So from the moment I found out that I was going to be a mom I wondered what that would actually be like. Everyone I have met seems to have a different way of explaining it, but it all boils down to the most amazing thing ever. I'll be honest, I was skeptical. I have been around kids for as long as I can remember, long before I became a teacher I was running a pretty swift hustle in the babysitting market of Johnson County. I have always loved kids, I just was not sure that I wanted any living at my house or calling me mommy. I mean let's be honest, kids are needy and selfish. They ask about a million questions, they don't listen well, when there is more more than one they will inevitably get into a fight about something crazy. They require A LOT of maintenance and I'm no financial wizard, but I'm pretty sure they are high risk, low return investment financially speaking...(for the cost of diapers alone, I could have a vacation to somewhere pretty sweet) So, as someone who is aware of all this, I was pretty sure that this whole having kids thing was going to be pretty tough but everyone kept saying, "it is so different when it is your baby" to I which I would respond in my head, "Yeah, yeah, yeah" But now that Michael is almost 7 months old, I am finding that it is so different. I've never loved anything more in my life. I don't think I could ever list out the million reasons why I love being Michael's mom but here are a few!
* I love that the first thing Michael does in the morning is lay in his crib and "talk". It is like he is psyching himself up to greet the day, while also giving me a 10-15 minute warning prior to wanting to be tended to....I love laying there listening to his sweet little voice!!!
* I love how happy he is all the time. Brent and I often feel like we hit the baby lottery. From Day 1, Michael has been easy to please, as long as he is dry, full and feeling attended to, he never really cries. I ask myself no less than 20 times a day just how we got so lucky!
* I love his smile and laugh. There is no sound in the world that compares to baby laughs! I have found that it is impossible to be in a bad mood whenever I see that million dollar grin and hear that sweet little giggle!
* I love that being a Mom has made me a better person. I am more patient, less selfish, more understanding and less judgemental.
* I love that I worry less about what I don't have and spend more time just being thankful for what I do. If the only thing I ever had was a healthy and happy family I would have everything I ever needed!
* I love rocking him to sleep. Getting to cuddle him and sing him to sleep is the hands down BEST way to end a busy day.
* I love watching him learn something new. My favorite part of teaching is what we call the "light bulb moment." Being witness to the instant where a student understands a concept and is able to put it in practice gives me a lot of joy. But oh my goodness, watching your own little person put all the pieces together is nothing short of amazing!!!!
Mostly, I just love all of it. Love that our house looks like a baby store exploded in it, love that I never sleep soundly because I am always worried that he is not breathing, love that when I walk into a room Michael reaches for me with a huge grin on his face, love that I have such an amazing husband to share it all with. While I have no doubts that there are days in the not too distant future where my patience will run thin and some of those not so cute childhood behaviors will start pop up, I hope that I always think back to these days where my heart was just so full of love!But just in case, I will offer this disclaimer to any future parents: Maybe what people really mean when they say "it is different when its your baby" is that "my baby will always be my baby and all the annoying things that my baby does are just fine with me..." Here's hoping!
