Teammates

I know nothing about babies.  And I mean nothing.  (For example, I thought that there were diapers for girls and diapers for boys...this is not true.)

So, ever since AA was born, it's been a learning experience, to say the very least.  For both of us.  For AA, to learn how to be a human.  For me, to learn how to be patient, flexible, steadfast, understanding, creative, spontaneous, and basically a better person all around.

Early on, I would find myself thinking (and sometimes saying out loud), "Why are you doing this to me?" whenever AA would be especially fussy, or unpredictable, or just downright befuddling.  I felt like he was against me somehow, that we were competing to see who could live on less sleep or who could cry longer, or stop the other person from using the bathroom when they really needed to.

But that's not how it is, and thank goodness I snapped into that realization sooner rather than later.  AA doesn't know how to be a baby any better than I know how to understand a baby.  We're both starting at square one.  We're both total newbies.  Neither one of us knows what the heck we're doing.

So that means we're a team.  We're in it together, figuring out how to sleep and eat and nap and play and smile and laugh.  I can't become patient, flexible, steadfast, understanding, creative, spontaneous or better without him; he can't become a human without me.  We need each other mutually and equally.

We're teammates.  Go us.

photo by Sam Lorton