Ten Things I Think I Think About Parenting After Nine Months

Hello Friends and Family,

It is once again time for my monthly hot takes on parenting. As a reminder, each month for the first year of Mills’ life I am going to put some initial thoughts down about parenting in real time.

I might be completely wrong about some or all of these, but here’s where I am today after nine months.

Ten Things I Think I Think About Parenting After Nine Months

1. Daycare is a blessing, even if both parents don’t work. We have enjoyed Mills being in daycare for many reasons, but one reason is that it gives him a break from us and us a break from him.
   
   As much as we love him…he’s a lot. And if you know me…I’m a lot! It’s good for Mills to already be away from us for a few hours everyday. He’s making friends and learning how to be with other adults.

2. The world doesn’t stop spinning while you are trying to figure out how to be a parent. As many of you know, I am a trustee at Mars Hill University. Other than Colorado, there is no other place I love more than Western North Carolina.
   
   I didn’t know just how much I would miss being a short drive from Mars Hill when we moved to Denver. We are in the midst of a building project and I have missed all of the ground breaking ceremonies. Some of that is due to location, but a big part of it is the reality of parenting a nine month old!

3. You have to be intentional about your own interests and hobbies. If I wasn’t paying attention it would be pretty easy for me to devote all of my effort and energy to parenting Mills.
   
   I mean…he’s extraordinarily cute, who wouldn’t want to spend tons of time with him!! However, it is important that I indulge some of my own interests. Mills needs parents who are well rounded.
   
   Plus, I know Mills is going to want to ski with his friends and I have no interest in sitting around all day at a resort instead of skiing.

4. Babies are the best first thing in the morning. There is literally nothing on earth like snuggling a baby when you wake up.

5. At every turn you feel like a failure as a parent. This is especially true around feeding. From allergies to weight gain to aversions it seems like there are obstacles and challenges at every turn.
   
   I rarely feel like I can’t figure things out, but feeding…I feel like a big old failure.

6. There is no way to be present for everything. Courtney and I both have jobs. If we want to live indoors and have food and clothing, we have to work. This means we aren’t there for every moment and it means we will probably miss some milestones. That is a tough pill to swallow.

7. You won’t know when the “last” of anything will happen. All the more reason to enjoy each moment as it comes. Mills always had wild hair…until he didn’t. I’m so glad we enjoyed his wild hair when he had it.

8. I underestimated how nice it was to have a baby who wasn’t overly mobile. Mills is now full on crawling and very interested in electrical outlets, stairs, and Willow’s food bowl.
   
   The days of him quietly playing on the carpet are over.

9. There is so much joy in new experiences. Everything this year is a first, including seemingly mundane things like “Mills’ first trip to the mall.” It is so fun to see all these new things through Mills’ eyes.

10. There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. I was shocked at the number of people who were worried that Mills was in danger when we went snowshoeing.
    
    He was probably TOO warm; with so many layers. We got a foot of snow in our neighborhood and of course we went outside. Mills had on three layers and his beanie. He was just fine.
    
    If anything, I was the one in trouble because I was in a down jacket with wet snow and no shell!

It was such a great month leading up to Mills’ big 9 month birthday. My mom came to town for a few days and it was fun to be with her and do some Easter activities.

Until our next Adventure,

Austin, Courtney, Mills, and Willow

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