Wonder-Worries

I love it when friends share any of the following:

1. psychotic fears
2. family holiday mishaps
3. major parenting snafus

Why?

Because they are usually hilarious and always make me feel more normal and more easily able to enjoy my own of the above.

Months ago, Rob and I were talking to some new parent friends and it came up that earlier that summer (last year), we'd tried to take Eli out for what we thought was a 10 minute shaded walk to a lake's edge. After taking the wrong trail, it turned into a 35 minute hike in 100+ degree south GA sun and heat with a 6 month old. I still don't know if Eli passed out from the heat or just took a nap, but by the trail's end Eli was stripped down to nothing with me fanning him and yelling at Rob to run him out to the car, Save him! I also considered having Rob pee on him until I remembered that was for jellyfish stings, not heat stroke.

That unleashed a ton of our peers 'Parenting Oops'.

We'll, it's my turn again. Below is a list of crazy fears I had about having a girl. When we were expecting Elijah, I wanted a boy so badly. I think I willed him to be a boy. That or it was all the African women who blessed me with a firstborn boy. This time around, instead of wanting one or the other - I just wanted a healthy baby, but was scared of a girl. I'm a bit of a chicken and am revealing my list to the world only after I worked through my irrational fears. That's just how I roll.

1. Elijah won't have a super close-in-age brother

I think I did mention this one before and I was sure he'd think I'd ruined his life. He may still feel this way when I bring a baby who's either crying or hungry 24/7 into his life, but perhaps this will pass. Now, I'm thinking he'll feel less threatened by a girl-child who has no chance of replacing our precious baby boy. And, I guess, he'll have a 50/50 chance next time when he's old enough to appreciate it, perhaps. I've also had lots of people tell me how they're actually closer to their siblings of the opposite sex than the same. There's hope!


2. What if she does everything in life better than me?

or does cooler stuff than me? or etc.... Won't I be jealous? It took me awhile to own up to this one. I hadn't felt this way about a boy. Who cares if he plays major league baseball - that was never an option for me. How could I ever even wish that I had done that? Finally, I told Rob one night just before going to sleep and he rolled over and said, "all our kids are going to be better than us." Just that. And went to sleep. I laid there for about a minute and thought, "I hope so, too" and that was the end of that. Of course!


3. What if she's nothing like me?

Or, worse, what if she hates everything I like and we have nothing in common? I got to thinking about it and I don't think I was much like my mom when I was little, either. But, she related to me just fine and now, it turns out we're more alike that not. resolved.


4. Will she make me feel old?

No idea why I thought about this more with having a little girl than with a little boy. Perhaps , because I'll see her playing games I did and think, man, I used to do that... 20 years ago! I guess it will happen. Maybe I'll join in her games and show her how it's done.


5. And the kicker, I'll have more responsibility this time around

- is it wrong? right now, I feel as though 98% of my job with Eli is loving him, feeding him, and trying to keep him clean. Rob has so much more on his shoulders. He'll have to teach him how to throw a football, not let him become a pony league drop-out, teach him how to treat women and be A Man. I was on easy street. Now, I'm going to have to do the girl version of all of these! Pressure! There's no way around it.

There you have it friends, Enjoy!

I'm now 110% super elated about Rumble Roo.