42 Things That Change When You Have a Baby

I just read my friend Crystal Mueller's Blog and she had a post about this. I googled the article she was talking about and I think a lot of these things are SO true for myself. I copied the 42 things here and "bolded" the ones that are particularly true for me at this point. It truly is amazing how much your perspective changes!!

42 Things That Change When You Have a Baby:

What changes when you have a baby? A better question may be: What doesn't change? Here, writer and mom Rebecca Woolf lists her most notable post-baby observations. Then scroll down to read our favorite comments from readers about how their babies changed their lives.

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. You respect your body ... finally.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

And some Comments from some Readers:

16. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth."

17. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth."

18. "You now know where the sun comes from."

19. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have."

20. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers."

21. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night."

22. "Silence? What's that?"

23. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having."

24. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had."

25. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule."

26. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one." -AMEN AMEN AMEN!!

27. "Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog."

[Many readers begged to differ, saying things like, " I disagree with number 12. My dogs are my additional children," "Nothing about previous babies, whether two- or four-legged, changes when a new miracle comes along," "My dog will never be 'just a dog," and "This is sad to me. My dog is still my baby too."]

-I know a lot of people argued this one but I do see what the reader meant. I love my dog like crazy!! But before Dom, he was my BABY and I wanted to take care of him like crazy and do all these things with him. Now that Dommie is here, I still LOVE him, but he's my dog...

28. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late."

-I never realized how long it could take someone to drop a kid off at daycare! I stay for at least 5-10 minutes every morning watching him get down and play with the other kids. I miss him the minute I get to my car. Even if he screamed the WHOLE way there! :)

29. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury."

30. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger."

31. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place.

32. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do!

-This one I agree with to a certain extent. The first moment I saw Dom, I wasn't in love...let me explain. I had just struggled with a LONG labor and delivery and ended up with a c-section. When Dom was born I was throwing up from the drugs and shaking and just miserable. I didn't care when I saw him. All I wanted was a warm blanket and to go to recovery. I was so afraid of post partum depression. After my 3 hour stay in recovery and I was wheeled up to my post partum room and got to see Dom for the first time, THEN it was definitely LOVE at SECOND sight!

33. You start to appreciate Sesame Street for its intellectual contribution.

34. You have to quit watching the news because you see every story from a mother's perspective and it breaks your heart.

35. You just plain love life more - everything comes together and becomes better because of one tiny person and your love for them.

36. You finally find out the real reason you have those breasts.

-Haha

37. In response to #2 [above], I'd say that where you were once afraid, you're now fearless. I was always very timid and shy and let myself get walked all over … but now where my kid's concerned, I'll speak my mind and really connect with my inner "b"!

38. The support you get from other people surprises you, because the people giving it are not always the ones you'd expect.

39. Nothing is just yours any longer. You share EVERYTHING!

40. No matter what you've accomplished in life, you look at your child and think, "I've done a GREAT job!"

41. You want to take better care of yourself for your child.

42. You can have the most wonderful conversation using only vowel sounds like "ahhh" and "oooo."



It is crazy how much things change and how grateful I am every day for those changes.

I love you Dommie!!