Wow. I have neglected this blog for far too long now. Probably because I felt like I kept repeating myself in every post. Leah is amazing, we are having so much fun...blah blah. This is still true of course, but I didn't want to bore you with details. Leah turned 2 years old exactly 1 month ago. I was looking back at some of my old posts when I was pregnant and when she was a newborn. I'm so glad I posted all of that! I don't remember much of it until I read it (and laugh). It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago, but I never imagined being the mother of a 2 year old! It sounds so weird when I say it still. Long gone are the days of no sleep, having a baby on my boob 24/7, worrying about EVERYTHING she did or didn't do, having no time to brush my teeth/shower/eat/clean/go anywhere. I now have time to do all of these things and I get to teach my child how to do them as well! She is becoming so independent, maybe even a little too much for my liking sometimes! I can remember wondering when I would have a little more freedom from the needs of a small baby, and now that the time is here, I want her to be little again!
Becoming a mother was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. I have had people ask me what it's like to be a mother, how I do things, how I cope with staying home, how I take care of other people's children...basically, how do I stay sane? It's true, taking care of children all day, every day can be exhausting, stressful, frustrating, exhausting...oh I already said that...mind numbing? That doesn't sound right. For some reason I can't think of the right word and it's probably because I spend all day singing children's songs. My mind isn't as sharp as it used to be. This is an example of what I'm trying to say. Anyway, what I've learned so far in my life of being a mother for 2 whole years, is not to sweat the small stuff. You always hear people say that but, I mean, REALLY, don't sweat the small stuff!!! Kids will be kids. They will ruin stuff, they will scream when they don't get what they want, they will use your furniture as their jungle gym, they will get dirty (reeeally dirty), they will find everything you ever will try to hide from them, they will poke/pinch/slap/punch/kick you when they are angry, and they will always use your most expensive eyeliner to "play" with. None of these things are the end of the world. These are ways your kids learn. They learn about their environment and how to act, what is appropriate and how to get the end results they want. They are discovering how to be people. Most of the things kids do are actually pretty hilarious if you just let yourself see it. I've always been able to laugh at the absurdities of many situations. Having a child has tested this, but I'm glad the quality remains or I may have gone crazy by now. I may even want another one (or 2)! So maybe I am crazy. All I know is that I love my kid more than anything in this world and that may make me nutty sometimes but...I am the mother of a 2 year old now! PS..I will also be using this excuse to be nutty probably until she is out of her teens. So, if you are weighing the pros and cons of having children, or wondering what kind of mother you'll be, just know that once that child exists, you will never love something more. Everything else will come with time and experience, so don't sweat it! All you need is love (and lots of snacks). Corny enough for ya?
