Becoming a Parent: Top 10 List

3 Weeks ago today (at 845AM) my water broke. And since that point, my whole life has changed. Of course, it changed when I saw those 2 blue lines as well. I went to bed early, woke up even earlier to eat breakfast, ate healthier, followed cravings, took vitamins... But when that little girl was put on my chest for the first time, my world changed even more. And since I've had 3 weeks of this 'mom' thing, I figured I'd make a top ten list. Top ten what? Top ten things I've learned from this beautiful little girl! 1. There's no manual. I know, shocker, right? When we left the hospital, I started freaking out. They sent me home with a 4 day old baby AND NO INSTRUCTIONS!!! What the heck? Who does that? Whenever you get something new, there's always a manual with it, right? Why isn't it the same with a new baby? How was I going to figure this out? What did she need? What happened when she cried and there was nothing wrong? What should our schedule look like? How do you figure out how much to feed her? What if she's sick? These were the questions that plagued my mind day in and day out.... and guess what? I had to figure it all out by trial and error. It's a learning process when you bring a baby home... for both of you. He/she is used to life inside of your uterus. For the past 37-40 weeks, he/she has called the shots. They ate whenever they wanted, peed whenever they felt like it, slept whenever it was needed... they had the perfect temperature.. life was good. Now, he/she is thrust into a world where they have to cry when they are hungry, cry when they need their diaper changed, they get cold, they get hot... Life has changed drastically! And of course, life has changed drastically for you! You are waking up 3-4 times a night for feedings, you are changing diapers, you are packing a bag every time you leave the house... which leads me to #2... 2. It's not about YOU anymore. Yes, for the past 18+ years, life has been about what you want and need at a certain point in time, but when that beautiful baby comes into your life...... it's all about THEM. Yes, when you wake up in the morning you might be STARVING, but if they're starving too, guess who gets fed first? You guessed it! And there isn't anything wrong with that. It should be all about them, but trust me-- it's quite the adjustment! When you get out of the shower and your hair is dripping wet, but the baby is crying because it needs a diaper change-- guess what you are doing? You guessed it! Changing a dirty diaper! :) You no longer care AS MUCH about how you look.... you sometimes throw on a shirt, a pair of jeans and you're set to go, but you better be sure that that baby will look adorable at all times! Life becomes ALL ABOUT THEM.. and that's how it should be! :) 3. Would you sit and watch a wall for 20 minutes? Probably not. It won't do anything... why would you, right? Well guess what-- when that baby is sleeping, chances are it won't be doing anything either, but you'll find this irresistable urge to just sit and watch them! They're going to lay there with their eyes closed so peacefully, but it doesn't matter. You're going to think it's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen! Trust me on that. (And you'll probably take tons of pictures of he/she even though they aren't doing anything... that's okay too!) 4. Spit up, throw up, poop, pee... it doesn't seem to gross you out anymore. (Well, as long as it's coming from YOUR baby.) Take it from someone that GAGGED when other people's children threw up, spit up, or pooped. Yes, I couldn't handle it. Now? I don't hesitate to wipe spit up away from her mouth even when I don't have a blanket. (Yes, your hand comes in handy!) I don't hesitate to wipe her behind, even when there are fumes radiating from the diaper! I don't hesitate to smile and laugh when I look down and my shirt has spit up dripping down it. I simply take it off and put on another! When it's your child... all of that changes! :) 5. Picture taking is taken to a whole new level. Where you once took pictures of your day to day activities (such as my Project 365).... all pictures are taken of your sweet baby from this point on! I can't tell you the last time I took a picture of Ethan, our house, our day to day life.... it's all about Tayler now, haha! (And that's okay!) 6. Date nights are ALRIGHT and they are NEEDED. When I first had Tayler, I would feel terrible if we laid her down in her bassinet and spent time talking. I'd feel terrible if we left her alone to cook dinner. I don't know why, but I had in mind that that made me a bad parent... like I was neglecting her. So, you can imagine how difficult it was for me to actually leave her alone for a night out with Ethan. I struggled so bad. I cried prior to my parents arriving (they were her babysitters for the night!) I cried when we got in the car to leave. I texted about 20 times prior to our shopping trip... but after spending the evening with Ethan, I realized that it was needed. After having her, life seemed to get away from us. We didn't have time to just sit down and talk. We needed to reconnect.. and guess what? That's okay! Mommies and Daddies need that. And you aren't a bad parent if you take a night for just you and your significant other! In fact, I think that makes you a BETTER parent. You will be more stable and united if you do that. So, don't be like me-- don't feel like you're abandoning your child. Enjoy it! It's okay! 7. You won't mind losing sleep. This is crazy... especially for me (someone who LOVES LOVES LOVESSSSSSS their sleep!) I thought the first few nights that I was going to be a terrible mommy because at first, I dreaded losing my sleep. She was waking up every 2 hours... I was exhausted, but guess what? I've learned to LOVE waking up with her. I had an attitude change. I know, I sound terrible, but I needed an attitude adjustment at first. Remember what I said in #2? It's not all about you anymore? Yes, I had to LEARN that. I had to learn that SO WHAT you're losing some sleep... look at the blessing you have before you. I don't want to upset anyone, but I had to think about it like this--- there are women who DESIRE a child and cannot have one.... I had the immense blessing of giving birth to a healthy baby. I should be THANKFUL for the opportunity to spend so much time with her.... even if it is at 2AM! (That's what coffee is for!!) Speaking of coffee.... 8. I once swore I'd NEVER be a coffee drinker. That was for OLD people. (Ooops, sorry for anyone out there that doesn't consider themselves OLD and still drinks coffee!) In my head, that's who coffee was for. But guess what? When you (are blessed enough to spend time with a 3 week old at 11:30PM, 2AM, 4AM, and 6AM) only get about 4-5 hours of sleep...... coffee soon becomes your best friend. Now, I'm going to be honest. I don't drink it black (and for those of you that do, mad props, bro!) I use some french vanilla creamer and sugar (is 1 cup bad for you??) And it tastes great and keeps me going! Wait til you have kids... you'll need it, I promise, haha!! 9. You see your parents in a whole new light. Now, don't get me wrong. I LOVE my parents and they have been amazing to my siblings and myself, but when you have a child--- they take on a whole new role and you fall more in love with them. Seeing my parents become grandparents was breathtaking. (And no, it wasn't because I was completely out of breath from pushing a 6lb 3oz child out of my... uhm.. body) It was because my parents fell in love with this little person and saw this little person in a whole new perspective. They weren't "raising" a child anymore, but they were getting the privilege to SPOIL a child. (Although I told them spoiling was not allowed ;)) They get to watch our sweet baby girl and then when she's fussy or needs a diaper change, well they hand her back to her parents, haha! They get to buy the fun stuff-- new clothes, easter baskets, etc. I love seeing them interact with her and talk to her!  10. And speaking of seeing someone in a whole new light---- you will see your significant other in a whole new light as well. During labor, I saw a complete different side of Ethan... and after labor, I saw a different side of Ethan. This tiny baby girl stole his heart and it was obvious. When I watched him hold her for the first time, I fell even more in love with him. (I know, that sounds corny... and you've probably heard a thousand people say it, but trust me-- it's true!!) Watching him change her diaper, put her to sleep..... when I see him kiss her forehead or walk through the door and immediately pick her up because he missed her... my heart beats a little faster! Seeing your significant other as more than just your boyfriend, fiance, or husband... seeing them as a DADDY will change your life... it's true! That's my top 10 list. I'm sure I'll have more things I've learned down the line, but those are at the top of the list for now :) What have you learned since becoming a parent??