A New Year

Hurray -- a new year is upon us. As usual, I love the feeling of a fresh start (especially after the tumult of 2017).

Someone asked me if I have any new years resolutions this year. Typically I would have thought about resolutions, but this year I feel differently. Knowing that life will forever change in one month with the birth of our child, this year I am less interested in trying to "achieve" so much as I hope to grow and learn and just survive (i.e. sleep!) day-by-day in the journey of uncertainty that lies ahead.

While catching up with a friend last night (who is an anxious, type-A planner like myself), she asked whether or not it has been liberating to embrace the unknown around having a child. I think it has been for me already, particularly as I think about childbirth. After having attended childbirth education classes, hired a doula, and read many birth stories, I decided to stop reading about childbirth. It will be what it will be and at this point I feel done worrying about it. I've got a goal, I'm going to do the best that I can, and I'm not going to judge myself about whatever happens in the end.

While I've gotten to a place of feeling comfortable with my decisions around childbirth, I know that the gray areas that exist around parenting methods and styles will make it hard for me to feel confident in my decisions as a parent. Even when presented with thinking about circumcision -- the fact that the practice is neither recommended or discouraged by the American Pediatric Association is a scenario that surprised me; it's an individual choice... there isn't a medically "right" or "wrong" answer.

At a recent gathering of mothers that I admire, a theme that emerged was the importance of trusting your intuition as a parent. Every child is different, and learning to adapt and adjust expectations and advocate about what feels right for your individual child seems to be key. What a change it will be for someone like me, who always has a well-laid plan for the road ahead. It will be an incredible opportunity for us to become more in touch with what is really important to us and to use all of our collective resources to make it work.

One thing is for sure... I've never felt more excited on the first morning of a new year. This year, a truly awesome adventure awaits.