This week was so wonderful and so crazy! A dear friend, La, had a baby, and I got to take care of her two-year-old, Gooner, while she and her husband were away giving birth.
I love this friend's little girl. I LOVE HER. (I also really love my friend.) And I really do enjoy two-year-olds because they're so busy learning and busy in general. They're also adorable. So I was pretty excited to spend a few days with this little girl.
Let me tell you, I LOVED taking care of Gooner. The days with her weren't without their bumps, but they were really, really special. They were also incredibly eye-opening. It's not that I didn't know the things I discovered, it's that I didn't really understand what they meant.
For instance:
Discovery happens all the time, and sometimes adult schedules need to change for children's schedules so further learning (and fun) can take place. Also, thinking outside the box and coming up with creative ways to do things is a must. I surprised myself with my ability to come up with solutions.
Bedtime and wake-up time are hard when mom and dad are not there and you miss them. Really, heartbreakingly hard. Sometimes tears are required, or in the words of Gooner, "I just need to cryyyyyy."
Sick little kids noses run ALL THE TIME! Readying a home for the arrival of a new baby meant some serious laundry and scrubbing to eliminate snotty residue from almost every surface within Gooner's reach.
If I got tired, too bad. If she was awake, so was I. Also, since I was worried about her having trouble breathing I slept really, really lightly. I hadn't learned "her" sounds, so every sound was a potential crisis. It's sort of funny now, of course, but it was very serious at the time. I cannot wait to "learn" my own child's sounds someday, though the lack of sleep isn't quite as exciting.
Desperate prayers for a tired child to go to sleep are no longer something I scoff at. I sent up quite a few.
Nothing was more precious than deciphering Gooner's words to discover that she was praying over and over "Thank you for Mommy & Daddy," as she sat in the dark fighting off sleep.
Walking around and running errands with a child is so much more difficult, but it's also more socially enjoyable when they are well-behaved and happy. Since Gooner is adorable and well-behaved, I received SO MANY MORE smiles from random strangers this week than I have in years! They were also much more helpful. (Also, getting to tell random sales clerks that Gooner was about to be a big sister only made them more helpful and friendly.) It was really fun. I'm considering renting a kid who will hold my hand every time I need to run errands from now on.
Most kids LOVE animals. Gooner is no exception.
I. HATE. "Caillou." With. A. Fiery. Passion.
Once you have a child, you will NEVER be alone. This is perhaps the best and worst part of childcare. I kept thinking how blessed my friend was to get to spend so much time with such a special little girl, but there were times when I realized that that also meant I (she) couldn't just hop in the car and go somewhere. All issues and fun times were MINE to deal with.
In closing, I have been so blessed to share a part of my friend's journey as her family expands. Thank you, La & Q, for allowing me to be part of this particular moment.
