Things That Change, When You Become a Mom

I stole this list from Babycenter.com and merely added my own comments in ( ). I have been thinking so much lately about how many things changed, when I became a mom...and the degree to which they changed! Although I don't yet know, I imagine just as many things change, when you become a mom of two under the age of two. If you have or have ever had two babies close together, feel free to leave me a comment (even anonymously) about what I'm in for. I know that parenthood is one of those things that make you say, "You think you know, but you have NOOO idea." So tell me your experiences.

~~~You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms. (And everytime we see flowers, even in the grocery store and Wal-mart, we stop to watch Jadon crinkle his nose up and say, "Mmmm.")

~~~Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid. (Though I want Jadon and Macy to follow God's plan, I pray He never calls them to a mission field in Darfur or the Congo...yikes :/ I also worry about watching them go through a million other life struggles, like divorce, the death of a loved one, being made fun of at school, feeling like an outsider...loneliness, having sex outside of marriage, experimenting with drugs...DRIVING?!? The list is endless really.)

~~~The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

~~~You respect your body ... finally. (Still working on this one, but I do care a lot less than ever before).

~~~You respect your parents and love them in a new way. (My mom and Jamie's mom are heros in a new way to me, for sure!)

~~~You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own. (I thank God always for the physical health of my babies. I have no idea how parents watch their children have a terminal illness...my goodness, the level of strength that would require. I cannot imagine!)

~~~You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child. (Hello, Santa! I haven't made cookies for you in 25 years. Sit. Enjoy. Here's a glass of milk too!)

~~~You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago. (I did this WAY back in high school anyway, but Jamie certainly would prefer playing Matchbox cars with Jadon to tailgating with the boys in Morgantown.)

~~~Your heart breaks much more easily. (EVERY child is now my child. I get it on a whole other level!)

~~~You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day. (Plus 1!)

~~~Every day is a surprise. (That's for sure!)

~~~Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop! Like on Thursday, when the apple oatmeal from breakfast came out, but the spinach ravioli didn't make an appearance until Friday night. You keep an eye on things like that, as a parent. Mark my words, you'll do it one day, if you plan to have kids.)

~~~You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself. (Plain and simple, most days I look like a mess, but my kid is well put together. And I have not a clue or really a desire to keep up with any trend in the mall. Basic black and white are my best allies.)

~~~You become a morning person. (Jadon is still sleeping, and I'm up at 7am! HOW in the world did this happen??? I could NEVER sleep past 9:30am...NEVER!)

~~~Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power. (There is a person I would literally take a bullet for...and soon there will be two. 'Nuff said.)

~~~You discover how much there is to say about one tooth. (...and poop, and potty training, and animal noises, and anything else Jadon discovers or learns. You've seen the blog.)

~~~You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth. (We're certainly monetarily broke, but I'm the happiest I've ever been. I'm about to have another baby! So awesome!)

~~~You now know where the sun comes from. (Already did, but certain Scriptures come alive to you as a parent...like being "knit together in your mother's womb" and God knowing the number of hairs on your head. Amazing!)

~~~You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have. (There is no piece of clothing that I am "dying to have," or even have a desire to have, but man, I can't wait to buy Jadon some Legos and those really large wooden blocks...and some good quality puzzles, and an art table, and...)

~~~You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers. (For me it's Cheerios, crackers, and an occasional popcicle that have saved Jadon's life from being ruined many, many times. I carry a little bowl of them everywhere we go.)

~~~You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night. (Or Saturday either. I'm an old mom, and I really don't care to admit it. I accept the title proudly and with great joy.)

~~~Silence? What's that?

~~~You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having. (Not that I'm ready to give up on shedding them, but if given the choice, I'd definitely keep them and have my babies, rather than be childless and on the cover of Shape magazine.)

~~~You discover an inner strength you never thought you had.

~~~You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule. (Again, I'm up at 7am, before he is. WHY???)

~~~You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one. (Yes, because I pray I get the same treatment in return. Kids are unpredictable, people! You get that as a parent.)

~~~Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog. (Or for us, it is our cat, whom we no longer have a relationship with. No other pets in our near future. I think that comes around age 8 for Christmas...but, to be honest, I don't really get the hassle of it anymore. I'd prefer to have a neighbor, friend, or relative who has a pet we can visit as often as we'd like. Thank you, Ziggy! I NEVER want to revolve our schedule around running home to take the dog out to pee...ugh! P.S. I really am an animal lover...just not in my house anymore.)

~~~You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late. (And I worry, as we drive away, if Jadon hasn't done his routine hug, kiss, and "bye bye, see you later" routine.)

~~~You learn that taking a shower is a luxury. (I have a plan, this time around. I will be getting up extra early, once Macy is born, so I can get a shower at the beginning of each day...even if that means 6am...huge sigh :/ Well, that's the plan anyway. I've never been a mother of two, so we'll see how that works for me in a few short weeks, I suppose. Unpredictable is the name of the game I'm playing though.)

~~~You realize that you can love a complete stranger. (I ask Jadon all of the time, "What did I ever do, before I met you? Where were you all of my life? What were you doing, before you came to meet Mommy and Daddy?" Jamie responds that he was "playing on the swings with God." I have no doubt I'll feel the same way about our little Macy. Although I don't yet "know" her, there is a love and bond that happens so quickly, when you meet your child for the first time.)

~~~You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place. (Recycling is always on my mind...and saving marriages for the kids who will be in school with my kids, and being the home that kids love to come to, so they can learn the values they may not be in their own homes...and teaching my kids to be the ones who invite other kids to youth group and their parents to church...yeah, we're those people.)

~~~If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do! (Oh, Macy Bleu! We cannot wait to see your face...and fingers and toes and belly and that head full of hair that is giving Mommy such aweful heartburn!)