Baby Babble

I remember reading an article covering Steve Sarkisian’s first press conference as coach of the University of Washington football team. As a graduate of UW, I was keenly interested in what this guy was like since I knew so little of him, aside from working for Pete Carroll as offensive coordinator for USC.
What I took away from the story was that Sarkisian likes the word “awesome.” The reporter may have been exaggerating, but, I seem to recall him writing that Sarkisian said “awesome” upwards of 50 times in the press conference.
I’m starting to feel like Coach Sark these days.
Whenever anyone asks me about motherhood — What’s it like being a mom? How’s the baby? How do you like motherhood? — I say almost automatically now, “It’s awesome!”
There’s no other way to answer the question.
I mean, I love being a mom, I love Lyla more than words can convey but it’s so freaking hard to say that succinctly.
Think about it, when people ask some variation of that question, they don’t really want every little detail. I could literally talk about Lyla for an hour. More if prompted with the right questions.
But, the socially correct thing to do is to just say something short yet packs a powerful punch in order to get the message across that I am head over heels in love with being a mommy.
Anyone truly interested in knowing more will ask pointed questions like:
• How big was she when she was born? What’s she up to now?
• Is she sleeping through the night?
• Have you thought about solid foods yet?
• Are you nursing? (And, that, of course generates a half an hour long explanation…)
• How did she do at her last doctor’s appointment?
• Is she rolling over yet?
• Have you gone back work?
• Oh, so, who takes care of her when you’re working?
• And my personal favorite… Are you thinking about having more kids?

On that last one, I decided I wanted to have another kiddo while I was in the third trimester with Lyla. Pregnancy wasn’t too bad. I would like to give our little girl a sibling since Jason and I both a sibling growing up. It’s just a matter of how long before I start working on Jason about future offspring. We will only have one more. We agreed long ago that we would have two kids and with my diabetes I think that’s about as much as I could handle physically.

Every moment with my daughter is amazing. I just adore her. I have eight pictures of her in my wallet. One photo is the wallpaper on my computer at work and I have four others on my desk. And don’t forget that I have her name tatooed on my left shoulder. And as I have mentioned before, she’s just an awesome kid. Oh, there’s that word again! But, it’s true. In the morning she wakes up laughing and chattering happily. When I lean over her crib she smiles and squeals with delight at the sight of my face. And she’s been sleeping through the night for two months now. How can I not love being a mom?
Being a parent is amazing beyond anything I could have imagined or hoped for and I hear it’s only going to get better.
As Sark would say, it’s “awesome!”