I have learned a lot in my first year as a mom. It's one of those things where you need to live it to learn it. The books can help and make suggestions, but there is no one right way to do anything.
First lesson, take every piece of advice with a grain of salt. There is no one right way. If there were, there would be no debates, no multiple books contradicting each other. The Always's and the Never's get tiring. If you treat advice as suggestions and act based on trial and error, finding a system that works for you and your family will be much easier.
Second, I yell more often than I'd like to. Not at Harrison, but at the dog. Cinder gets a bit over zealous sometimes and now that Harrison is walking, she can't seem to stay out if the way.
Third, pick your battles. If it's easier to let him play with the used gum container to avoid a tantrum and doesn't cause any harm, then by all means. But when you say No, it stays No. I nannied in college and the moms mantra was "Say Yes as much as possible, but No when you have to" which I quite enjoy.
Fourth, if your child is healthy, well fed, and generally happy, you're a good parent. Breast vs formula, cloth vs disposable, stay-at-home vs working, etc, it's all a matter of personal preference and one way of living doesn't work for all families.
That being said- Fifth, I love breast feeding and I urge every mother to give it a try (though I know it doesn't work for everyone). It's snugly and sweet and not to mention all the health benefits for both mother and baby. Harrison will be weaning shortly, he's ready and I'm ready, but we're going to take it slow. Pumping sucks, though, no illusions there.
Sixth, try and try again. Some things may never work, but others might if you give it a try. Like starting solid foods. Harrison will eat just about anything, he loves food. But some foods we took a break from, like carrots, and came back to later. Now he likes them. Or bath time. He used to hate it, now he gets all excited and loves to play in the water (he is also now using the big bath instead of his baby tub).
Seven, breathe. Sometimes you just have to remember to breathe.
Eight, you will be tired. A lot. I now sleep through the night, around 8 hours with one early morning nursing, and I am still so tired. I think the weather has a lot to do with it, too.
Nine, sometimes you need to have a dance party in your kitchen.
Ten, being a mom is awesome! It's exciting and fun. Sure, it has its challenges, but we all blunder through. Watching Harrison learn and grow into a person is incredible. He picks things up so quickly and learns before I even realize it.
Soon he'll be talking along with walking. Today is his one year doctor appointment so we'll see how much he's grown.
I love babies! I had a dream the other night where Matt and I had twin girls next and we couldn't figure out what to name them. Twins would definitely be exciting, but I think Matt looked a bit terrified when I told him about the dream.
Now back to momming.
Yep. That's the pizza box.
