Commenting on Comments

Wow, I just have to comment on some of the wonderful comments I've received after my last post. I'm just amazed by all of the wonderful support I get from both people I know in real life and those from the bloggy world. It's so great to know that everything I'm going through is completely normal and that my adjustments that I'm facing are really quite universal. Sometimes I'm leery of sharing certain things for fear that others won't understand, or that some people may make judgments about what I share. However, I have a fantastic group of pals here who always let me know that I'm not alone, and I truly appreciate that. Leah, Fertilized, Delenn, Here I Am, Kelli and Laurie are all right here with me in the trenches reassuring me that things are going well. Chicklet, Janna, LJ, and Hope548 will be here with me in the trenches soon, and are so very supportive even while going through their own struggles. And Linda Luna, your kind words really meant a lot to me. I can't wait until you and Bob are back in Arizona for the winter.

I also had a commenter who may need some clarification on something I said. "Anonymous" wrote: Every experience with every child is different. It's o.k. for your experience to be different from many of your friends and acquaintances, but their stories and admonitions don't make them bad people. Relish the fact that your new baby has been easy and a joy and keep your fingers crossed that you're just as lucky the next time around.

First of all, I know that experiences with children differ, and that my experience may be different from some that I know. However, I am not at all bothered by stories from my friends and acquaintances. In fact, I gleam lots of helpful information from them, plus I really enjoy the stories. Admonitions I take with a grain of salt, simply because experiences and children are different. I never said, or implied, that those with different experiences who share stories and admonitions are "bad people". All I said was that I felt like my parade was being rained on when certain comments were made. What I didn't say, but maybe should have, is that after the journey we have traveled things like sleepless nights due to a real live baby aren't going to get me down too much. It's what we have been praying for and would give anything in the world to have. If we are lucky enough to have a "next time around" that is where the joy will come from . . . the fact that there is a "next time around". The joy won't come from having an easy baby, but rather from having a BABY, easy or not.

And now, here's another picture of our joy, along with one of his great-grandmas. Can you believe it, Andrew has 3 great-grandmas!