Jack, The Teacher

When you're pregnant, you constantly think of things that you want to make sure you teach your new little one. Things like, how to ride a bike, how to bait a fishing hook, how to make the right decisions and all of the others. Little do I you know, the best lessons won't be taught from you to them but from them to you. 

Here are just a few of the things little J has taught me,

1.) A clean house means nothing. It has taken me 9 long months to learn is one. I used to worry so much about how clean my house was. Not that it mattered, my house was always a wreck. No baby will ever care if the laundry is always folded or the dishes are put away. The sooner I realized this, the better off I was. I find myself starting a task in the living room because that's where J is content at the moment just to leave it half way through and start another because he wants to play in his room now. He's crawling and exploring his surroundings a lot more these days and who am I to stop him because B is running out of underwear?

2.) Name brand is useless. Who cares if you use Pampers, Huggies, Boudreaux's or Avent? Just take care of your little one. Target diapers and wipes are fantastic and are usually on sale.

3.) Breast may be best but is also difficult. If anyone tells you breastfeeding is easy, punch 'em. As a mom and postpartum nurse, this is by far one of the hardest things you will ever do. And God forbid you ever encounter a problem like tongue tie, low supply or over supply. You're bound to be attached to a pump for a while.

4.) Time is going by much faster than you think. I feel like J grows while he's sleeping. He goes down for a nap and wakes up an inch taller, no kidding. This just points out the fact that you spend too much time on your iPad, iPhone, DVR and computer when you could be on the floor watching your little one learn how to clap or play peekaboo. 

 5.) Patience. Whew. This was a hard one for me. Patience wasn't something I was exactly blessed with. As my husband and mother say, they wish my fuse had grown longer instead of shorter while I was pregnant. Sometimes the little people in your life don't really know how to express what is wrong. Actually, as an adult I don't always know how to express what is wrong with me. Either way, I want people to be patient with me while I have my moment and J is the same way. The worst feeling in the world is knowing you've been short with your baby and then there's actually something wrong like an ear infection. 

Mmmm. I love that sweet face. Here's to wiser-than-adults babies!

-J's Mom