As Eliel's first birthday draws nears, I've been reflecting on how my life has changed since the day he was born. I thought I would share some of the things I have learned since becoming a mom for the first time. I'm sure lots, if not all moms have the same revelations. I just felt the need to write it down for some reason.
(in no particular order)
1. There is no 'right' way to do anything when it comes to babies and kids.
I read just about every book there is about newborns, feeding, sleeping, etc. and to my dismay, Eliel pretty much did the opposite of what was in those books. I also received tons of advice from moms and while I appreciate the advice, it always seemed like none of it applied to Eliel. (Even the pediatrician's advice!)
2. Being a mom is hard work.... and I LOVE it
I knew before becoming a mom that it would not be easy but I hadn't really mentally prepared myself for the differences between being a mom and being a teacher. I've worked with kids all my grown up life so I figured that raising my own kid couldn't be that different.... wrong. I am more exhausted being a stay-at-home mom than I ever was when I was working. But I also feel more rewarded than I ever had.
3. A newborn is way easier than an infant
I thought the long nights and lack of sleep were hard. Then Eliel started moving and realizing he was allowed to have an opinion of things....
4. Your floor will never be as clean as it is when you have a crawler
I consider myself a fairly neat person. I like things in there place and I like a clean house. I know having a dog makes the house a little dirtier but that's the sacrifice you make when having a dog. I'd never gotten down and put my face on the floor like Eliel does. Now I clean the floor WAY more often.
5. Your priorities are completely different
Before E, I used to worry about decorating my house, saving money, and work. Now, I could care less about all of that stuff. As long as I've got my family, I'm satisfied. Sure, money is important but as long as we have enough to get by, that's enough for me. Is having a nice house house important to me? Yes, but I'd give it up in a heartbeat if it meant spending more time caring for my little guy. And work, I don't think about it very often and I'm generally less stressed since I don't think about it. You can ask Adam but I think I'm a much more relaxed person since leaving teaching...
6. The best sound in the world is a baby's laugh
Nothing else to say about that
7. Quiet infants are a blessing, quiet babies are trouble...
In those first few days all the baby wants to do is sleep and all you want to do is look at him and play with him. You have no idea that you should enjoy the quiet while you have it. Just leave a crawler or walker alone for 30 seconds, maybe even a minute and see what happens. I dare you to do it in your house.
8. Sleep as I knew it pre-baby is over... forever
The days of sleeping in are long gone. Even when Eliel sleeps until 7, I still wake up at 5:30. I used to wake up at 5:30 to go to work and never thought twice about it. Now, when Eliel wakes up at 5:30, I somehow grab my sweatshirt and find my way to his room. I used to be such a sound sleeper and now I can hear his roll over in the middle of the night even though he's a bedroom away and the monitor isn't even on. I even hear Nugget having a dream downstairs in the middle of the night. The good news is, should anything happen in the middle of the night, I'll be awake to hear it. Eliel has no shot of ever sneaking out of the house when he's older.
9. I have never loved anyone the way I love Eliel
Although I am completely head-over-heels in love with Adam, it's nothing like the love I feel for Eliel. It's a different kind of love. Unfortunately, you can't describe it until you've felt it. I've read stories of moms giving their lives for their kids and until I had little E, it seemed so weird to me. Could I ever love anyone so much that I would give my everything for him without even thinking about it? In one word, YES.
(in no particular order)
1. There is no 'right' way to do anything when it comes to babies and kids.
I read just about every book there is about newborns, feeding, sleeping, etc. and to my dismay, Eliel pretty much did the opposite of what was in those books. I also received tons of advice from moms and while I appreciate the advice, it always seemed like none of it applied to Eliel. (Even the pediatrician's advice!)
2. Being a mom is hard work.... and I LOVE it
I knew before becoming a mom that it would not be easy but I hadn't really mentally prepared myself for the differences between being a mom and being a teacher. I've worked with kids all my grown up life so I figured that raising my own kid couldn't be that different.... wrong. I am more exhausted being a stay-at-home mom than I ever was when I was working. But I also feel more rewarded than I ever had.
3. A newborn is way easier than an infant
I thought the long nights and lack of sleep were hard. Then Eliel started moving and realizing he was allowed to have an opinion of things....
4. Your floor will never be as clean as it is when you have a crawler
I consider myself a fairly neat person. I like things in there place and I like a clean house. I know having a dog makes the house a little dirtier but that's the sacrifice you make when having a dog. I'd never gotten down and put my face on the floor like Eliel does. Now I clean the floor WAY more often.
5. Your priorities are completely different
Before E, I used to worry about decorating my house, saving money, and work. Now, I could care less about all of that stuff. As long as I've got my family, I'm satisfied. Sure, money is important but as long as we have enough to get by, that's enough for me. Is having a nice house house important to me? Yes, but I'd give it up in a heartbeat if it meant spending more time caring for my little guy. And work, I don't think about it very often and I'm generally less stressed since I don't think about it. You can ask Adam but I think I'm a much more relaxed person since leaving teaching...
6. The best sound in the world is a baby's laugh
Nothing else to say about that
7. Quiet infants are a blessing, quiet babies are trouble...
In those first few days all the baby wants to do is sleep and all you want to do is look at him and play with him. You have no idea that you should enjoy the quiet while you have it. Just leave a crawler or walker alone for 30 seconds, maybe even a minute and see what happens. I dare you to do it in your house.
8. Sleep as I knew it pre-baby is over... forever
The days of sleeping in are long gone. Even when Eliel sleeps until 7, I still wake up at 5:30. I used to wake up at 5:30 to go to work and never thought twice about it. Now, when Eliel wakes up at 5:30, I somehow grab my sweatshirt and find my way to his room. I used to be such a sound sleeper and now I can hear his roll over in the middle of the night even though he's a bedroom away and the monitor isn't even on. I even hear Nugget having a dream downstairs in the middle of the night. The good news is, should anything happen in the middle of the night, I'll be awake to hear it. Eliel has no shot of ever sneaking out of the house when he's older.
9. I have never loved anyone the way I love Eliel
Although I am completely head-over-heels in love with Adam, it's nothing like the love I feel for Eliel. It's a different kind of love. Unfortunately, you can't describe it until you've felt it. I've read stories of moms giving their lives for their kids and until I had little E, it seemed so weird to me. Could I ever love anyone so much that I would give my everything for him without even thinking about it? In one word, YES.
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