My New Job

I really don't know how long this post will be. It's 11 pm. I don't feel like sleeping, which I should do, or taking a shower, which I should also do. My husband is burning the midnight oil, diligently studying some foreign language. Probably Hebrew. My son has been asleep for the last three hours. I know I'm going to have to wake up in about 4 hours to change his diaper, so I should be getting to bed as soon as possible, but there's just something in me that won't allow it.

"How do you like being a mom?" I feel like I've been asked that a lot lately. I usually say something like, "I love it!" or "It's fantastic." They feel like such generic responses, but I genuinely do love it, and it genuinely is fantastic! I don't know that any woman has ever answered that question any other way. Things have gotten much easier than in the early weeks. Cal is on a great schedule that works with our daily routines. Between my mom and mother-in-law, I have babysitting available 24/7. He's sleeping about 10-11 hours through the night (minus a routine diaper change in the middle and the occasional pacifier demand). And he's cuter than I had predicted him to be!

He has started to laugh a lot. He's happy to see me each morning when I come to his crib to greet him. He loves watching Veggie Tales (for about 20 minutes. He's still just a baby.) He has started to show the early stages of teething. He's still cute even when he drools! How is that possible?! He has started to respond to instruction. That's one of the coolest things of all!

As great as all of these things are, they are not exclusively what makes me love my new role as "Mommy." You know what I love most about being a mom? The influence. I get this person for about two decades to instruct, raise, shape and influence. No one else can do what I do for this little guy. I have been given the opportunity to share my life and give of myself to a tiny person who needs everything done for him. Sometimes, I get to receive a toothless grin as payment for services rendered. Later, I get to set a foundation on which he gets to grow -- a foundation that will be with him for the rest of his life! I get to love him. I get to be the first person he loves! That blows my mind away! Sergio and I get to be the first example of the love between man and wife to him. I get to be the first example of Christ's love to people. No one else can do those things for him like I can.

There can be nothing more fulfilling or rewarding than motherhood. I refuse to believe there is. With that said, I'm so thankful that I have the opportunity to do it full-time without the demands of another job. Given this job's importance, endless demands, and my unique giftedness to meet them, why would I want to be anywhere else but home? There's very little out there that requires more of a sacrifice. But there's also nothing out there that offers a reward that even pales in comparison to the glorious rewards of motherhood.