Words With New Meanings

As I reflect on the past year of Callum's life as we approach month number 12, I've come to find new meaning to words associated with the first year of parenthood.

• Bottle: literal meaning according to Webster online: a rigid or semi rigid container typically of glass or plastic having a comparatively narrow neck or mouth and usually no handle. Bottle: meaning to a parent: the one thing that will calm a baby and in Callum's case, provide immediate quiet.
• Sleep: literal meaning: the natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored. Sleep: meaning to a parent: the one thing you crave and possibly miss the most after the baby arrives and in Callum's case, doesn't catch onto for a full 12 hours until 10 months of age.
• Food: literal meaning: material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy. Food: meaning to parent: substance that aids with sleep and comes in many forms including breast milk, formula, cereal, fruits, vegetables and eventually Gerber snacks which are so loved by babies but so expensive for their serving sizes per bag. In Callum's case, food often resides on his clothes and in his hair every time he eats, and we now invest in the large refill of Spray and Wash as opposed to the small bottle.
• Laughter: literal meaning: a cause of merriment. Laughter: meaning to a parent: one of the few things that makes them act stupidly in any situation just to hear this joyous sound come from their child. In Callum's case, he loves when we put things on our heads and make stupid faces, which we do on a daily basis.
• Love: literal meaning: strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties. Love: meaning to a parent: your heart now belongs to someone else.

My favorite quote concerning being a parent is by Elizabeth Stone who said "Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body". I now appreciate this quote when I look at Callum and reflect on the past year.