When you are due.

On this day a year ago I was feeling very huge, very tired and very pregnant. I remember going to my midwife appointment and discussing potential labour inducing techniques. The midwife had said my little girl was posterior and not looking like coming any time soon. I went home and cried.

I had been waiting for this little life to come bursting out into the world for such a long time. One week later she arrived in a very unexpected way.

It's been a whole year since my baby was due to arrive and if I've learned one thing about being a mama since then it's that these lovely squishy little individuals just ain't that keen in any type of due date.

How many times have I said in my head or out loud,
It's time for your nap
It's time for you to eat
It's time for you to crawl
It's time for you to play nicely while mama puts the washing on/does the dishes/talks on the phone?

I think it would be easy of our little people worked like clockwork we could keep them like tamagotchis and feed, sleep and play with them all bundled into our schedule but how joyless would that be?!

My little girl does not pay attention to due dates or fit tightly into some schedule from a book because she is a person with emotions and needs and likes and dislikes. As much as it frustrates me to not know what I'm doing as a parent most of the time, I think I need to understand that my little girl is able to tell me the things she needs. And she's only going to get better at telling I just need to take the time to listen.