Not what Baby Can Do; But You
All the hard work, anxiety and
decisions are over and you are holding little Sally in your arms. She is soft,
pink and oh so fragile. You stare at her with an intense love that almost makes
your heart hurt. Sally is your responsibility, your child. You have the car
seat with all the many straps to hook her into and the attendant watches you
fasten her into the car and drive away. Your diaper bag contains newborn
diapers, wipes, a suction bulb and pages of information on how to take care of
Sally and her expected developmental progress. Equipped to raise this child
properly you are determined to watch for each developmental milestone. Anxiously
you watch for each new sign that shows proper progress. If it is even a day
late you become distraught.
What is the best thing you can do
for your child? Love her. Wrap your arms around her and hold her close. Smile
at her, coo, make goofy faces. Get down on your tummy and flap your arms, reach
for toys and let her try as well. Give her rides in the tummy pack to explore
the world. Look long at pretty flowers, tell her about them and about the
smells and feels of them. Tell her about your dreams and how she is a part of
them. Laugh with her and at the funny things she does. When she does pass one
of those milestones; cheer for her. Tell her how amazing she is and then tell
her that you love her because she is your daughter and that you will always
love her.
When she struggles and is
frustrated, tell her that you love her. When she works hard at something and it
doesn’t work out; tell her you love her. You can’t always fix things in life,
you can’t always make things right, but you can always love her. She may pass
every milestone with flying colors, she may pass some at the right time, or not
others. You may need to have someone help you both with reaching those
milestones. She may never reach them all. But you can love her no matter what
and that love will provide her with the confidence and strength to be happy in
whatever state she is in. Love never ends.
http://nichcy.org/families-community/journey
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