Until actually getting close enough to touch something, all you can see is its outline; all you know are rumors.
Before we traveled to India, people gushed about the colors, smells, history, and animals we would encounter… but it wasn’t until we were standing right there in the middle of New Delhi, sucking in the thick, scented air, hearing honks scream, and ogling the street monkeys (monkeys?!) that I began to “get” India. Flickers of what people said proved true, but there was so much more that we could only understand by traveling to the country ourselves!
Now Colin and I have suddenly traveled to the land of New Baby. We (Us?! Really?!) are parents. PARENTS! Before entering this new world, we heard floods of advice. “Sleep whenever the baby sleeps!” people commanded, and, “Parenting is the toughest job you’ll ever love.” But nothing could prepare us for what it would be like to actually be here, raising Devi ourselves. WOW.
Last night Devi was up every single hour, screaming the equivalent of, “Oh my Gawd, I am STARVING and have never eaten anything before and must consume milk immediately or I will explode!” Now, no previous rumors could have prepared me for the fact that it wasn’t so bad to cuddle and feed our child all those hours. No one could fully explain the bliss of rubbing my cheek against our baby’s silky soft forehead! And yet, the exhaustion level and unending pace of a new baby are beyond imagination as well. The rumors were true, but the richness of reality around them can only be tasted by experience.
The difference between being on the outside of an experience versus being in it reminds me of trying to guess what Devi would be like from feeling his kicks and squirms while he was inside my womb. Just as we only knew the outlines of India before actually traveling there, Colin and I could only feel the confusing edges of Devi before he emerged. Perhaps you saw the video of our baby’s crazy dancing while he was inside my womb. Well, the whole time Devi was inside, I’d feel a knobby knob on the right side of my tummy during every dance. Colin and I would wonder: Was that our baby’s foot? Elbow? Shoulder? Once Devi was born, however, it was so clear: That knob was his tiny knee! I didn’t suspect because I didn’t realize that knees could be so sweet and tiny. Outlines and preconceptions can only be fleshed out by the in-person touch of experience.
This is all to say, learning, reality, and life are hands-on. We can sit around hemming and hawing about whether or not to do something based on rumors and outlines, or we can hop on that plane and take the flight to find out! (Disclaimer: That sentence is to persuade people to travel, not to have babies without extremely strong support systems. This baby raising thing is no joke!)
So what about you? When you’ve gone from the outside to actually experiencing something, what did you recognize from the rumors and the outlines? Which of your preconceptions and guesses were true, and which were way off? Do share!
Now if you’ll excuse me, our little ruler is insisting he is starving again, though his triple chin suggests otherwise…
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Cheryl Howard says
Lovely article! And he’s so adorable. :)
Larissa says
Cute little guy–tell us about the name Devi–it’s so unusual (and I’m kind of partial to unusual names!)
Lillie says
Ah yes! It’s a combination of the names of our beloved brothers: Mine is David (Davy) and Colin’s is Evan (Evvie)!
Terry at Overnight New York says
You’re so right. Having a baby will transport you to worlds you never knew existed. And the journey goes on and on and on. Congratulations on your new — and very cute — little traveler.
Mary @ Green Global Travel says
He’s gorgeous and you have done an amazing job of describing both the intense love and wild exhaustion of new parenthood!
Travelogged says
Great piece! It really is a whole new world!
Cat of Sunshine and Siestas says
Wise words. You’ve spent so many years caring and inspiring your students, and I’m sure the little nugget will be no different. Enjoy him!!!
gabi (gabiklaf) says
omg he’s perfect in every way, every way! thank you for sharing and awwwww, almost, almost makes me want to have another one. hugs to you all, gabi
Sophie says
Lovely little boy. Congratulations :)
Hogga says
So cute!
Elle says
Ooh… I’ve not been about much the last couple of weeks so missed the birth. Congratulations love! The photos are amazing.
So pleased for you.
“Nugget” is simply gorgeous xxxxxxx
Estes says
From the realm of don’t know ’til you get there…, you begin to discover how much you were loved.
Lillie says
SO TRUE!!! Huuuuge new appreciation of my parents!
Jill says
Wow, congratulations. Your life will never be the same again. I don’t normally post links, but I thought you might enjoy this. i wrote it about the parallels journeys of travel and baby raising.
http://www.goinganyway.net/2012/03/11/traveling-is-like-being-a-baby/
(feel free to remove if you want) Anyway, congrats!!
Nicole says
Yes, it is amazing! Wait until your first trip, then the trips after :) Each time you’ll learn something new and we learned quickly that it was important to take things slow.
Congrats, he is adorable.
wanderingeducators says
True!! Once you experience something new (like being a mom!), you can never go back. Same with travel. He’s SO CUTE!!
Shan Shan says
He is adorable!!! For the millionth and third time, congrats Lillie and Colin! Big hugs all around! Devi has no clue how incredibly lucky he is to have you two to call his mom and dad.
Shan Shan says
Sorry. Admittedly got carried away with baby pics and ignored your question. Experience vs. rumor: off the top of my head–example of when I traveled to China. Being Chinese-American, people often said I act very “American” and very “white” (said in Chinese so translation doesn’t really hold up). I’d just roll my eyes. Last year, I went to China for about a month. Realized I related to and acted according to my American culture MUCH MORE than I do my Chinese heritage. Had to experience Chinese culture IN China to really get that. Now when people say I act very American, I just laugh and agree.