Things they DO NOT warn you about!

Jeremy and I had this thought as we were eating lunch today at Cracker Barrel in Tuscaloosa...

"There are just some things people can NOT prepare you for during the first year of having a baby!"

That got me thinking over all the things that have happened, and will continue to happen, that people don't warn you about or you just cannot be prepared for....

1. POOP!!  Your life during the first year really revolves around poop (or bowel movements, or "#2").  First comes the diapers right after they're born whose texture can only be described as "motor oil." Speaking of texture, there are at least four I know of, and it all depends on what they are eating.  The two really fun ones are the "GAAAHHHH!!! It's all up his back!!" type and the "OH POOR THING! I have to help you pass it!" type (yeah, this is not for the faint of heart)! There are times when your child will go days without pooping and so you will do anything (I mean liquid suppository ANYTHING) to help them out!  And, when they finally get over that and have some consistency, poopie is celebrated!! Because what you do know is that a poopie diaper means a healthy baby and that is always good news! Oh, did I mention the smell?!  Especially going from breastmilk to formula, or adding solid foods, there are times when it's like something has crawled up and died!!

2. Running Errands.....There is no, "Oh, I'll just run to the bank, post office, and stop by Wal-Mart for some toilet paper.  Won't take more than 30 minutes."  No!  It's a full-on, tactical plan about what to pack in the diaper bag and how many stops have a drive-through so you don't have to either a) lug the carseat in and out or b) remove baby/toddler from the seat 5 different times.  When the fridge and cupboards are bare, the trip to Wal-Mart should be by yourself, because there is no room for groceries when you have a child still in a carseat.  It does get better when they can sit in the seat up front, but heaven knows stopping in the middle of shopping to change one of those "GAAAHHHH!!! It's all up his back!!" types of diapers is not fun in public.

3.  "Agoraphobia"-The fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places. Fear of leaving a safe place....I think all parents suffer from this disease at least for the first four or five years.  When they are a baby, you wonder if there will be a sick person who will cough or sneeze within 500 feet (which is a legitimate concern in some cases).  Then, they become mobile and can't sit still or stay quiet.  That's when you start feeling "looks" out in public.  At church, sometimes no matter how many "soft books" or "quiet" toys you bring, they just don't want to sit still or they are fighting sleep so they keep talking to stay awake.  Thank goodness for training rooms or nurseries so you can go have your child scream and fight in peace.  In restaurants, they can finally sit in a high chair and eat their baby food, but you can't keep him from turning around every 5 seconds to look around and he may even put his hand on the back of a nice man's shirt.  His hand may or may not have baby food on it....and if he's not eating, he's throwing toys you've brought into the floor or reaching for your food or KNIFE!  I can only imagine how this Agoraphobia flares when you actually have to discipline your child in public....

4.  Personal time with your spouse-  Ummmm, what time?  All I can say, is when Jeremy and I do have time together without Langston, our "dirty talk" includes, "Guess what?  We can go to bed and....sleep!" :-)  Seriously though, even though it's very difficult to find, time to reconnect with your spouse is uber important to staying sane through these years.

5.  Zzzzzzz's- Sleep is a priceless commodity the first year.  People did warn us about this, but this falls under the category of you can not adequately prepare.  If you are breastfeeding, the getting up during the night falls on you obviously, so you have to really let others help you during the day when possible.  But, when you get to the point where it's possible to alternate nights, that eases some of the pain.  And just when you think you have a good routine going and they might even be sleeping 10 hours straight, something changes and messes all that up!  Either they have a growth spurt, start teething, or you've changed or added to their diet.  And the worst thing you can do is compare to other kids because there will always be someone at work telling you how their child is sleeping so well.  

6.  Personal care- I look at some women who are mothers and they have their hair perfectly straightened and fixed, makeup done, cute clothes coordinated with their accessories, and I look down and I realize that my zipper to my worn in jeans is down and my oversized shirt has spit up and baby food on it.  My hair is pulled into a pony tail because Langston likes to pull it, and makeup?  Who has time for that?  I know I am harder on myself and others probably don't see some of those things (thanks Mrs. Brock for telling me about my zipper though), but I really feel like I look worn down sometimes. That's something I have to work on, finding time to do things that will make me feel better about my "mom" body.  

Even though I am totally serious about all these things, it is ALL worth it!!  You can NOT be prepared for how good and fun life is with a baby/toddler.  Watching Langston learn and grow over the past year has been humbling!  Seeing his sweet, funny personality start shining through is such a pleasure to watch.  People warn you about how fast time goes with a baby and they are not lying!  At first, they just lay there and then you start wondering when they'll roll over, and then when he's rolling over, you start wondering when he'll start crawling, and then when he's doing that, you wonder when he'll start walking....it never ends!  Again, comparing to other kids is the worst thing you can do!

There will be many mistakes made by yours truly over the next few years when it comes to raising Langston.  I will not always know what to do or how to handle his stubbornness.  I will become exasperated at times and not always look put together, but I will always strive to do my best.  I will love and cherish every laughable moment with he and Jeremy on this crazy adventure called "parenting!"