with internships and travel abroad now that he’s in college, a summer vacation with the whole family didn’t materialize.
When I look at that picture above, I still can’t believe that my children are as big as they are now. My sweet little baby Bliss just turned 7, my sons, Peter and Everett, are wrapping up their freshman and sophomore years in high school, while my oldest, John, will be 20 years old in May. Where did the time go?!
It seems they were just babies “yesterday,” and I had no clue what I was doing as a new parent.
What happens when you find out that you’re having a baby, especially if you’re a first-time parent, is that it can generate all sorts of feelings — from excitement to a little bit of apprehension, or perhaps a lot of apprehension. It’s the fear of the unknown. And even when you’ve been an established mom or dad for a while, there are still so many questions to be answered.
My husband and I have learned along our journey of parenthood that it is definitely on-the-job training. However, you can learn a lot from talking to other parents and reading books and articles along the way.
We hope with this issue of Memphis Parent that all the newbie parents out there find insightful articles to share in their experiences of approaching parenthood, from babyproofing the home to colicky babies to taking care of yourself. It’s a wild and wonderful ride that goes by so quickly. Enjoy every moment, just like we did on our family vacation.
Happy Parenting!