Thief

"Comparison is the Thief of Joy." - Theodore Roosevelt

I think that this is one of the most true statements I've heard.  When you're little, you want to have the best toy, the best grade or the latest bedtime and once someone has a better toy, grade or bedtime, you're jealous.
As you get older, you want to be the best at sports or go to the better college or get a better job with the higher salary or you want the best clothes or to take the best vacations.  You are perfectly satisfied with what you have until someone "one-ups" you.

And then you have a baby...from what I can tell so far in my short stint in motherhood, comparison in the realm of motherhood is a disaster.  
I can be okay being a working mom until I hear about how many of my friends are getting to be stay at home moms and then I start comparing the number of hours that I lose with my little one each day.
I think my child right on track doing exactly what she's supposed to as an almost 9 month old (sitting (reluctantly), scooting, army crawling, etc) until I see a video (oh social media!) of someone's 7 or 8 month old crawling.

Shame on me for my comparisons!  (Teachers of all people know that babies develop at such different rates...they're little people!) When we compare, the joy that we had turns into guilt and worry. 

So here's my goal: I want to spend my time with my little one (hopefully little ones someday) focused on them, not their friends, not my friends, but on them.  I want my joy to come from my time with them and my focus on them.  I will know that I am doing my best to love and raise them and at the same time, knowing that the are doing their best growing up. I think then I can steal all of my joy back and truly enjoy every moment with this sweet, perfect baby girl and any siblings that we may be blessed with later on.