Lessons Learned ~ Guest Post

When I was pregnant with my first child, I received all kinds of advice…ranging from sleep to diapering to feeding. However, it all seemed to sound the same to me. People kept telling me the same thing over and over again. It wasn’t until I actually became a mother that I realized people don’t always tell you the truth, or that the advice they give doesn’t always make sense for your situation. So, in light of that, I’m here to offer up ten things I learned after becoming a mother.

 

1. As a mom of boys, I learned early on that I must ALWAYS point the pee-pee down when diapering unless I wanted to change sheets and the clothes of my newborn every. single. time they peed. And honestly, dressing a newborn is like trying to put a turtle neck on a thawed turkey.

2. As a working mom, I realized early on that my house will never be clean enough or organized enough. And I learned that I’m okay with this. I’d much rather my boys remember that I when I got home from work, I played with them rather than being OCD about the house (this also helps with the guilt-factor for just not being overly domestic at all).

3. If you plan on having more than one child, know now that you will have a favorite. Only that favorite will change… sometimes by the day, sometimes by the hour, and sometimes by the minute or second. Right this second, my favorite is the one that is NOT crawling all over me while I’m trying to type this post.

4. Yes, your heart does have enough room and love for more than one child. It seems impossible, especially after having your first, but it’s really true. Your heart grows with each child.

5. Whatever grossed you out pre-children will become second nature. It will no longer freak you out to have a booger (someone else’s, no less!) on your finger. Poop happens. And it happens everywhere and on everything.

6. Breastfeeding is not for everyone. And that does not make you a bad mom. I tried breastfeeding with my oldest and it lasted 2 weeks. I gave it another shot with my youngest and while we made it an entire year, I can say that I only enjoyed it a fraction of the time.

7. Daycare is not the devil. My oldest was cared for by my in-laws for the first 18 months of his life. It was wonderful. We knew he was being well-cared for and that he was being loved. After 18 months, we enrolled him in daycare. It was amazing how well he did. How he bloomed socially, and began talking more, and counting. I could go on, but I won’t. Daycare has been very good for our family.

8. Legos ARE the devil. Seriously. If you don’t have a child old enough for legos, ban them now. Let everyone know that you will not allow legos in your house. You will thank me later.

9. Your child(ren) will embody every single pet peeve you have. My oldest has absolutely no sense of urgency whatsoever and frequently makes me want to lose my mind. I don’t think he knows what “hurry” even means. My youngest has the uncanny ability to sound like Dan Madden from time to time. I cannot stand that man’s voice. However, pet peeves and all, they are mine and I love them!

10. You are stronger than think and you will be put in situations that test your strength physically, emotionally, and mentally. You will surprise yourself.

 

Kmama is a wife, mother, and career-woman just trying to find a balance between the three. She enjoys shopping, photography, reading, and blogging. Her blog, The Daily Dribbles, chronicles daily life- the joys, the sorrows, the highs, and the lows…mostly with a sarcastic twist. She also offers free therapy in the form of Thank You Very Much Thursdays.

 

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