It is amazing to think what you can learn from or about babies, children and life in general once you've become a mom. Here are 20 things I've learnt in the last 21 months.
1. To appreciate my own mother more. It could not have been easy for her to have a full time job and take care of my brother and me PLUS be a housekeeper, cook and wife. (I only work a three quarter day, so I'm blessed)
2. That life really only starts once your first child is born.
3. Children add value to life, they don't take value away. I can't understand why some people are scared to have children.
4. Seeing children suffer or being ill feels like having open heart surgery without the anesthesia.
5. Life is not about you anymore.
6. Multitasking is a new skill all of a sudden. You can hold the baby and make tea or a sandwich without messing it up.
7. Dinner can be re-heated and still taste the same....cold dinner is also ok.
8. Cold coffee / tea and flat fizzy drinks don't taste THAT bad.
9. You can look good without make-up and blowdried hair.
10. Time is not your own and definately not your to control. You can plan to the closest 5 minutes, you will always be late because your baby / toddler decides to puke on you or have a stinky nappy 5 minutes before you need to leave the house.
11. The inside of your car will never be clean again.....until they move out of the house that is.
12. Until your kids are old enough to wash their own grubby little paws, you will ALWAYS have a sticky handprint somewhere on your clothes.
13. Murphy's Law: children always get sick in the middle of the night when you either have no meds for them or you can not get to a doctor.
14. A GP does just as brilliant job as any Peadiatrician (who charges a fortune for a 5 minute consultation).
15. Going away for a weekend entails lots and lots of luggage. You either use the entire area of your dubble-cab or you use a trailer.
16. A queen size bed doesn't mean enough space for 2 adults and a toddler.
17. A shower can be done in 5 minutes....bye-bye long showers.
18. Patience is underrated (thanks for that one, K!)
19. A single smile from you baby/ child can take away sadness and anger.
20. How to love unconditionally!
