Lessons Learned.

My baby is going to be a year old on Saturday. I know that I have said this countless times over the past 12 months, but the time is just going by way too fast. While I love watching him experience new things and master new skills, it makes me feel sad to remember the tiny, helpless newborn that I held in my arms for the first time 52 weeks ago.

This time last year, I was hugely pregnant – upset that my “perfect” vision of a drug-free natural childbirth would not become a reality, scared about having a c-section, hopeful that the baby would move from his breech position, and terrified about actually becoming a mother and having another human being rely on me for everything.

I was so unprepared for everything that motherhood would be – we didn’t even have a name for the baby!

Little did I know, becoming a mother would change my life in countless ways. Sometimes I don’t even feel like the same person that I was a year ago.

Here’s just a few life lessons learned over the past year:

* Babies are incredibly portable – Hubby and I can probably count on one hand the number of times that we went somewhere without the baby over the past year.
• Nursing a child is such a natural and rewarding experience, and there is no law against breastfeeding your child past a year.
• Co-sleeping – which I swore up and down that I would never do – is actually kind of nice.
• Making homemade baby food is not as difficult as it sounds.
• Your own child’s poop doesn’t smell all that bad.
• The right daycare can be a positive learning experience for your child.
• Not all babies love to nap.
• Pumping at work really sucks (no pun intended).
• C-sections aren’t so bad.
• Leaving your baby at daycare and going to work doesn’t get easier.
• There’s always laundry to do.
• Yes, your hair falls out…
• Who really cares if your baby takes a pacifier?
• People always have their opinions on your child and your parenting choices. And it is almost impossible not to respond to these comments with a big ol’ “Shut the f**k up!”
• It can be extremely frustrating when your child won’t take a bottle – but it also feels good to know that he prefers getting his milk straight from the tap.
• “Gross” tasks – such as sucking out boogers, clipping toenails or getting a really good burp out of your newborn – can be extremely rewarding.
• Getting back to your pre-pregnancy weight isn’t as easy as it seems – the last 10 pounds are the worst!
• Just when you think that your child can’t get any cuter – he learns how to smile.
• Changing a wiggly 11-month-old requires a surprising amount of strength.
• I have no problem embarrassing myself in public – or tormenting complete strangers with my horrible singing voice – if it results in a calm baby.
• Nursing in public isn’t so bad.
• My little guy has changed my life forever – and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
• There is such a thing as love at first sight.
• Life will never be boring again.
• I can’t wait to have another one.

Pretty amazing lessons learned from someone who can’t even talk yet…



Of course I'm smart - I eat my veggies, take my vitamins and root for the Giants!