By: Caroline Kambrich
It’s so easy to talk about the trials and tribulations of parenthood – the sleepless nights, the tantrums, the illnesses, the battle to get somewhere on time…but how do you describe the love that goes with all of it? It almost seems impossible to me. How do I describe my heart exploding out of my chest like 10,000 fireworks when my son kisses me on the cheek randomly? How can I even begin to tell someone the feeling when he accomplishes something on his own for the very first time? Is there even a word for when they are lying on your chest and the whole world stops? The hard parts of parenting are easy to depict, and often found on social media…but watching the love of your life grow right before your eyes? There are no words. Nothing truly describes the feeling.
In high school/college, I was never the babysitting type. I didn’t think I could handle that authoritative quality you needed to have, and pair it with the “fun, creative, and outgoing” babysitter that every kid loved. Finding that balance scared me, so I just stayed away from it. But after meeting Joe, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have a little mini him running around the house. It seemed like too much fun for me to resist. We have been truly blessed to bring someone like Colton into this world, and it is such an honor to be his mother and to watch him grow.
Of course, there are moments I question myself, uncertainty hiding in every corner, but there are little glimmers of my parenting that show me I have the best boy in the whole wide world. He is only 3 ½ right now, and every day, a new window opens up into his growing personality. He is bold yet kind, adventurous while also sensitive. He loves playing hockey with Dad and helping Momma cook. He calls himself “a very good helper”. His memory is amazing, and his willingness to learn is so rewarding. I see so much of Joe in him, and it makes my heart soar. I want to give him every experience. Family vacations to Disney World, camping in the Adirondacks (like when I was a kid), hiking Sleeping Giant, going to a carnival or an amusement park, seeing the animals at the Zoo, getting popcorn at the theater to watch his favorite movie, and all the fun things.
It really is amazing being a parent, especially when I never thought I would be one. You learn so much about yourself, especially your patience level (hah!). The days are long, but the years are short, and I am absorbing every second I can with my blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty. Watching my parents fall so easily into grandparent-hood has been especially magical. A whole new life for them to watch blossom right before their eyes, and they love every second they spend with both of their grandsons (my sweet nephew Dominic). They are the most involved, fun-loving grandparents (or as Colton would call them “MeeMaw and PeePaw”) a mother could ask for, and I feel so lucky to watch this beautiful chapter unfold for all of us.
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