12 Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Parent

The other day Cali, T, and I were all in her room while I was trying to (unsuccessfully) unpack from Boston (for the 4th day in a row). T realizes that Cali has a gross diaper situation happening and (of course) tried to get out of dodge ASAP. 

No worries though. I assessed the situation and used my lightning fast ninja skills to trip him in the doorway. Then I plopped Cali in his hands and we set out on what has become an increasingly impossible task: changing Cali's diaper. 

SHE. SMELLED. SO. BAD.

And wouldn't quit moving.

T is holding her up with his hands under her armpits while her legs are kicking and hips are swinging. I am trying to very carefully yet quickly take off the diaper while trying to keep the poop inside the diaper and not let it fall out while she's doing her acrobatics.

With a diaper full of crap in one hand and a million wipes in the other, I look up and see the biggest smile on Cali's face.

It's like she knew what she was doing and started taunting us. 

T and I laughed with her. It was hard not to. 

Two grown adults were being swindled by a 20 lb. 1 year old. 

And we loved every second of it.

In that moment, I couldn't help but be filled with complete happiness. My heart almost exploded with happy. But it also made me think about things. That's not exactly the scenario I pictured when I dreamt about having a baby. There have been a lot of things I've learned since having Cali and I thought I'd share them here.

These are things that I've learned since becoming a parent.

1. Perfection is not only unattainable, but boring. That diaper scene wasn't pretty. There is a very good chance I had any amount of fecal matter somewhere on my body and Cali never stopped moving. But our family had a moment. A sweet, funny, albeit smelly, moment. And moments are memories.

2. "Predictable" is something you can live without. Not that baseball lent itself to predictability before Cali, but at least I could take an educated guess as to whether or not I would shower on a daily basis. Now? I can't even tell you if I'll get to pee alone today. But I'm actually alright with that. Surprises are fun.

3. You will never, ever, ever, never, make everyone happy. Whether it's Cali's nap schedule, my food choices for her, what toys we do/don't own, what clothes I put her in, etc. there are always people that agree and people that disagree with my choices. It will always be that way. I eventually had to realize that I can't please everyone and have to do what T and I feel is right for our family.

4. Don't judge. Because chances are you'll end up doing something one day that you've judged someone else for in the past. It never fails. 

5. Lack of sleep can make you mean. It's true. I think I've mentioned before that sleep deprivation is a form of torture in war and I totally get it. T knows not to talk to me until I've had at least 3 cups of coffee. Before that, I'm not liable for anything I say or do.

6. Sometimes in life, you have to do what you don't want to do. You know what I'm talking about. Sometimes you just have to accept that it is what it is and put on your big girl panties and get it done. Whatever it is, it's worth it for that tony human you're raising.

7. Germs might not "build your immune system" but they won't kill you either. I wouldn't say that I was ever a germaphobe but I definitely never thought I'd stick Cali's paci in my mouth to "clean" it or let her feed the dog with the same hand that she feeds herself. Go ahead and judge me but read #4 before you do.

8. Single parents are super heroes. And that's a fact. I wouldn't make it through most days if it weren't for T helping me keep my sanity.

9. I am capable of doing hard things. You know, like, parenting. 

10. Internet searches are the devil. My Google searches have been known to turn my pregnancy into a brain tumor, make me think I should have a 2 week old (or a 1 year old for that matter) sleeping 12 hours straight, and introducing me to coconut butter (which is the cause of 5 extra pounds hanging around). 

11. Your "ideals" are probably not realistic. Whatever it is that you think is ideal, is probably not how reality will turn out. Everybody has their own scenarios but you have to learn to enjoy the "imperfect" moments.

12. Family and faith are what truly matter. Not a new car or a big home. Not what kind of or size clothes I wear. Not where we live or what the weather is like. If I have my God and I have my family, I am perfectly great.

Life Lessons from Children's Stories

I recently came across this infographic called 30 Quotes by Dr. Seuss. That Will Change Your Life. While I think that is quite a bold statement, it got me thinking about how many "life lessons" are woven into children's stories. Now, there are definitely those books and movies that have no life lesson, much less, a point at all. 

For example, my sweet friend, Laura, gave me a book called Good Night, Gorilla as part of my shower gift. Her son loves this book and it has a 4 star review rating on Amazon. I can't figure it out. If you can tell me the life lesson in here (aside from "Don't marry a zoo keeper") then I'll stand corrected.

Anyways, there are a lot of kid's books that have valuable lessons in them. Being a parent is tough and we all need a little encouragement sometimes. Seeing as how it looks like the only books I'll be reading for the next few years will be pulled from the children's section, I figured I might as well take what I can from them.

So I've compiled a list of 15 uplifting quotes taken straight from our kids' stories.

1. “... and she loved a boy very, very much-- even more than she loved herself.” 

      ― Shel Silverstein The Giving Tree

2. “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I know I can.”

       ― Little Engine That Could

3. "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

     -A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

4. "It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. But my mom says some days are just like that."
     - Judith Viorst Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

5. "...because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.” 
     - Margery Williams The Velveteen Rabbit

6. “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it."
      - J.M. Barrie Peter Pan

7. “But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the
      chance might be of striking lucky, the chance is there."
     - Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

8. “And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.” 
     - Maurice Sendak Where the Wild Things Are

9. “For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”
     - Rudyard Kipling The Jungle Book

10. "Safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you!"
      - C.S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

11. “Never hurry and never worry!” 
       ― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

12. “'Why did you do all this for me?' he asked. 'I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you' 'You
        have been my friend' replied Charlotte. 'That, in itself, is a tremendous thing'."
        ― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

13. “I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.” 
       ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

14.“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” 
      ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

15. "I will not play at tug o' war. I'd rather play at hug o' war"
      - Shel Silverstein Where the Sidewalk Ends

So, there ya have it. These are some of mine and T's favorite quotes that we've found. 

And now to completely change direction on you guys, Cali pulled up to standing by herself today and I almost cried tears of joy and sadness at the same time. 

Too big. 

Too fast.

Until next time.

50 Things I Want to Teach My Daughter

1. Dumbing yourself down isn't cute. Embrace knowledge.
2. Respect your body. You can't ask someone else to if you don't.
3. Modest is hottest. 
4. Be brave. Try new things and don't be afraid to fail.
5. No matter what you do or where you go, your dad and I will always be here.
6. Despite what the world tells you, a kiss is special. Save it for someone who believes that too.
7. Don't tell someone that you love them until you're 100% sure you know what that means. Love is forever.
8. Always admit when you're wrong. We learn from our mistakes.
9. It's OK to have regrets. We learn from those too. 
10. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
11. Be quick to give a smile. It could brighten someone's day.
12. Always forgive. Nothing is unforgivable.
13. Read lots and lots of books. Both for learning and for pleasure.
14. Take school seriously. There will come a day when you'll wish you'd worked harder.
15. Don't do things just because others are doing them. Be bold enough to go against the flow.
16. Figure out why you believe what you say you believe in. Be ready to defend it to anyone that asks.
17. Feelings are OK but they're also not a solid foundation for our choices. Use both your knowledge of right and wrong and your gut to determine your course of action.
18. Never speak out of anger. Once something is said, it can't be unsaid.
19. You have no idea what others are going through. Be kind.
20. If your friends make fun of you for standing for what you believe is right, they're not your friends.
21. Don't ever make a life decision based on a boy. 
22. Also, don't let your emotions be determined by the relationship you're in. Find your joy in the fact that you're a child of God.
23. We can't control what others do or say but we can control our own actions. 
24. Love everyone without expecting anything in return.
25. Always say thank you to those that extend help.
26. Work hard and do everything to the best of your ability. As long as you give it your all, I'll be proud no matter what the outcome.
27. Material things will come and go but happiness in life is your decision.
28. No one is beneath you. Be humble.
29. You're going to make mistakes; that's expected. Forgive yourself and move on.
30. Find things that you enjoy doing and spend a lot of time doing them.
31. When you are greeting someone, look them in the eye and give a firm handshake.
32. Don't use your body and/or your looks to get attention. If someone doesn't like you without those things, they're not worth your time.
33. It's OK if we don't see eye to eye. You don't have to be just like me.
34. If someone points out a personality flaw in you, take a moment to step back and see if they're right. If they are, work hard to change it. If they're not, move on.
35. Sometimes we have to do things in life that we don't want to do. Get over it.
36. Be independent but don't be afraid to show your weaknesses. There is power and freedom in being honest and real.
37. Good friends are hard to come by. When you find them, make time to keep them in your life.
38. Don't live life out of fear. Make bold decisions and be confident enough to go higher. If you fall, it's OK. You'll always have a place to come back to.
39. Think about the consequences of your actions before you make them. Don't make dumb decisions for instant gratification.
40. "A wise man learns from his mistakes. An even wiser man learns from the mistakes of others."
41. You are capable of doing hard things. The reward is worth the effort.
42. You are beautiful. 
43. Find pleasure in the little things.
44. Develop the ability to laugh at yourself.
45. Everyone in life has different abilities and talents. "Don't compare your outtakes to someone else's highlight reel"
46. Don't stress. God will come through for you.
47. Enjoy the outdoors. Nothing is more beautiful than God's handiwork.
48. Guard your heart. There will come a day when a worthy man (that has been pre-approved by your father and me!) will ask for your hand in marriage. You'll want to be able to give him all of your heart and not just what's left of it.
49. God has been gracious enough to give you an earthly body. Take care of it with discipline and self-control. Be respectful of the gift He's given you.
50. Accept God's grace. We'll never earn it, live up to it, deserve it, or be able to repay it. That's OK. Love Him with your entire being and accept the gift of Jesus.