Things I've Learned Thursday!

Dear Friend,

Like I said before, I was hoping to make this an ongoing thing. So, here is my second installment! I've decided to do another round of "Things I've Learned As a Mom!" Becoming a Mom was a HUGE step in my life and I love every step of this journey! So, here goes round two!!

1. It is amazing what a Mom finds to cheer over when we have kids! The first smile, the first time our child crawls, the first time clapping, the first step, and the first time potty in the toilet (though we haven't reached this one yet), to name a few!
2. The first time your child hugs you and/or gives you a kiss will completely melt your heart in a way that is impossible to describe.
3. A mother's love surpasses her love for anything or anyone else!!
4. Your pets (that were once your "baby") becomes a pet. Trust me, even the most loved and spoiled of pets!
5. How quickly our lives become centered around our kids!
6. How hard it is to be away from our children for any length of time. (Trust me, I learned this when Hubby and I went to Las Vegas this past July and 10 month old son stayed with his Grandparents!)
7. How amazing the small stuff seems when you are looking at it for the first time as a parent!
8. Children are tons of fun when you take the time to stop and enjoy them!
9. When they begin walking, they really begin to be a wonderful source of exercise!!
10. You really begin to see a whole new side of yourself that you never realized was there!!

These are just a few more things that I've learned since becoming a parent!! Stay tuned for next week's "Things I've Learned." I haven't decided on next weeks topic yet, though!

Learning as I go,

The Stay-at-Home Mom

The Joys of Motherhood

Dear Friend,

I realize that you aren't a parent yet. But, in light of some recent comments from a "friend" that I had growing up, I wanted to give you a view of parenthood from a Stay-at-Home Mom (SAHM). I've learned more from being a Mom for the past (almost) 15 months than I did in 13 years of school, plus 3½ years of college! So, in honor of my ongoing schooling as a Mom, I thought I would share with you what I have learned and what I continue to learn!

Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Mom:

1. Being a TRUE parent means putting your child's needs and wants before your own. Something as small as my dinner being cold or having to be reheated due to feeding him first. Or, not getting to do something you want because your child is sick! They NEED to come first in your life!
   
   
2. Babies do not come with instruction manuals! Some think that the baby books are like instruction manuals, but they don't have solutions to every problem for every baby! And, you DO NOT have to do everything by a book. (I was guilty of believing this when my son was first born!!) Sometimes, a parent's intuition is the best answer! Even, first time parents.
   
   
3. All babies are different! Do not get upset because your child isn't learning something at the same speed as another. One baby may walk at a year old and the next may not walk until 18 months. It doesn't mean there is something with the one that it takes longer for. They may learn something else quicker!
   
   
4. Kids learn things quicker than you would think!! Work with your child and you will be amazed with how much they learn!
   
   
5. And, going along with that, children learn to undress themselves far earlier than they learn to dress themselves!!
   
   
6. All other conversation topics lose significance in comparison to our child (or children)! What DID we talk about before we had kids??
   
   
7. Children are a HUGE responsibility.
   
   
8. But, they are also a mother's greatest joy!
   
   
9. Just as adults are not perfect, neither are children. They cry and you don't know what's wrong. They don't always want to do what you want them too. But, that' s OKAY!!
   
   
10. Parents should not be judged on topics like breast-feeding, baby-wearing, vaccinations, and the like. Just because I feel strongly one way or the other, I don't want to be judged on those beliefs. My decisions (and your's) are based on what we feel is right for our children.
    
    
11. That some parents get mad, fuss and everything else due to their child not taking a nap on schedule or eating what they want them to eat. And, I don't agree with that. Maybe there is a reason for the child not doing the above, and it's the parent's job to figure out why instead of complaining!
    
    
12. Your child's smile and laughter will make everything right in the world!
    

This is just a start to what I have learned from becoming a Mom!

With Love,
A Stay-at-Home Mom