More & Less Lists

Since little Kate arrived, there are some things I do more and some things I do less than before I became a parent.  Here is a list of a few that come to mind:



The face that has changed my whole world

More...

*Crying (me, not the baby)

I was never a super sappy or sentimental person.  Oh my, how this has changed.  Commercials about babies, cheesy country songs about time going by too fast, anytime I stop and watch Kate sleep for longer than a minute.... the waterworks start.  I surprise myself sometimes at how easily the smallest things can make me a mushy mess now.

*E-mails to Mom

I e-mail my mom every single day now, we never used to e-mail often.  Sometimes just a quick hi and daily photo, other times lengthy updates on Kate's sleeping patterns and latest moods.  We talk on the phone and Skype more frequently too, but the daily e-mail is what stands out the most.  Even though I'm three states away, I feel closer now than I used to just by touching base each day.



Daily correspondence with Aunt and Oma is standard

*Laundry

I don't feel like this one needs any explanation.

Hehehe... I make a lot of messes.

*Conversations about poop

We used to come home from work and say, "how was your day?" to each other.  We still do that, but "did she poop?" has also become a nightly question at our home as we review the daily report sheet from the daycare.  Glamorous topic? No.  But hey, it's important.

 

*Teamwork

Sometimes two hands are not enough.  In nearly eight years of marriage I don't think Matt and I have ever had to work together the way we have the past seven months.  There are so many times when splitting a chore makes it much easier.  Diaper changes, for example, are tricky now that our squirmy girl would rather arch her back, roll over, and flop off the changing table.  While one parent's hands are, um... getting dirty, it helps if the other can pin down the wiggly child and affix a clean diaper while the other goes to wash their hands.


Less...

*TV

Before we had a baby, after a busy day at work it wasn't unusual for us to get comfy on the couch and spend most of the evening watching television.  Now, after a busy day at work we come home to more work- washing bottles, making a healthier dinner so that Kate can have some of our veggies, cleaning up the dinner, playing with a baby, bathing a baby, getting a baby ready for bed, fixing bottles for the next day, etc.  The poor TV just doesn't get the attention it used to from us, and that's not such a bad thing.


The drying rack fills up very quickly when we unpack all our bags each night

*Washing my hair

Need a gift idea for a new Mom?  Might I suggest a shower cap, some dry shampoo and an assortment of ponytail holders?

*Judgment towards other parents

Yes, I naively made the "I will never do that with my child" comments while observing what I believed to be poor parenting practices.  Now, unless you're letting your baby play with a chainsaw or eat lead based paint, I will not even raise an eyebrow.  If it works for your family, that's great.  I know I sure don't want to be judged for all of my parenting choices.

*Church

Sadly our attendance this year has been quite sporadic.  Kate does great in the church nursery when we do make it and we're awake plenty early enough on Sundays that it's time to get back into the habit.  In many ways even though we go to church less being a parent has brought me closer to God.  I finally have a tiny grasp of how much the Father loves us if He calls us His children.  Our church is full of young families like ours and this fall they are doing a parenting series which I'm sure will be interesting.

Look closely, this is the first picture I've been able to get of those two bottom teeth!

A lot has changed, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!