Parent Writing

I'm reading the book Parenting While Writing by Ben Berman. In the essay I just read he shares of his interaction with another writer at a writing conference. She asks what poem he is working on and he tells her it is about his infant daughter's first fully-formed poop and how excited he was to see it he called over his wife and told her to take a picture.

The child-free fantasy writer slowly backed away from him with a disgusted, wide-eyed look, but I nodded in understanding.

When Monkey was born, I had a small pink spiral bound notebook where I tracked every wet and dirty diaper she produced. I was so desperate to make sure I did not get parenting wrong, I thought data could save me. When I showed Gina the notebook on a visit, she patted my arm with a loving smile and reassured me that I was doing just fine as a parent.

I still tracked for awhile. Everything is so new and overwhelming with that first baby. I wanted to get it just right.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn't going to get it "just right." I wasn't Goldilocks and the children weren't the 3 bears. But I pray I got it "just right enough."

I didn't track much of anything with #2 and #3. I trusted that it would all work out. Based on who they are, it's more than worked out. It's been just right.