I’ve only got the one, but whether it’s your second or third or even fourth kid, I don’t think it’s ever the same. My brother and I are proof enough of that. I’m the firstborn and was apparently a very chatty baby. I had a seriously full vocabulary by the time I turned one and could speak in sentences. My brother, on the other hand, was a man of few words, but at nine months old he climbed out of his crib and crawled downstairs. My poor, poor mama. How do you prepare for that?
So really, all moms are new moms. Mothers are always navigating unfamiliar waters and searching for ways to love, nurture, and teach the beautiful little soul(s) with which they are entrusted.
Maybe being a mom means always feeling a little bit like a fraud. My brother and I recently welcomed children within seven months of each other, so my mom has had to learn to encourage and love on her “babies” as they embark on their own parenthood journeys. Once when she was visiting, she told me, “Seeing you and Wes as parents, you guys are doing such a great job, it really makes me feel better about the job I did as a mother.”
So whether your baby is five months, or almost 35 years, know that motherhood is always new, always evolving, always adapting.
And always beautiful.
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A version of this post originally appeared at oliveandyew.com, published with permission.
