Lesson(s) Learned

Things I have learned as a new mom:

• The first three to four weeks after bringing home your child are insane, especially if you're new to the whole parenting business. Next time, I'll try to remember: It. Gets. Better.
• I thought Oahu roads were bad... Then I pushed my sleeping newborn in a stroller on our sidewalks. Yikes!
• Just when you think you're FINALLY settling into a schedule, things change.
• eg: weekends
• I thought maternity leave would allow me to catch up on DVRed shows while rocking my new little bundle of joy. Reality: My DVR is fuller than ever, and that's ok with me. I've got something better to watch.
• Losing baby weight is no problem... There's no time to eat! Ha!
• The best gift anyone can give new parents is food. (On the off chance there's time to eat, there is definitely no time to cook!)
• All the chores that would take me a week to finish before Ella arrived can now get completed in one nap time.
• There is no longer such a thing as procrastinating. If I see something that needs to get done, and I don't do it right then, it's not going to get done. Something else will come up.
• If a baby poops, wait a few minutes. They're probably not done. (Lesson learned the hard way... I think our record is 5 diapers in one changing session.) Oh, which leads to another point
• Diapers ARE NOT CHEAP! And babies go through them fast!
• My parents highly enjoy listening to my stories of parenthood, and then sharing a good laugh together after we hang up the phone. (Ah, the joys of being a grandparent, and having your kids experience what you went through... Right, Mom and Dad?!)
• Not all babies are the same, and comparing stories with other mommies will only accomplish one of three things*:
• Provide you with helpful information
• Make you jealous
• Make you wonder if something is wrong with your child, which leads to another no-no... Google-ing.
• * Note to self: Two out of three are bad, so stop comparing!
• Getting out of the house is an accomplishment. Getting out of the house and remembering everything you need, including the baby, deserves an award! (Right, Greg?! Always double check that the baby carrier actually has the baby in it.)
• A little spit up and poop never hurt anyone.
• Grandparents are awesome. Having three sets of them is even better.
• The drier is not shrinking your newborn's clothes. They're actually growing. You just don't notice because you see them all day, every day.
• All the things I swore I'd never do as a parent (like lick my finger and wipe her face) happened in the first week of her life. 
• The "I don't want to sleep and you can't make me" cry during nap time is both heart-wrenching and insanely cute because it is soooo fake. 
• Your fur baby becomes a D-O-G. Please don't tell Lili. Poor thing.
• Dads are essential and amazing. What a tough job to work all day and then come home and give Mom a break.
• Daddy paternity leave is a blessing. We got lucky that Greg was able to take vacation and then work from home. Four weeks of help was amazing, and gave us all a time to bond, and to figure things out.
• Ella got lucky in the Daddy category. She has one of the best.
• Having a child does not divide your love for your partner in half... It doubles it.
• There is no way to turn off "mommy mode", and no way to get around the fierce need to protect and look out for your child.
• There is no job more difficult, yet no job more rewarding, than being a parent.
• Children are TRULY a blessing from the Lord.