The business of parenting; what I have learned thus far.

What does it mean to be a parent? Does it mean to provide shelter, clothing, food? At the very least. Does it extend to love and protection? Of course. Even further, does it require patience, understanding, and acts of selflessness? Hopefully so.
True parenting requires each of these and much, much more. Your child should be your number one priority. That isn't to say you shouldn't take care of yourself too, for in doing so you also take care of your child. And that isn't to say that the needs of your spouse should be put aside, for that would do your child no good. What I mean to say is that children are in the greatest need of care at any moment. Their aches and pains, misgivings, boredoms, and tantrums are unscheduled and require the utmost attention and in a reasonable amount of time. Their schedule for learning is well, quite disorganized. You must be able to put everything aside at the drop of a hat when you become a parent. This makes your child your number one priority. It is not a job for the uptight, the rigid, or the self pleasing.
This is what I have learned about parenting over the past 8 months.

Cough, Cough, Sniff, Sniff

There should be a natural law that babies are never sick. Little Jareth has been puny all week. Bless his heart, he has been coughing so hard he gags. He isn't sleeping well which means mommy and daddy aren't sleeping well and he isn't very interested in eating. It makes me feel helpless not to be able to make him feel better. I worried so much over him while he was in my tummy and now it seems that it was the safest place for him to be. So now I can only hold him close and hope he feels better soon.