I did this same post at 8 weeks and at 6 months, and now I cannot believe Daniel is almost one year old. What a crazy, wonderful year this has been. Becoming a mother has totally changed my
life, and here are some things I’ve learned:
1. I’ve learned the capacity of which I’m able to love. Loving Daniel is by far the easiest thing I’ve
ever done in my life. I would absolutely
do anything for him, and I totally adore him.
Loving him this year has taught me so much about how our Father in
heaven loves us.
2. I’ve learned to admire my husband in completely new
ways. He is such a good dad, and Daniel
is head over heels for Andy. It is so
fun to see their relationship develop and have a front row seat to it. It has also been fun to become a family this
year instead of just a couple. I’ve loved
building our own traditions and having special moments with just the three of
us this year.
3. In the same vein as #2, I’ve learned how hard I have to
fight for my marriage. Our first year of
marriage was a year of learning about communication and how to connect. Our second year was pretty much smooth
sailing, but this third year has been a challenge. We’ve learned that we have different views of
family, and different expectations for what ours would look like. It is crazy how building your own family can
show you differences like that. So, we’ve
had to learn a good amount about compromise this year. We also have a child who did not sleep through
the night until he was ten months old (and didn’t do it consistently until 11
months), so we’ve dealt with becoming parents, moving to a new place, and taking
new jobs in a fog of sleep deprivation.
It has not been an easy adjustment, and we are still adjusting. But through all of that, I’ve learned that I
REALLY WANT to be married to Andy Speight.
There is absolutely no one else I want to do life with. I’ve learned a lot about his patience and the
grace he is able to give me in my worst moments, and I’ve fallen more in love
with him because of it. I’ve learned the
importance of date nights and connecting with one another even when we’re tired. Even when the babysitter costs a lot. Even when I worry about leaving my little man
in the care of another. Because I’ve
learned that I’m a better mom when my marriage is strong, so every day, Andy is
worth fighting for.
4. I’ve learned that I can function on a whole lot less
sleep than I thought I needed. I think
it is a super power moms have. I’ve also
learned that it is possible to “fight” with my husband at 3:00am because somehow
he is sleeping through the baby’s hour long cry session while I lie away
debating about whether I should go in and get him. I put “fight” in quotations because I’m
pretty sure Andy definitely doesn’t remember me ranting at him in the few
moments he opened his eyes, muttered “Is that Daniel crying?” and then went
right back to sleep. How are dads able to sleep like that???
5. I’ve learned that I really don’t need new clothes. Give me an extra $40, and I’ll spend it on
cute things for Daniel. New clothes? My old stuff is fine as long as he looks
cute.
6. I’ve learned that it really is impossible to keep a clean
house – especially when you stay in it all day long. Currently, there are toys all over my living
room, leaves and dirt by the back door, and dried applesauce, oatmeal, juice,
and some sort of prune concoction on my kitchen floor. I could pick up and mop (and trust me, I will),
but everything will look exactly the same after breakfast tomorrow. I’ve learned to be ok having guests over in
the midst of my mess. Because, truly, if
I wasn’t ok with it, we’d never have people visit.
7. I’ve learned that it is truly mind blowing the amount of
things a baby is able to put in his mouth throughout the day. We can hardly go to the park because he
spends almost the whole time eating mulch – while I spend the whole time taking
it out of his mouth so he won’t choke. These
are some noteworthy things that have gone in his mouth but fortunately not been
swallowed: the leaves off my hostas, a stinkbug, new tampons, Andy’s socks, and my very
expensive, uninsured wedding ring that he was somehow able to get off the
bathroom counter (hello early walker!). Today,
I had to call poison control for the first time when he ate my deodorant. I’ve learned, also, that poison control may
need to be a number I have stored in my phone.
8. The weight does come off. It has taken me almost a year to lose all of my baby weight, but it has FINALLY happened. I know some people lose it so easily and practically right way. I thought I'd be one of those people because weight was never a struggle for me before. I wasn't one of those people, so this year has been a bit frustrating in the area of body image. But it does come off. Unfortunately, I've also learned that even though I weigh the same as I did before Daniel, and in some ways am in much better shape than I was before him, my body just does not look the same. And I'm pretty sure it never will again.
9. Finally, I’ve learned that there is truly nothing better
than being a mom. It is the best role in
the world. Daniel brightens up
everything about my days. I am thankful
beyond words that I get to be home with him every day and that I get to see him
discover the world. It has been one of the
best years of my life, and for all the challenges, I wouldn’t trade a
moment.
Daniel Thomas, Happy
Birthday sweet boy! I’m so glad you are
mine.
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