Ask any new parents and they will all agree that raising a baby is truly challenging and frustrating. More so in our case since Michael and I have no support from anyone. Both our parents live so far away - his around 600 km away while mine are in another continent all together.
The earlier months were really very bad. We did not know anything about raising babies except those that we read from books and the internet and as well as suggestions from our parents and friends. We had no one to help us with Colin (unlike in the Philippines where there is a battalion of relatives who are too willing to babysit your baby). On top of our inexperience and lack of (physical) support, Colin also happened to be a colicky baby (he could cry for hours during an attack). So there we were - tired, sleep-deprived, and constantly worried that we may be doing something wrong with our baby because he wouldn't stop crying. It is a wonder how we made it this far.
I think however, that one of the major factors that helped Michael and I during the early days was the fact that we were still able to find laughter amid the frustration and exhaustion. Laughter has become our way of releasing pressure. We believed (still do) that if we can still laugh then things were not that bad. The smallest thing could actually set us laughing.
Thus, we suddenly found ourselves laughing when, after Colin had a bad period of crying that left us so exhausted, I asked from out of nowhere, if Michael would like to make love. We (try to) find something funny even in the darkest times.
At the moment, Michael and I are more relaxed now that our son is not crying that much anymore. This does not mean however, that things will be easier now. Far from it. We know that parenting is a lifetime challenge. We go through different stages that have their own set of challenges. For example, Colin may have been done with colic but he will go through teething next. Then there will be the toddler years, then the teenage years. I could go on and on...
However, I am confident that Michael and I will be able to overcome anything. Through laughter.
that is very true, laughter really safes us a lot of times. the colics from colin have been really heavy and when you are both stressed laughter is the only way.
ReplyDeletethe nice thing with us is that it came complete natural for us, we just start to make jokes or even the funniest comment will make us laugh very hard.
i am quit sure you will post some examples here :)
yeah, yeah. pressure pressure
ReplyDeleteindeed, my dear, you are blessed. funny how often we chatted about how lucky we are with these men in our lives, and then these "real, testy moments" come, and we are reaffirmed that we are blessed.
ReplyDeletehats off to you and fafa M for your independence! not everyone has the opportunity to rise above the occasion because, like what you wrote, there is an existing support system here, on hand. while you guys have us (virtually). :)
keep these entries coming sis! ibang-iba na ang mga entries ngayon, lahveet!!! *hugs*
God bless you on your journey with your boys. :)