Seven months

Stella will be seven months this Sunday.  As most mothers will tell you, time is flying and my baby is growing all too quickly. She has changed my life in so many obvious ways but also in ways that I could never fully explain. I guess other mothers can relate and somehow understand.

I remember holding her tight one night (she was perhaps five or six days old), as I whispered in her ear how much I loved her and I couldn’t help shedding a tear. It is then when I realized what it was like to feel that love that you often hear about from other moms and though you think you get it, it’s not even close to what one can imagine. There are things I do because of her that I would never ever do, not even for myself. It’s the most selfless love, a natural inclination and need to protect this human being, to be it’s everything, leaving aside whatever priorities existed before it. It is as if your existence depended on this child. Yes, it should be the other way around and it is, but one’s perspective on life changes with a child, and as overwhelming and frustrating as this can be, it’s something one does not regret.

Going back to Stella’s seventh month, things haven’t changed much in her world. She can sit for a while; roll her way wherever she needs to go; turn over on her own while sleeping (which is a big deal since I feel she sleeps more deeply and comfortably); jump higher on her jumparoo; make a funny face (resembling an old lady); and, continues to babble all day long. I feel that she did not learn as many new things as last month but she is growing rapidly and is healthy, which is all that matters.

I’m yearning to hear mama again and can’t wait to see her crawl but I guess she’ll do so in her own time. For the moment, I’m trying to spend as much time with her when I get home every night, hoping that the love I give her will make up for my absence during the day.