One and a half years of being a mother

Neli Mesyova
4 min readOct 29, 2020
Photo taken on October 10th 2020 by a very dear friend of mine Reni Dimova.

In just a few days from now my daughter will turn one year and six months. I consider this another big milestone on our journey as a mother and daughter.

In this article I will share with you what has been remarkable for the past six months and why I find it important to write down and share my experience with you (my article CELEBRATING ONE YEAR OF BEING A MOTHER covers the period before that).

A parent or not, I am sure you can find some useful insights in this article, so if in doubt, just give it a chance 😉

I honestly cannot believe how much my daughter has grown and developed during the past six months:

  • She has been practicing walking since she was about 8 months old and started walking on her own around her first birthday.
Photo taken on October 7th 2020
  • She started talking (saying words such as mama, papa) and making short sentences such as: “Who is that?, “Come with me”. Both in Bulgarian and in Dutch.
  • She can perform simple tasks such as bring me her shoes, lift her arm/leg, throw away garbage in the garbage bin.
  • She recognizes animals and can imitate their sounds.
  • She recognizes songs and melodies and she is even signing them in her own way.
  • She started eating and drinking on her own, holding the spoon and the glass like she has always known how to do it.
  • When she is proud of something she has accomplished, she demands everyone in the room to cheer and clap to her achievement.

For one and a half years we still haven’t found the secret for a regular and uninterrupted sleep: some nights she falls asleep on her own and sometimes she needs me to calm her down and falls asleep in my arms or next to me. Sometimes she sleeps through the night, sometimes we both end up sleeping on the couch.

I am trying to enjoy each moment (pleasant or challenging) as I keep on reminding myself that before I know it she will become a big girl who will no longer need me by her side. I might regret the chances I have had to be there for her when she needed me.

What did I learn?

Being a mother is a challenging and responsible job. Being a working mom is a whole different level of challenge, especially when you work full-time.

Each minute of the day I try to plan my actions as efficiently as possible — I finish a client call and run to pick up my daughter from daycare. Once at home, I am in a hurry to prepare dinner or play a bit with her before my next call starts again.

It’s a daily challenge to find time for taking a shower, doing sports, let alone reading a book or writing. It requires a lot of dedication and discipline to book successes in the above areas.

Yet I must admit that being a mother does become easier and more pleasant. Some actions and situations have repeated enough times that at one point you just know how to react, how to dress your child, approximately how much she would eat.

The most fulfilling part of this period is the expanding ability for communication. The hugs, the kisses, the more interactive games and the increased level of understanding create a bond that feels stronger than the one we had before.

What’s in it for you?

We often say we realize that time flies but do we really take the time to look back and reflect?

The reason I find it important to write down all these experiences and observations is because I know how quickly I forget.

During the past month I was talking to a colleague of mine whose wife was expecting and I shared with him my articles for first time parents. I knew that I would forget quickly but I was surprised to read my own articles and realize how much I have already forgotten from my pregnancy and the first months of motherhood.

Writing helps me remember and relive how I felt at a certain moment in time. Who know it might help you, too.

Dear (new) parents,

Think about what is currently occupying your children’s attention:

What are their interests, obsessions, hobbies, challenges, dreams?

Dear non-parents,

For those of you who are expecting, looking forward to having children one day or are happy where you are the way you are, see this article as an opportunity to reflect on yourself and everything that is happening in your life right now:

What is occupying your mind?

What do you consider your priorities?

What are your hobbies, challenges, dreams?

You might want to write these down before you forget as the next phase is probably already knocking on the door.

Every age and life phase has its own learnings and challenges. It would be a pity to miss out the opportunity to sit back, look around, listen to your thoughts and surroundings and reflect before we the moment passes.

Image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/522839837972893003/

Related articles

THE FIRST MONTH OF MOTHERHOOD

FOUR HANDY TIPS FOR FIRST TIME PARENTS

A MOTHER IS MADE, NOT BORN

CELEBRATING ONE YEAR OF BEING A MOTHER

Originally published at http://nelimesyova.com on October 29, 2020.

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Neli Mesyova

Next to my full time job as a Project manager in an IT company, I love reading and writing about self-improvement and life lessons. Blog: nelimesyova.com