Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Momentum

Momentum is nice. It makes life easy. When I’m out on my bike and something happens to rob me of my momentum (like a careless driver, an inopportune badger, one of Britain’s many glorious potholes, a hill) my internal dialogue becomes a torrent of spite and vitriol.

I’m already discovering that there’s a definite benefit to momentum in parenting. It’s not proper momentum, before anyone points it out, but a feeling of it.

The mounting sense of invincibility that comes from two consecutive good nights of sleep. The palpable feeling of achievement from getting The Creature to sleep for a while so that we can do something else. Like eat. Or clean ourselves.

This weekend we had momentum. We felt like we were winning at being parents, largely characterised by not feeling like we were having to work at being parents.

We spent part of an evening in our local pub, we both had a drink. We chatted and smiled.

I went for an idyllic walk in beautiful sunshine. I wore the baby for three hours, the majority of which he was asleep and making the little snuffly noises that still make my brain go all melty round the edges when I hear them. I took these pictures to remind myself of how the world could look on a good day.


Mrs L had a much needed break from the daily demands of maternity leave. The constant attention giving and inability to get anything done aside from feeding and changing, feeding and changing.

My parents visited and we went out for a pub lunch, followed by a wander around the grounds of a local manor.

It was a good weekend, but it was never going to last.

Like a metaphorical badger, The Creature has ushered in the new week with a wave of momentum stopping behaviour. Renewed commitment to exercising his lungs. A dedicated approach to pooing and weeing only once the nappy is off him and he has a clear shot at whichever parent is changing him. Suddenly deciding that, actually, he doesn’t like sleeping in a wrap.

I’m not complaining, but for the time being we’re going uphill again. Grinding the pedals and powering through. Relying on the memories of the weekend to make it through the week. Looking forward to the next stretch of freewheeling momentum, no matter how many soiled nappies, sleepless nights and vomit soaked babygros away it may be.

So, yeah, parenting. A bit like a bike ride, but less sweaty.

7 comments:

  1. Ah yes, they like to keep us on our toes! Just as soon as you think you've cracked it, they change again.

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    1. Ain't that the truth. Honestly, you'd think they'd want an easy life...

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  2. It is just as you describe. You think you've cracked it then in the next breath the rules have all changed and everything goes to pot! You're both sounding like seasoned parents already :)

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    1. Haha! Seasoned parents. Oh man, if only you could see the state of us :-)

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  3. I remember five weeks, every night we'd get into bed and talk about our mini achievements, which basically included 'we've kept him alive!' One day the Daddy found me in the kitchen crying uncontrollabley, he asked what was wrong, I said I didn't know. Think you do a great job of keeping your chin up and ability to form sentences! There's lots more freewheeling in your future!

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    1. Thanks, that does sound remarkably familiar!

      Chin's up, yes. I'm not so convinced about the sentences...

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  4. Those moments where you do something normal for once are amazing arent they? They take you to such a high and without them the slog of nappies and crying can really wear you down

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