Benjamin is almost 9 months now, and I swear we woke up at the beginning of this month and he's just... bigger. And looks more like a little human. Just not really a baby anymore. And, surprise!! We are officially crawling! This started a couple nights before Halloween, but we have been busy visiting friends and family, but also being busy with, you know, a 100% mobile baby. It's actually been more fun and less terrifying than I was expecting, but ask me again once he is walking (which will be soon!)
When Benjamin isn't eating or sleeping, he has mostly been turning me into his personal jungle gym. Lots of climbing and exploring to do! He's also very aware of where the door is and how to get to it. He has also just gotten three teeth on top, so now we're up to five! How??? An even better question would be how did we ever get so lucky? He's such a chill, happy boy and he makes even the worst days enjoyable.
There are certain times of the year that are a bit harder for me, these past couple months being a part of that. But at the same time, this time of year is always like a new year in itself to me. The beginning of fall and the start of changing in seasons always feels slow, giving me time to take to reflect on the cocoon that was currently surrounding me. As October passes I can feel myself beginning to work on breaking out of it's limitations. At this point I become way more in tune with myself and can then wash the excess off.
You may be wondering how this is even possible when my now crawling child has just gone threw a huge growth spurt, aka we have to recreate a consistent schedule, on top of taking care of my fur children and helping Benjamin's great grandmother and her pets, my day is not as relaxing and full of free time as you would expect.
The easiest way for me to plan my day is first prioritize by what needs the most of my attention, Benjamin, and I honestly just let him show me in his behavior and mood what he wants to do. That way he eats well when he's hungry, which is most of the time, he gets well rested when he's tired, and in turn this makes him less fussy and makes our schedule a smooth routine quickly. After that, I use his solo playtime as time to prepare for our day, and nap times are the crucial time for getting anything important accomplished, for example a shower! Food! And my newest addition, a daily ten minute period of meditation to bring clarity and calm to my chaos of to do lists and sometimes overwhelming mind.
~ ~ ~ ~
Looking back on this post, I've noticed that Benjamin is not the only one who has conquered milestones of their own. I'm proud of myself for that. Sometimes I get so caught up in taking care of everyone else that I forget that I need to take care of myself too. I hope this can be a reminder for anyone out there who's a parent or maybe just has someone who relies on you, that you have to take care of you first. You are important too <3
