Single Life vs. Mom Life

Before I say anything else, let me say it loud and clear... I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PREFER MOM LIFE!!! I cannot believe that I waited 26 years to have a baby, but that was the timing that was right for me in my life and it is so perfect! It really is everything that I imagined and so much more! I have however, noticed changes in my life. Changes that I was never really fully prepared for or even considered. Hopefully this will open the eyes of those who are expecting and make those of you who have experienced it laugh a little and relate to me a little... Here are the changes that have occurred in my life in the past 17 days:

1. Laundry day is every day. I used to get by with doing laundry only every other week (We may or may not have a lot of clothes) when it was just Spencer and I... Now I do a load of laundry at least every day! Between the occasional spitting up which usual conquers not only her clothing but a blanket, burp rag and my clothes and has gotten the bedding quite a few times as well, the explosive diapers (beware... they usually happen when you are out and about or hanging out with friends) and just normal laundry (now that I have started to actually get dressed for the day and not wearing the same thing day after day) it just piles up! In 2007 I moved to Provo, UT and at that time my Mom gave me a huge bucket of laundry soap. I'm still using that laundry soap and it's gone from half full to practically empty in two weeks! I haven't bought laundry soap in 5 years!!! I honestly don't even know how to buy laundry soap or which kind is best to buy! Yes, I'm having a mini break down about this. I just need to take a deep breath and relax. Basically, laundry never stops with a baby! Thank you Mom and Dad for the washer and dryer!!!

2. Your senses evolve. I was well aware that babies spit up, poop all the time, and that gross things would occur daily. I didn't however, factor in the gross things that I would be going through at the same time, but all together there's a lot of new nasty that has been introduced into my life, but for some reason it doesn't matter to me at all. I don't care when she spits up all over me, it doesn't matter when she burps nasty formula burps directly in my face. The liquidy poopy diapers make us laugh instead of making us throw up a little, and when she poops in her tub, we take it like a champ without flinching. I feel like my senses have evolved for the sake of my survival as well as the for the sake of my baby. It's quite an amazing experience! Spencer even let me spit this nasty wasabi wrap sample into his hand at the store, in public, after it made me gag... we didn't even think twice about it. My sense of smell has heightened to the point where I know if she even has a wet diaper, my sense of hearing is AMAZING - I can hear her spit up even when I'm in a different room of the house and I can hear her breathe in the wee hours of the morning when I'm awake and wondering if she's okay. My sense of touch has softened and has never known anything more spectacular as the touch of my own child's skin and hair. There's also the most amazing feeling in the world... Having her little hand curled around my finger. Aniston loves to be held. If we put her down anywhere whether it's in her crib, on the boppy, or in her swing, she does okay for a few minutes and then she whines until we pick her up and then she smiles and becomes so happy and so content to just be held by either Spencer or I. And yes, we believe that she is really smiling... no way that every time we pick her up she has gas. My sense of taste unfortunately has not changed, but that's also a good thing I think, and my sense of sight has never been so good. I have trained my eyes to be able to see her tiny chest moving up and down even in the dead of night from 5 feet away! I kind of feel like a super hero with super powers because of my heightened senses.

(kind of looks likes she's flipping you off... my bad)

3. Diapers with a soiled indicator are AMAZING! There are so many different types of diapers to choose from (all expensive) but the ones with the indicator that let's you know when your baby has soiled a diaper are incredible! The person who invented them should be a millionaire!!! Genius idea! Makes life so much easier! Also I'm almost 100% positive that it was a man who invented them...

4. Naps, bathing, and eating are a luxury. It's sad, but so true. Even when Aniston is sleeping I won't take a shower because I'm scared that in the 2 minutes that I could effectively bathe, something will happen. I have to wait until Spencer gets home, but then there's so much to do with the two of us that time just disappears and the bathing just doesn't always happen like it use to. They say you should sleep when baby sleeps, but then how does anyone get anything done? When she's asleep I move her to whatever room needs cleaning and clean, then by the time I'm done she's awake and ready to eat. Once she eats she falls back asleep (unless it's at 2am when she wants to be awake and play) and we start the cycle all over again. Spencer often asks me well into the day what I've eaten, and most of the time I can honestly say nothing. That's not such a good thing, especially when it comes to nursing and what not. My day starts when she wakes up early and is ready to eat, and ends when she eats and goes to sleep. She is my top priority and my needs come second to hers. I love my food, but these days I'm just too tired to remember to eat.

5. Baby wears the pants. Maybe it's just my family but we often talk about different couples and who wears the pants in their relationships. Sometimes it's the girl, sometimes it's the guy, and sometimes it's fairly even. Spencer and I think our relationship fits into that fairly even category, but now everything is different. Our schedules and our life and what we do and when we do it completely revolve around Aniston and what she wants to do and when she wants to do it. Who knew that such a little baby could have such control over life. Lucky for us she's not too demanding so far.

6. Your house may never be clean clean again. I can keep the living room pretty clean, but the kitchen these days always seems to be littered with baby bottles and formula and nursing materials... the bath room now hosts a baby bath and all of her bathing essentials in addition to all of our stuff we already had in there. In the morning when we wake up in our room there are bottles everywhere, on both nightstands and on the desk, from her late night/early morning feedings, and then of course there's the laundry everywhere and honestly I have probably made the bed twice since Aniston has been born. Hopefully I can learn to manage my time better, but for right now it is what it is. This is why we don't invite people deeper into our house past the living room. Aniston's room has tons of clothes in baskets that need to be put away and flowers and headbands everywhere, but that cleaning just hasn't happened yet. I'm pretty excited that the living space that most people see is able to stay clean, but my goal this next week is to get the entire house clean and then to keep it clean... That is if I can tear myself away from holding my super cute baby and kissing her chubby little cheeks!

7. Your husband changes completely... for the better. Spencer has always been a supportive and amazing husband (I am so lucky), but since having Aniston he has been even more AMAZING! He gets up and feeds her at night (this is why I pump... haha) he changes her diaper when she needs it (most of the time) and he has been so helpful in every other way. He makes sure I am eating and let's me take my much needed baths at night. He even watches Aniston so that I can attempt to take naps! He drives slower, works harder, and loves her so much more than he loves anything else... besides me of course. Being a father is probably the best thing that could ever happen to Spencer and I feel so blessed that I get to be such a huge part of it!

Those are just some of the changes that I have experienced so far, and even though I am usually reluctant to change, these have been amazing changes and I wouldn't want life to be any different. Not being prepared for the changes were probably a good thing because it has forced me to adapt and to learn to accept change. These days as long as Aniston is happy and healthy and I at least remember to brush my teeth and to put on deodorant we are golden!