I absolutely cannot believe that our little critter is just two weeks away from being a whole year old. She has taught Chad and I so much and it is truly a joy to be her mother. If it is even possible to sum up a year in a blog post, I’m not so sure. Because there were days I thought we would never make it this far, and now, looking back, it went too fast. I wish I could have bottled up some of those moments and bring them right back to me. But, time keeps on ticking and I have learned to enjoy each moment because before you know it, another moment is happening and memories can only be made here and now.
Some things I have learned in no particular order:
1. There should be support groups for babies with reflux and colic. Seriously.
2. Babies are individuals from the moment they make their appearance. Who knew? I think I gave myself way too much credit as a parent before I became one, ha! I quickly realized that I can only guide and direct, and the good Lord did the creating.
3. Breastfeeding is hard, and takes extreme dedication. I may never run a marathon, but making it this far is like running through the big yellow ribbon at the end with arms raised (insert several fist pumps).
4. Good parenting is hard. Persistence is key. There is no easy button or shortcuts if you want to avoid visiting them in prison.
5. Above persistence seems easy theoretically, but sometimes you just want to . Fill in the blank (sleep, have peace and quiet, get on with life, go to the restroom, be yourself, runaway, jump off a cliff, take a shower, etc.)
6. It is really, really hard not to laugh when your child is being disobedient. I don’t know that I will ever figure this one out, but I am pretty sure once that sweet innocence wears off it will become much easier, at which point I will be writing “It is really hard not to throw children through the wall when they are disobedient.”
7. It takes approximately five days before child’s father recognizes that child’s mother is looking and now smelling rather peculiar and may or may not need a shower.
8. Being a stay at home mom is not at all what it looks like in the movies. I got lots more kudos in the workplace, less messy, and a paycheck. But, the benefits here are pretty much priceless and this gig has been such a growing experience for our family.
9. The sound of a baby saying “momma” is hands down better than any of Beethoven's masterpieces. Now when she is sixteen and using a sarcastic tone, probably sounds like nails on a chalkboard. But, for now it’s bliss and I can’t get enough of it.
10. Things I do now determine if my children will be living in my basement/asking for money in 25 years, and not challenging children to be independent equals a not so happy retirement for me. The pressure is on, and just to clarify, (for now) my standards remain higher than not having kids living in my basement when they are old enough to buy a case of beer. And, we don’t have a basement. Just to clarify.
11. “They grow up too fast” never made sense until now. I remember putting those little tiny plastic dinosaurs in the bathtub before bed and waking up to a life sized reptile in the morning. Babies are pretty much the same as those toys from the 80’s. I just looked up one day and my little girl is walking and talking politics. (She’s conservative in case you were wondering.)
12. Grandparents, disposable diapers, and car rides are all gifts from God.
13. I should have slept more pre-baby.
14. I would never, ever, ever, hack it as a single mom. Ever.
15. My baby’s belly laugh can make the world around me disappear. Such a blessing.
16. There is no such thing as “having it all together”. If someone appears to have this quality, they are just better actors. At least that is what I tell myself.
17. Sleep training is effective, and probably harder on parents than children. Call me mean, but for us, it worked wonders and I love our five minute bedtime routine. It has probably been my biggest saving grace that Maddox goes down for naps and bedtime without a fight. The extra adult time with the hubs really does make us both better parents, and taught me how to put our marriage first. Easier said than done, but totally worth it.
18. This list is getting really long and if you made it this far you are probably really bored. Maybe you should get a hobby.
19. Sick babies=everything stops, and then it only takes up one line in the baby book. At the time it seems like the world and to think someday it will be just a distant memory
20. God’s infinite grace, wisdom, sense of humor, and love has been shown to me is this little package.
What are your parenting truths?
