Words of Mommy Wisdom

OK, let me first preface this by saying I am by no means a mommy "expert." In fact, as a first time mom, I can safely say there is a whole lot I still need to learn. However, now that I have been a mom for 5 months (well, almost anyhow), these are the top things I have learned:

1. Be FLEXIBLE!!! Admittedly, I have a slight Type-A personality. I wake up daily, weekly, monthly with a plan in my mind and adhere to it. The problem: Colton does not always have the same plan in his mind. I want to go to Home Depot, Colton wants to eat...guess who wins that battle? The good news, though, is that Home Depot is always there, so I have learned that rearranging is not the end of the world, even if some things get put off for days

2. Get baby on a schedule. Yeah, this seems to counter #1, but a schedule is absolutely key to Colton and my sanity. Colton eats, gets his diaper changed, naps, bathes, reads, etc. at roughly the same time each day. Again, Type-A, yes, but I swear, the days he is not "on schedule" are proof that the schedule keeps our baby boy happy. Now obviously (think #1), things come up, and we have learned to adjust accordingly, but for the most part, schedule=non-fussy baby=happy mommy!

3. Spit up and poop are nothing to be scared of. This is where I get way too open, but I hate bodily functions. I don't even look at my own business in the toilet as it totally disgusts me, so needless to say, I was terrified at the thought of changing a poopy diaper, or even worse, having a baby unexpectedly spit up on me. Remarkably, it must be proof of how much I love this little creature: it doesn't bother me in the slightest, not even after a recent week-long battle with diahrrea! Now that's true love!

4. Don't expect your partner to be the same kind of parent you are. Josh and I couldn't be more opposite in life in general, which is usually a good thing, so I don't know why I expected us to have the same values/expectations/priorities as parents. Josh is fantastic father, but he does not agree with me on countless parenting issues (including my precious schedule). We have learned to respect each other's pros and cons and work together to raise our baby boy and maintain the strong relationship we had before becoming parents.

5. Have fun with parenthood. Yeah, it's stressful when he cries and I can't figure out, and changing 10+ diapers a day can get really old, but honestly, I have never done something so cool in my life. Every day, Colton does something new, and every minute, he does something that makes me smile. There is nothing more rewarding than being a mom, and I am so glad I was given the opportunity to be his