I wrote you a birthday letter, but it is a little too personal for a public blog, so instead I'll share just a smattering of the lessons I've learned from 1 year of parenting...
- Carrying, delivering and nursing a child has made me love and respect my body like no 8th grade health course, Glamour magazine article, or pretty much anything else ever has! Finally!
- Giving birth is better and worse than I thought it would be.
- Having a baby is better than I could ever imagine.
- When you call the pedi and leave a message, bring your phone with you to pee, shower, change a diaper, answer the door, check on the laundry, or any 30 second task...the call is guaranteed to come as soon as you walk away from the phone...
- Also, turn the ringer up on your cell phone - I learned that one today when I missed a call while sitting next to the phone.
- Your own child's pee, poop, boogies, earwax, spit up and vomit are not as gross as anyone else (still gross though!)
- When planning to go anywhere, add an extra 60 minutes to every time line, and if you are on time, consider it your lucky day. My friend Jessica told me this before Isla was born and I thought she was completely unorganized...I was so wrong!
- Your child is not a tiny baby version of you - ok, I know that sounds kooky, but when Isla was an infant I had this weird feeling that I was taking care of a baby me...this stopped around 3-4 months when her personality really started showing. Too prove that I'm not crazy, I read in Brazelton, that this is a totally normal healthy developmental process for mommy and baby that ends at 3-4 months.
- Write all your questions down for all pedi appointments and then don't beat yourself up if you still don't get them all answered.
- It is not as boring to play the same game, read the same book, or sing the same song for the 500th time with your own child as it is with other people's children. (The same tolerance applies to the way they act. Other people may not find some of their behaviors as adorable as you do!)
- There is no "best stage" - every new development is a miracle and wonderful.
- It is your child, you are new at this, it is not ok for people (aka lame triage nurses) to make you feel stupid or paranoid. Stick up for yourself and your baby, because you really do know them best and sometimes the health care providers are wrong.
- My expectations for the parents I used to work with were way to high. Sorry and Wow, I'm impressed with everything you do for your children!
- All those jokes about parents obsessing about their child's poops aren't that funny when you are staring at a blood streaked poopy diaper - I have totally become a poop-inspector. Ugh!
- Sleep is gold - treasure and horde every bit of it (for you and your baby).
- Money is nice, but not at the expense of family time and 24/7 cuddles.
- I actually do sort of like exercise....sort of...
- Baby clothes are an addiction - especially shoes
- You will love your friends babies as much as you love your friends - it takes a village!
- My capacity to worry is just barely outstripped by my capacity to love. Thank goodness!
- Those earnest promises made during the pregnancy to always put your marriage before your children will be a lot harder to keep when there is an actual baby...they still need to be kept!
- Mommy Brain really exists and it is so
- Like all things worth doing, breast feeding comes with lots of pain and challenges, but it is worth it! (Who'd have thought that I completely abhored the idea of nursing just 3 years ago.)
- It is a lot easier to go on a diet for your child than for yourself .
- Your parents didn't know what they were doing anymore than you do AND they loved you and cared for you more than you could ever imagine and they will love your child unconditionally - Thank you Grs! We love you!!!
- They really do "grow up so fast."
- Sometimes you really do want to chomp your child's chubby cheeks - I always thought it was just and expression...and a weird one at that.
- Holding your sleeping child is the most peaceful feeling on earth.
- To my surprise, I don't actually want Isla to be an Olympic athlete, Nobel prize winner, PhD, prima ballerina, 1st chair violinist, expert surgeon etc. I want her to be loved, love herself, love others, enjoy her career, have passions, be happy and be healthy.
- Watching your husband become a father is priceless gift. Andrew, Isla is the luckiest child on earth to have you as a father!
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