Issue # 8

growing, together

My kid is signing back. I can't explain the excitement I feel.

We’ve been signing to him since he was three months old, and now, at seven months, he signs for milk!!!! And it is, honestly, incredible.

Watching him go from a sleepy, snuggly potato to someone who grabs things, drinks on his own, makes decisions, and now communicates? It’s wild. It’s joyful. It feels like we’re getting to know each other in a new way. I’m not just guessing what he needs anymore. He’s telling me.

And then there was this other moment.

One day, I was tired, sick, and upset. My son was in my lap, and I burst into tears. The real kind, not quiet, not subtle. Just everything spilling out.

He stopped. He looked at me. Then he leaned in and hugged me.

He leaned back, saw I was still crying, and hugged me again. And then came the soft coos, the little hand reaching out, as if trying to stroke my face.

I don’t know exactly what he understood in that moment. But something in him shifted. Something made him pause and respond. And it floored me.

Not because I think he fully grasped what was happening.
But because it was his idea to reach for me.

It wasn’t a milestone. It wasn’t a skill we practiced. It was just… connection. Real and unexpected.

And I keep thinking about it.

This tiny person who has relied on me for everything, suddenly offering something back. Maybe comfort, maybe curiosity. Maybe just presence.

Whatever it was, it reminded me: this relationship is growing. Not just in what he can do, but in how we’re beginning to relate to each other in new, significant ways.

Remembering who I am outside of parenthood

Parenthood is hard. And sometimes, it’s all-consuming. The days blur. The to-do list never really ends. But lately, having a little project just for me has helped me remember who I am outside of being a new mom.

I’ve been painting with watercolours.

Nothing elaborate, just a daily 10-15 minute practice during nap time, a small 5x5 square, something simple. Some days it’s messy. Some days I love what I make. Some days I don’t. But it doesn’t really matter.

The joy is in the making. The experimenting. The feeling of creating something from nothing. It’s a small thing, but it’s mine.

But it's nice.

Till next week,

Aurooba