what i didn't know before baby

My sister is getting married in November. We are currently in the midst of planning her wedding and she and her fiance are busy trying to prepare for marriage. Whenever Pete and I see a friend get engaged it always makes me think of all that I didn't know before marriage. How much better marriage is than what I thought it would be but in a totally different way. And how impossible it is to explain that to someone who isn't married yet; to capture what the "difference" is between what your expectations are and what marriage is really like.

I am realizing how much this is true with parenting as well. Before Ethan came I spent 9 months trying to prepare for his arrival. I read books, bought clothes and a crib and all the gadgets that "they" say you need. I took classes at the hospital to learn about birth and breastfeeding. And yet Ethan is born and it's almost like I had to start over. Rewind the tape and start learning all over again.

What didn't I know before he was born? Well first of all - when all the moms told me to "nap now" while pregnant, I really should have listened. Since Ethan has been born I haven't slept more than 5 or 6 hours at night and certainly not all in one stretch. Another thing is that the LAUNDRY is incredible! I can't believe how much laundry I do - between wet clothes filled with pee or spit up, towels, burp cloths, sheets --- it's crazy! I absolutely never would have thought that a baby could go through so many clothes and cloths so quickly!

And yet I think the most important thing that I didn't know before Ethan was born was truly how much I would love taking care of him. For a long time the thought of being a "stay at home mom" was ridiculous to me - I thought it would be so boring! And yet here I am, over 8 weeks into my "new job" and I could not be more thrilled with how I get to spend my days. I get to see Ethan grow up (way too quickly) before my eyes - and it is an honor to be able to be there to help teach and mold and care for him.