1. Severe Weather- I've always been a little scared of severe weather. It's something about things that I have no control over and that are much bigger than me that freaks me out. However, today I actually spent some time putting a little bag together (water, flashlights, diapers, wipes, snacks, pillows, etc) and setting up the weather radio just in case I have to gather up my two babies, dog, and cat and head down to the basement. It still amazes me sometimes that I have these two little helpless lives that are my responsibility, and I feel I have to do everything in my power to protect them. Including keeping them safe from the "tornado emergency" that the weather channel has been talking about all day. (And yes, my TV has been set to this station all day with the exception of one 25 minute Little Einsteins episode.)
2. Germs- Seriously...I mean I have become what some (no, everybody) would call a germ-a-phobe. I've always been a little OCD, but this is ridiculous. Keeping them safe from germs is never far from my thoughts. Almost every room in the house has a bottle of hand sanitizer; the car has one too, plus antibacterial wipes; every diaper bag/purse has one. And there are extras stored in the laundry room for when one runs out. If they've been at daycare, they get a bath. Socks and shoes are taken off in the laundry room. (And lysoled every once in a while). So are bookbags. If one is restless in the middle of the night (or cranky during the day) I think they are getting sick. I seriously think I need to relax about this a little.
3. Nutrition/Cooking- I am not a good cook. Nor did I used to enjoy cooking at all. In fact, I absolutely dreaded having to come up with a meal. However, I have this new found interest in the Food Network and I'm up for trying out new things lately. I don't even have to have a recipe all of the time. I also pay a lot more attention to the nutritional content of our food and work on balancing meals well. And after watching some of that Food Revolution show, I'm thinking this area is even going to change some more. No more chicken nuggets unless they say "all white meat". Those that watched this episode know what I'm talking about. Those that didn't, probably don't want to know.
4. Shopping- No, I am not a recovering shopaholic. I just buy things for them now instead of myself. I have to work really hard to make a purchase for myself if I am given a gift card. Between the toy aisle or girl clothes section, there's usually not enough time (or money!) to be venturing into my departments.
5. Sleep- Oh how I miss you! I never realized how important sleep can be. In fact, I completely took it for granted. (By they way, no lie, Katelyn just woke up from a rather short nap as I was typing that last sentence...guess I'll finish this later.) Even once babies sleep through the night (and you could probably consider that Collin was a toddler by this time), a mother's sleep is never sound. But I've learned how important it is for me to be well rested to stay healthy and able to take care of them to the best of my ability. And of course, a sleepy baby is never a happy baby. Even naps are so important as they make nighttime sleep more restful (not the other way around as some may think.) So as a mother, I feel I spend a lot of time making sure everyone gets the sleep they need. Even if it means holding them for 2 hours just to get in a good nap. Which brings me to my next thought.
6. Parenting style- I didn't choose my parenting style. I thought I did, but the truth is, it chooses you. I told myself I would never let my child sleep in the bed with me...I would let my child fall asleep on his own...I would spank my child if he misbehaved. Wrong. All wrong. I have found I am definitely a believer in attachment parenting. Collin slept in the bed with me all of the time. Otherwise, no one would have slept. The fact is, you do what works. I rocked Collin to sleep until he was 18 months old. I walk around the room with Katelyn until she falls asleep. We allowed Collin to "cry it out" for about a week. It backfired. We ended up with a child who was fussy during the day and still didn't sleep at night. I'm sure it works for some babies, but not our Collin. Collin used a paci until he was 3. Katelyn will too if she so desires. We use time out as our chosen discipline method. The truth is, no one method for sleep, discipline, whatever, works for all babies. We took what worked from lots of different sources. Babies don't come with a manual or textbook. For those who are curious, "The No Cry Sleep Solution" worked best for us.
7. Work/Career- I never thought I would desire to be a stay at home mom. So wrong. I love being at home with my children. I am the type of mother who wants to be there all the time. I don't desire vacations away from them. Maybe a night out every once in a while though. When I am working, I feel I am so much more able to connect with the parents of the children I treat. Let's face it...mommys love to talk about their children with other mommys!
8. Coffee- Okay, so I started drinking coffee regularly sometime in grad school, but it was never such an important part of my day until I had children!
9. Politics- I'm not going to go on and on about my political views. I'll just say that I used to be clueless when it came to what was going on with politics in our country. I have become much more interested in the future of our country as I know my children will have to live with our decisions.
10. Pets- I used to tell people that my dog and cat were my children. I used to even rock Rylee to sleep when she was a puppy (hence, I should have had a better idea about what my parenting style would be). And although I love our animals dearly, I know now that you cannot understand a mother's love until you have a child.
11. Time- They say you will always have enough love for your children no matter how many you have. True. However, you may not always have enough TIME. I struggle daily with how to provide Collin with enough attention since he is so independent and Katelyn requires more one on one attention. I am constantly worried about how he is adjusting (he's having a little harder of a time recently). I think he realizes she is here to stay. Don't get me wrong, he still loves her to death. But he has become more clingy and wanting mommy a LOT more.
12. Childbirth- Um, let's just say I was TERRIFIED of what childbirth would be like. It was nothing like I expected and so much better! There is nothing like it. I would do it 8 more times if I thought I could provide them all with the food, clothing, shelter, time, extracurricular activities, college, weddings, etc. they would deserve. I know I could provide the LOVE.
Bringing Home Babies
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