Eight weeks and one day ago I became a mother. It feels like just yesterday, yet, seems so long ago, all at the same time. I’ve learned so much, felt so much, been so happy and been so tired… and all along I’ve been so proud of my little man and my family. He’s growing, and we’re growing. And every day our bond becomes stronger. During this time of growth, I’ve learned a few lessons along the way:
1. Diapers – You get what you pay for. We’ve tried lots of different brands, and we’ve came to one conclusion, Huggies are the only way to go for our little Leo. The kid is a poop & pee machine, and the other diapers just can’t seem to contain it. Pee leaks out the top, poop shoots out the back and the other miscellaneous forms squish out around the legs. For what we save by going with the cheaper diapers, I spend in stain stick. But good old Huggies seem to do the trick, at least more times than not.
2. Clothes – Between hand-me-downs and garage sales, it’s possible to get an entire season wardrobe for less than $20. Although there are some cute things in the stores, we’ve never really had to buy them. We’ve been fortunate enough to get some awesome stuff through garage sales, consignment sales and hand-me-downs. And of course, there’s all the fantastic gifts from the grandmas, great grandma and our friends.
3. Advice – You get good advice and bad. I’ve learned to smile graciously and accept it, and then I follow my mother’s instinct. Sometimes the advice is really useful and opens you up to a whole new set of possibilities, other times, not so much. I’ve followed my gut and so far everything’s turned out just fine.
4. Happiness – It’s different for everyone. As much as I love Leo, for me to be truly happy, I have to go to work. I enjoy the challenges and opportunities my job provides me, and know that I’m a better mom for it. I know Leo is able to tell when Brandon or I are stressed out, and the best way for me to de-stress is to get out of the house and go to work. My co-workers at jones huyett Partners are my friends and my extended family. They are a great support system and I need them in my life.
5. Childcare – Stay at home dads rock! Brandon’s great with Leo. He makes it easy for me to return to work, because I know that Leo’s in good hands. He’s everything I was expecting he’d be as a father and then some. And even though there are hard days, I know that there are very few people that I’d trust my child with as much as I trust Brandon. As always, he’s my perfect balance and helps make this family work.