Mom says her daughter’s birth eased her fears about raising a child
Before having her child, Lindsay Wenzel was not concerned with the number of speed bumps, parks or schools in her neighborhood. These days, it’s a top priority.
“I remember when they started putting in the speed bumps,” the new mother said of the dozens that stretch across the family’s small neighborhood. “I remember thinking, ‘What the hell?’ Now I want them to put in more.”
It is that classic shift in thought having a child brings, from me to us and I to we.
Wenzel and her husband, Lucky Wenzel, 29 and 30 respectively, put off having a baby for years.
There was always one more home improvement project to finish, one more vacation to take, one more career move to make.
Their daughter Maruapula was born Feb. 15. Her name is a combination of three words that in the African nation of Botswana — Lucky’s birthplace — mean “clouds of rain,” a good omen in a desert.
After the new parents brought their newborn home, the fears seemed to melt away, replaced by a new set of concerns, such as speed bumps.
“Having her focused us more,” said Lucky Wenzel, a professional photographer whose work can be found in a number of downtown spots . “Decisions that were easy to make before carry more weight : what we eat , how we spend ou r time , where we live.”
The couple said they are learning as much as their daughter.
“I constantly talk to her. It is amazing to me how much she is taking in,” Lindsay said. “I thought it was weird seeing mothers in the store, talking to their toddler. Now I am.”
Before the birth, she said she read nearly every “baby book” she could get her hands on.
“I researched everything, even schools,” she said.
Lindsay, a Denver native, and Lucky said they are adjusting to the new way of life.
“I’ve learned to just surrender to the process,” Lindsay said. “I don’t do much scheduling anymore. When she wants to play, I stop and play.”
Fortunately, she added, her parents and her husband’s parents live in Las Vegas and have been more than helpful, she said.
The couple’s parents have helped with everything from buying groceries the first week home to advising Lindsay on what to bring along when taking Maruapula on errands.
“What do you take?” she said, laughing about the first mommy-daughter outing. “I tried to take her whole room.”
The parents have plenty of time to plan their daughter’s education, save for college and petition their home owners association for more speed bumps, but for now, the couple said they are simply taking in the joys of having a baby.
Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Nolan Lister at nlister@viewnews.com or 702-383-0492.
