It’s mom confession time, I desperately need a toddler refresher course! This may come as a surprise since I have successfully navigated the toddler phase not once but twice. And by successfully, I mean we all made it out alive. I’m not going to lie but there may or may not have been lots of chocolate involved with the whole toddler situation. My eldest child recently entered the world of teen-dom and my husband and I thought that would be a greaaaat time to go all the way back to having a toddler in the house as well. If you haven’t guessed, we’re a little unconventional when it comes to spacing out our children. Our first born is 13 years old, our middle child is 8 years old and our newest addition is 2 years old!
When my husband and I sat down to have what I call “the talk,” we decided that we were going to add a plus one to our Krause party of four. Adoption has always held a special place in our hearts so it seemed like the natural next step for us. After a lot of paperwork, educational courses, mounds of books, numerous care packages, countless prayers, lots of tears of frustration and 22 long months, we are finally at the point where we will travel internationally to bring our son home this month. Oh, the feelings being felt right now!
When thinking about welcoming our son home, I am initially excited. However, sometimes a bit of panic can set in. Let’s face it, it’s been awhile since we’ve had tiny feet running around our home. Just as a new mom to-be may worry about how to care for their precious infant, I too have a little worry. All the what-ifs start to swirl around in my mind. Having a two-year-old is one thing but thinking about helping that child adjust to a whole new world and way of life on top of that is a bit over-whelming at times.
In the grand scheme of things, it really hasn’t been that long since we were in the throes of the toddlerhood with our older two children. So, why does it all seem like such a blur now? I mean when the heck did they officially become potty trained? When did they finally stop waking in the night? When did my daughter really relinquish her beloved binkie? And what are all of those age appropriate milestones again…? It’s times like these that I really wonder if anyone out there is offering toddler 101 tutoring of some sort. Maybe some cliff notes? Help a mother out.
I know that it may take a little time, but my husband and I will eventually figure out our rhythm as toddler parents once again. And thankfully, I know that we have a great support system to help us through it all. If you happen to be part of that support system, you may bring me chocolate at any time. Please and thank you. During the times when I’m feeling like I may not be equipped to go back to being a toddler mom, I remember what my fellow contributor said in her post about mom confidence aka mom-fidence. We as moms should be confident in our ability to care for and nurture our children. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going in this with confidence in my ability as a mama. Wish me luck!
