Expectations

When I was pregnant with Luke, I looked forward to all the usual things of becoming a parent. I expected the overwhelming love I would feel for him. Tender moments and intense little hugs. Tantrums and screaming, explosive diapers and sleepless nights. I expected some things would be hard and some things would be easy.

I definitely did not expect that I would be put in harm's way after the ordeal of childbirth. I thought that would be it for pain. I didn't count on sudden jumps up to clock my chin with a very solid toddler head, or that same head being thrown back into my face to connect with my nose or ram my glasses into my eye. Being a toddler's jungle gym means that parts of my body are pinched, grabbed, stepped on, and otherwise abused. No one EVER warned me about this.

I also never expected that I would be holding my child while he struggled with constipation, crying out in pain I could do nothing for (at that moment). That food issues go beyond just nutrition, and are affecting his happiness. It sounds like it should almost be funny, hearing a toddler whine and say 'Pooping!'. It sucks.