The top 7 ways a baby changes your life

1. Sleep

Sleeping in on the weekends at this point is pretty much equivalent to playing Dungeons and Dragons...pure, unadulterated Fantasy. Our 6:30 am wakeup call happens everyday regardless of the day of the week, holiday, race, or religion.

2. Loud Noises = Psychopathic Mommy

Nothing makes me crazier these days than a loud noise.  A car horn, a dog barking, the garbage truck coming by.  Heck, I discovered that I don't even enjoy Fireworks anymore!  And it's not her, its me. Totally me.  But that doesn't make it any better! Although she sleeps through most of it, the stress and anxiety I feel thinking she MIGHT wake up is....well, something I compare to that which I'd experience if I was throwing myself out of a plane, giving a speech to thousands of people, or riding a manatee (which apparently some chick in FL actually did). A non-parent might think this is ridiculous, but you other parents know what I mean!!

3. Time

It took me 20 minutes to check the mail the other day.  Yes, 20 minutes.  I put on Kinsey's coat and hoodie, put her in her wagon. Found the toy she likes to play with while in her wagon. Found the mail key. Picked her and the wagon up, put them outside, got them all ready to go, and started on our walk.  Walked to the mailbox, opened the mailbox, stopped Kinsey from falling out of the wagon while trying to eat grass, locked the mailbox and started our walk back.  Got home, realized she dropped her toy, went back to get it and arrived back home.  20 minutes of our lives spent on getting the mail one time. And that is just one example.  But I have to be honest here...I would take spending 20 minutes getting the mail with my little stinker in tow than spend 2 minutes to get it by myself.

It took me about 7 minutes to change her diaper yesterday bc someone kept rolling over! But how stinking cute is her little booty?!!

4. Time ALONE

Jordan....Jordan, who?  OK, so maybe it's not that extreme, but Jordan and I have had a babysitter probably 10 times in the 8 1/2 months that she has been alive.  That means we have been able to enjoy each other's company alone (Bow chick-a-bow-wow) about once per month. Not enough in my opinion, but we are going to try to start doing 2-3 times a month.  Here's hoping :P  So essentially, our relationship has gone:

From this....

To this :)

5. Perspective

I watched a TV special the other day called "Intoxication Nation" which details the partying that college students are doing and the new ways they get drunk, pass out, etc. As a 16 year old, I would have watched that and thought "That looks like so much fun!" As a 19 year old I would have thought "That's what I'm doing this weekend." As a 24 year old, I thought "Oh, dumb kids." And now all I can think of is "Kinsey had BETTER NOT do that!!!" Every movie, every show, every story is somehow related back to her and usually I end up in tears.  I know, me cry? Whatever.

BTW - this is definitely NOT me!

6. Your Closet

It's interesting how I have less and less things in my closet, and hers is just growing by the day.  I buy her new clothes about every 2 months as she outgrows everything she owns at the speed of light, and yet I haven't bought myself new clothes in over a year.  I can't help it though.  I'm sure every other mom knows exactly what I mean.  I see these cute outfits that other people are wearing and all of the sudden I am determined to buy myself something cute.  But just as I enter a store, the mall, etc I think, oh I'll just browse the kid section and I am bombarded by retardedly cute outfits that I just HAVE to have for Kinsey.  And just like that, my plan is foiled.  I leave wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt with a bag full of great outfits for Kins that I'm sure she won't even notice.

7. Love 

And finally, Love.  I have finally discovered that kind of love that you always hear other parents speak of, but don't really understand until you are there too.  Until you see your own little nugget on the ultrasound screen, barely bigger than a bean with a little heart fluttering away.  Until you feel those kicks in your tummy as they grow inside of you.  Until the first time you ever get to see them and hear their sweet, innocent, perfect cry.  Until you watch them grow and change everyday, developing their own little personality and loving you so much. Yes, life is a little more difficult and definitely VERY different, but I wouldn't change one bit of it.  I am so lucky.