"Take me to the DMV"

It feels like only yesterday that we were bringing baby Johnny home from the hospital. And now, here we are, five months later. He has grown immensely in size, now tipping the scales at over 19 lbs. His 6-12 month size clothes are getting snug and I think I’ll have to dig out some of Jamie’s old 12-18 month clothes from the basement before the month is over. In the last two weeks he has made great bounds in development. A few days ago he started to roll over, slowly at first but now he can roll from his back to his tummy in the blink of an eye. He can also scoot himself backwards by pushing with his forearms. I put him beside me in the bathroom while I was washing his brother & sister’ s hair on Tuesday night and he scooted himself out the door and into the hallway before the big kids were out of the tub. Johnny’s stationary days are over! He’s also had his first tastes of solid food this month. Taking the pediatrician’s recommendation, we started feeding him an occasional meal of rice cereal mixed with breast milk. So far, he’s not a big fan. He mostly pushes the cereal out with his tongue, makes a funny face, and gags. But before long I know that he’ll be eating like a champ and demanding entire jars of sweet potatoes and applesauce. Heck, before I know it he’s going to be asking me to take him to the DMV to get his driver’s license!

Often times, motherhood can feel very un-rewarding. The fruits of our labor are non-tangible. Our job takes delayed gratification to the extreme. That is why we cling to little milestones like starting solid foods and rolling over. We can point to each new stage and say, “See, I did that!” Johnny is healthy and growing because of the nourishment I have given him. He is happy and smiling because of the nurturing we are giving him. He may not be able to express his gratitude but with each little roll I get a feeling of pride and accomplishment that makes my unceasing dedication to this job worthwhile. These small feats are surely a thrill and provide a mother enough encouragement to keep her pushing onward, through the sleepless nights and monotonous days. Fifteen and a half years from now I plan to come back and read this post so that when my teenage Johnny gives me a snide comment and rolls his eyes after I remind him to put his hands at 10 and 2, I will secretly know he means, “I love you, Mom. You're doing a great job!”