My, how things change

Micron 5 weeks

Micron is now 6.5 weeks old. Micro will almost be 2. And me? I am exhausted. But the exhaustion is also accompanied by moments of joy and revelation. I look at my two babies and at times, I'm overcome with such love and fascination.

In fact, watching Micro be so loving towards Micron grips my heartstrings so. Just the simple act of Micro going over (w/o prompting from me) to get Micron's chupon (pacifier) and put it in her mouth so she'll stop crying can make my day. These are the moments of parenthood that I cherish.

Perhaps, it is easier the second time around. It has a little bit to do with more confidence as a parent, the temperament of your second child is easier to manage (well, at least in my case it is), and you accept that you don't have eight arms to juggle the chaos of motherhood. That sucks!

This past weekend, we dropped Micro off at his Lola's to spend the night, while Mr. Fliz and I, along with Micron, have some time to ourselves. Or having one kid is easier than two. Better yet, having a baby is easier than a toddler. Yup I said it! On the way home after dropping Micro off, we opted to stop by Nordstrom Rack at 8:30 p.m. and do some shopping. We would never have done this with Micro at 6 weeks. Breastfeeding in public, finding a place to change a baby when the bathrooms are not equipped with a changing table, figuring out how to fold/unfold a stroller, and to top it all off, lack of sleep. All those things were stressful for us as new parents.

Now, having only Micron, our newborn, with us, it felt like we could go and do anything--despite the fatigue we have. Micron just sleeps, poops, and eats at this stage. We don't have to worry about her running around clothes racks or down aisles while we're out. We don't have to figure out what to feed her. We don't have to give her a bath and read her a story, or two, or three, or more! In fact, it gets harder as children get older. But as every parent figures out after awhile, every stage has its ups and downs.

As Mr. Fliz pointed out to me, "Funny how our perspective changes."

Yes, it is funny.