Ten Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Mommy

Motherhood is a learning experience, everyday not only are our kids learning but we are right there in the trenches learning with them.  This is by no means an extensive list but it's my list of some things I've learned, so far, since becoming a mom!  ENJOY

1. Privacy is a thing of the past! Seriously, say goodbye to time to yourself, especially time in the bathroom. I can't remember the last time I went to the bathroom or got ready in the morning without an audience!

2. Your food is NOT your own! My 3 (almost 4) year old is just now finally learning to ask before taking things off my plate. However my 1 and 2 year old never seem to want what I've given them (even though it's the same as what I have just smaller pieces/portions) only what mommy has!

3. Everything takes twice as long as it did before! There is no more “I'm just going to run to the store for one thing!” The “running” part of that implies that it will be a quick trip, forget quick if you have to buckle and unbuckle kids into a cart, offer rides on the penny pony and argue with a toddler over why you really don't NEED whatever candy bar they have grabbed from the checkout isle.

4. What is sleep? I mean REAL sleep... this one goes in stages, as newborns you are up with them to feed them, as toddlers you are finding pacis, and with preschoolers you are up taking them potty and calming them after nightmares. Even when the kids (on a rare occasion) sleep all night you aren't sleeping soundly because you are just waiting for one of them to wake you up!

5. Date night? I vaguely remember what that is... not only do you have to find a babysitter, by the time you have found one that a)knows how to put diapers on the right way, b) is comfortable with newborns or multiple kids and c)is actually willing to give up a Friday night, chances are you are too exhausted to want to do dinner and a movie anyway.

6. Bath time is NOT for the faint of heart. As newborns this isn't so bad, but once you get toddlers, or more than one in the tub you might as well don a rain coat and galoshes because you are about to get wet, and I mean really really wet! This summer my children have learned what a cannonball is (at Papa's pool) so they do their best to recreate it in the bathtub!

7. Taking a shower everyday is a luxury. I mean really, if the people at Bath and Body Works expected us moms to actually shower every day, (not to mention where clothes NOT covered in spit up and other disgusting things) then they never would've invented pretty scented body spray!

8. The “volume” button on the remote control really does ONLY work for the TV. If yours are anything like mine, happy noises can quickly go from squealing and giggling to all out banshee screams in no time flat. Another word that has no meaning to children is “shhhh”, so save your breath.

9. Silence can be a good thing AND a bad thing. If the kids are all sleeping then great, enjoy the peace and quiet. However, if you sent your kids to the play room twenty minutes ago and you don't hear them fighting yet you may want to go check on them, chances are they have figured out how to unlock the closet and emptied all the shelves. If they haven't done that, check the back yard – did you know that even a 2 year old can figure out how to open a sliding glass door?!

10. Even with all the things listed above, having kids is the most rewarding thing you will ever experience. Who needs sleep, that's what coffee is for, and really, I think God gives us those sleepless moments to pray for our kids, what a great opportunity! With kids eating off your plate, you eat less, there goes that baby weight! :)  Plus, with all the water that lands on the floor during bath time, you have to mop half as often!

All I'm saying is this, will all the things that could be construed as negatives in the life of a mom, the blessings that happen each day when having kids far outweigh not being able to enjoy a hot shower every day. If you really do look at all these things as negatives you would spend your day in tears, so learn to see blessings in disguise, laugh at yourself when you can and most of all, love your kids!

So what's your list?  What's the "best thing" you've learned since becoming a mommy?