Women's Work

People like to say that being a mother is a full-time job, or the hardest job they ever had, or some variation on the two. As far as I can tell, motherhood is nothing like either of those things, because a fulltime job ends when you go home for the day, and even the hardest job I ever had didn't routinely wake me up at midnight and 4 a.m., and didn't require me to wipe anyone's ass.

The other day, after a particularly nice afternoon with Milo, I commented to Steven that I thought being a parent of a 3 month old was a little like having the playmate you always wanted as a kid (or at least one that I always wanted), someone who would play exactly the game you wanted when you wanted, and wouldn't argue with you about the rules. Steven pointed out that being a parent was nothing like that at all, because while it might seem that we were in charge, turthfully Milo was the one calling the shots. He's the one who says if it's time to go in the swing or if he's had enough of the activity mat or let's break for lunch (although of course at the moment it all just sounds like "waaah").

So really the best I can say right now is that being a parent, thus far, is an experience like no other. It's not like a job, it's not like having the perfect playmate. It's a range of highs and lows, it's an obsession, it's simultaneously amazing and ridiculous. And yesterday, when I returned home from a day-long business trip and went and peeked in on a sleeping Milo, I almost looked forward to visiting with him at 4a.m., when I knew he would look at me and think, "gee, I haven't seen you all day", and then turn and snuggle in close to my chest.