You might be saying to yourself, "Katie, you are not one year old. Is Zoe keeping you up at night? Are you not getting enough sleep?" You are correct. I am 28 years old. I am also never getting enough sleep. I would sleep like a teenager for the rest of my life if I didn't have to care for Zoe or if it were socially acceptable. We should really change that. There are far worse things that are socially acceptable these days. Just something to consider.
Anyway, on Zoe's first birthday I turned one as a mommy. Nate and I successfully brought her through one year of life. We had a lot of help. I have learned many things in Zoe's first year of life and the seven months prior. (I didn't know I was pregnant until about seven weeks along. Oops.) In the last year and change, I feel like I have learned more than in my four years of college and also forgotten everything I learned in college. Here is a reflection on some of the things that I have learned in the past year.
First, I have forgotten everything. My mind is blank. I don't remember things. I used to be able to tell you what people were wearing at lunch three years ago. Now I can't remember what day it is or how old I am. I'm not kidding you, when people ask me how old I am, I have to stop and think. I feel like I am losing my mind. The best part is that I CAN remember what puzzle they were trying to solve on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I also can sing you all of the songs from Zoe's Leapfrog learning pet, Violet.
I studied better for this baby than I ever studied for any test in my life. I willingly read books, articles and whatever websites I could find. I will research everything before I buy it for her. My mom and I went shopping for a lightweight stroller last week, we were in Babies R Us for an hour. There are about seven lightweight strollers there. I spent hours researching before we even left for the store. I have read about poop, car seats, diapers, wipes, feeding, formula, nursing, broken tail bones and so much more.
Thanks to Google and the lovely internet I have become well informed on many matters and have lost a great deal of sleep. The Internet is a new mother's greatest ally and worst enemy. If you are considering formula feeding your child, shut down your computer right now and never use Google again. When I finally gave in to exclusively feeding Zoe formula after two months of pumping and trying to breastfeed to no avail, the Internet and the media were not my friend. Where I live there are terrible billboards that say things like my child will become obese, have diabetes, and may not bond with me if I feed her formula. Thanks media for that lovely vote of confidence and for really being honest with me. I was strong enough to take it. I was getting like 5 hours of sleep intermittently over 24 hour periods and I was a ball of hormones. Bring on the criticism! The internet does help though. There are moms groups on Facebook that, if well managed, create a great support system. There is a lot of good information out there about how to swaddle your baby or baby food recipes. I don't know how moms did it before the Internet because I am so glad to have so many answers at my fingertips.
Did I ever think I would learn or worry about someone else's bodily functions as much as I have? NO. Someone gave me great advice, and if I remembered through the haze that is my brain, I would tell you who it was, but it went something like this: "My wife and I decided that if we weren't going to worry about it when they are 16 we don't need to worry about it now." Great point! Will they poop at sixteen? Yes. Will they know their name? Yes. Will they answer to it? Probably not, but not because they don't know it.
I have learned more about car seat safety than I ever knew. Now, I look at everyone's car seat for safe installation and then think, "Katie, get a hold of yourself." We were strapped into much worse. Heck, our parents were thrown up on the back dash. If they were lucky, they would get themselves a little baby tan up there. Did you know that babies are recommended to rear face until age two? I didn't until I was pregnant. I also didn't know that you are supposed to read your owner's manual to find out the best practice for installing a car seat in that vehicle. I learned this upon installing Zoe's second car seat. She was about a year old.
Here’s a list of some more things.
- Babies cry for no reason.
- Mommies cry for no reason.
- Prunes are very effective.
- Formula is liquid gold.
- New baby smell beats new car smell any day.
- You will obsess over how much your baby eats and how much your baby poops.
- Crying over spilled (breast)milk is completely rational.
- Having an hour alone to fold laundry and watch Blue Bloods is like a vacation.
- Air travel by yourself as a mom renews your faith in humanity. People can be very kind to a mom flying on her own with a baby.
- Daddy’s days off are the best days.
- There is a point in your life where you think, “I may never sleep again.” It passes.
- You can break your tailbone during childbirth. (Please pardon me while I adjust my chair pillow.)
- Showers are a luxury.
- Yoga pants are the best pants for when you are chasing a baby around on your hands and knees.
- Having your baby admitted into the hospital is the scariest thing that will ever happen to you. I pray that it doesn't happen to anyone else.
- Going to church with a little one is like running a marathon.
- You begin showing characteristics of the paparazzi. “Mommy just needs one more shot!”
- You care less and less about your home looking perfect.
- You never want to snap another snap ever again in your life. Lining those things up while your baby tries to Chuck Norris kick you in the face is maddening.
- Your baby will only wear every pair of socks once, after that, one sock of the pair is lost forever.
- Having other moms to talk to is NEEDED.
- Rocking your baby to sleep is emotional and the best part of many days.
- After the baby is asleep, you miss her.
- There are times where you can’t wait for the baby to wake up.
- Your parents are never too old for snuggles. You are their babies.
- You appreciate and understand your parents more than you ever have.
- Being a mom is the best job.
The moment we met. Swoon.
Me and my girl.
