A thing called motherhood !

In a not -too-distant memory, I still see myself holding my baby for the very first time, a small little bundle of joy, a baby girl, swaddled in a blanket , sucking her thumb vigorously. From where I was looking, I could see a very upright nose and red rosy lips ( all those cherries I had gorged on during pregnancy had to show their result somewhere) and little did I know that my life was heading for a 360 degree turn from that very moment.
             I embarked upon a journey called motherhood with a shaky start, anxious moments, heap of nerves , with a wardrobe crisis always surfacing from time to time. Colic pains, vaccinations, endless diaper changes, sleepless nights often filled with a tuneless lullaby took the better of me. It was a time when rattles and squeaky toys took over from cell phones and laptops and 'Johnsons' and 'pears' were the only brand I could relate with. ' An oil massage-a hot bath-a good feed- and the baby sleeps' sounded easier than it was. Most baby Bibles forgot to mention that babies had a mind of their own. I slept when the baby slept, ate when the baby slept and did whatever I had to when the baby slept. Even a trip to the toilet would seem like taking a trek to the Himalayas on some days. Gosh ! What happened to my identity ? But the very  moment the sleeping baby stirred, I found myself rushing to her side , pulling the sheets over her and  patting her back to sleep. She was my whole world and there was no denying that and maybe she was my identity . I would'nt have it any other way.
        The baby grew into a toddler soon and the days seemed endless. Her first step, her first fall, her first word, they are still so fresh in my mind. Those laundry piles and clutter all around. I was neck deep into trouble running all around. Soon it was first day of school, books and bag, stage performances, non stop chatter and numerous questions, defiant looks, dresses with matching clips and shoes. It was actually so nice to have a girl in the house. The days went by without there ever being a dull moment in my life. There were days when I used to be spinning like a top from morning to night and enjoying every bit of it too.
And then before I knew it, somewhere playing  amidst ladybugs, balloons and butterflies, my little girl grew and today she is a young lady ( if I can call her that ) She is a  lovely person full of love and compassion. What I love most about her is her love for animals . She loves to feed stray animals  and talks of making a home for all of them one day. Amen to that !
     So that is how kids grow and a thing called motherhood never really ends. I look forward to a new stage in her life and though we love to say that time really flies, it never does for a mother. Only she knows the headaches and the heartaches involved in child raising but then it is full of moments of joy and pride. After all, being a mother is a life-changing and life- enhancing experience :)
      My little girl ( my little she) turned 10 just  a couple of days back and as always I planned a nice party for her and her friends . I go a little over board while planning her birthday parties but then that's how I like it. These little things done in their 'wonder' years help them to cherish the moments which later on become good memories. We had a butterfly themed party for her this year. It was a simple theme where you don't have to go over the top with the budget and quite a sweet one too. Most of the things were DIY where we could just get creative with simple butterfly cut outs and that's exactly what we did.
      Will be sharing the pics of the party in my next post :) Till then................keep those dreams alive !