What little things about your baby give you the greatest joy?

[TwinklyGoldReader]

Friend of mine is expecting her first baby, everyone around her is of course telling her how hard and terrible/tiring it is- helpful!

She suffers with anxiety so is feeling very overwhelmed and of course she needs to know the realities. We all know it's damn hard work, but I'm wondering how you have found joy in the little things?

Will share the thread with her if I get any responses x

What a great idea and lovely thing to do for your friend, OP.
Without a doubt the best thing for me is the smiles. Seeing his little face light up when he sees me is just incredible. Then come the giggles, when you find something that makes them laugh and you'd sit there all day doing it just to hear that laugh.
Seeing them learn a new skill - the pride you feel for them is off the charts!
When they start to get really interactive with you, when he locks eyes with me and babbles away in his own little language as if we're making perfect sense to one another. Its beautiful.
Sitting reading a book or playing with a toy and seeing his eyes widen with excitement.
When we're with other family or friends and he's in someone else's arms he still scans the room for me making sure I'm still there. You are their safe space and that is just the best feeling.

There are just so many incredible moments for your friend to look forward to. Block out the negativity. Every baby is so different and of course they all have their moments, but the good outweighs the bad by a long shot. I've realised that people just love to tell the negative stories🤦🏼‍♀️

I love the quiet moments when I’m feeding her and she just stares into my eyes, how her little pudgy hand grips my finger, and her just falling asleep on my chest so I can take in her smell and kiss the top of her little head. And that’s just the baby phase, there’s so many beautiful moments at every stage. I remember one mum friend musing on how it was that most love songs are based on romantic love when really the greatest love is undoubtedly that for your child, and I completely agree.

The thing that really surprised and delighted me was that both my children were distinct, individual people right from the start. I had an emergency c-section for my first and, after all the checks had been done, a nurse put her by my head and we looked at each other, and I remember thinking HELLO! I wasn’t prepared for it at all, and it more than made up for all the screaming.

For when they're tiny - just holding them when they're sleeping, snuggled into you and knowing youre the only thing in the world they need, the absolute centre of their universe - everything else can wait.

Currently with DD2 who's 14 months, the absolute joy and happiness on her face when she's trying to communicate something and you figure out what it is. And having little nonsense chats when they start babbling.

Thank you all so much for your lovely replies. It's made me feel all the emotions reading them and I'm sure they'll be very reassuring to my friend!

When they're tiny, they like to fold themselves back up like they're still in the womb. You can hold them asleep against your chest and they are just so SMALL.

When they're bigger, they do adorable things like blow raspberries on your neck 💕

Mine is nearly 2 now and the feeling you get when they run into to your arms, smiling and shouting 'mummy!!' is just the best thing ever. All of the smiles and cuddles and giggles make up for all of the hard bits.

That, my first baby after a MC and a divorce and another marriage later, is my absolute pride.

You go through hell, never think you'll sleep again, never think you'll reach the other side, never mind the baby!

Suddenly, they're 26yrs old, have achieved so much, own their own home with an amazing partner and then you think, 'how did that happen, I was only burping them on my shoulder last week and changing their nappy?!'

It goes fast. So fast. Enjoy every minute, even the early hours of the night minutes that seem like hours and hours. But I actually treasure those memories, me and DC, middle of the night, just us awake, me BF, sigh. Then POOF! You're 53 and they're long gone!