October 3, 2023: My Grandchild, Tough Mothers（孫とたくましい母親）

It has been about 3 weeks since my grandchild came to live with me. She is growing fast and becoming more expressive with her eyes wide open. I do not know what or where she is looking, but she seems to be able to see her surroundings. She spends most of her day sleeping, sometimes sleeping sprawled out on the bed. When she is awake, however, she streches out her arms and moves her legs as if she kicked. What she does or how she looks like always makes me happy.
Recently, she wakes up every two hours at night, crying and asking for milk. As soon as she begins to cry at midnight, her grandmother jumps out of bed, makes some milk and gives it to her mother. Then, her mother gives it to the baby. It is very hard to make and give her milk very often at night. So they both look tired from the lack of sleep. Nevertheless, I do not have anything to help them. I have no choice but to wait and see. How tough and strong are the mothers!
In particular, I am surprised to see how tough the grandmother, my wife, is. She is tougher than the baby's mother. As soon as the baby begins to cry, she jumps out of bed at once at any time and rushes to the baby. Then, she plays with the baby for a while and begins to make milk. But sometimes, she may have to cradle her in the crook of her arms for a few hours at night. She is as tough as when she raised her daughter.
When they raise their babies, mothers have and use another power that could never be seen without their babies. They seem to charge the new energy for their babies as soon as they get their babies.

　孫が我が家に来て約３週間になります。すくすくと育ってくれています。目をパッチリ開き、表情も豊かになってきました。何を、どこを見ているかはわかりませんが、周りの様子が見えてきたようです。一日の大半は寝ています。時には、ベッドで大の字になって寝ている時もあります。起きている時は、両手を広げ、キックしているかのように足を動かしています。孫のしぐさや様子を見ているだけで、うれしくなります。
最近では、夜に２時間おきに目を覚まし、泣きながらミルクを要求します。真夜中に泣き始めると、おばあちゃんが飛び起き、ミルクを作り、娘に渡します。娘はそれを孫に与えています。夜中に何度もミルクを作り与えるのは大変です。二人とも、寝不足で疲れ気味です。でも、ボクは何もできません。残念ながら、静観しているしかありません。母親の逞しさと強さに驚いています！
　特に、ボクの妻であるおばあちゃんの逞しさに驚きです。孫のお母さんよりたくましいです。孫が泣き出すと、いつでも飛び起き、孫のところに駆けつけます。そして、少しあやした後、ミルクを作り始めます。時には、数時間にわたって、孫を抱いてあやすこともあります。娘を育てていた時と変わらないくらいの逞しさです。
　お母さんは、赤ちゃんを育てる時、通常ではみられない力を発揮します。赤ちゃんが生まれると、新しいエネルギーを充電するのです。