Five Things Being a Mom Has Made Me Really Good At

1. Changing Diapers in the Dark

Our first night home we were sorely underprepared. After getting our little one down, we climbed into bed ourselves, unsure of what the night would bring. The first time our daughter woke up I grabbed her out of the crib and realized it was dark! I had know way of making sure she was able to latch on to eat or see her diaper to change it! My husband had to get out of bed and turn on the bathroom light every time she woke.

That next morning we got a lamp and it made nights a little bit easier. But now I'm able to do everything in the middle of the night without turning any lights on. Although this may not be a useful skill in any other scenario I can proudly say I can change a diaper without even looking!

2. Not Washing My Hair

Not to be confused with not showering. I have invested in a shower cap. But I remember hearing that not washing your hair every day was actually really healthy for it and wished I had the stamina to get through the greasy days.

Now that my free time is governed by nap time, I've become a huge fan of dry shampoo! It can save me time from washing and drying my hair and give me a little extra time in the mornings before a full day of play!

3. Surviving on Less Sleep

For the most part I'm able to squeeze in 8 hours of shut eye every night now. We have been blessed with a very good sleeper [from what I hear]. However, I can't just sleep in on the weekends. Or any day.

I guess I've made it through the worst of it but in this one area I do look forward to teenage years. The thought of needing to set an alarm to make sure I'm up by 7:00 am is lovely.

4. Critiquing Television and Movies

My husband has always been good at this, especially if it concerns cars, guns, or the emergency room of the hospital. So I usually watch Grey's Anatomy and House alone. But now that I've had a little baby I think it's interesting to see babies in movies. Often "newborns" are much larger or alert than a real newborn.

We just finished watching Parenthood [which I loved] but there were a series of new babies born into the family. After several episodes they would just disappear "sleeping" through most family events and dinners. My baby has a sixth sense.... She knows when I'm eating and wants that to be her dinner time as well. Most episodes I found myself asking "where is their baby?!" or thinking "there is NO WAY she fit in that dress 2 weeks after delivering". Movies and TV are not always great at portraying what Parenthood is like.

To be fair, I'm sure there aren't many parents offering up their newborns as baby actors. I probably wouldn't either. But based on my child's gorgeous face, I'm slightly offended that I haven't been asked yet.

5. Loving 

I feel like I heard people say "I never knew how much I could love until I had a baby" a lot. And I kind of questioned that because I had a husband and I loved him quite a bit. But I guess you don't really understand until you've had a baby.

It's as if my heart grew two sizes on November 19. It grew as I opened it up for my daughter. I love her more than words could say. Everything she does is my favorite thing.

But it also grew as I watched my husband become a father. There is something so sweet about the way a father loves his daughter. No one can make her laugh harder or snuggle closer than my husband. And sometimes I get a little jealous of that but it makes me love him so much too.

And I know how much a little daughter will always love her dad. No matter how goofy he is or how dumb his jokes are he will always be her dad. And nothing makes me happier than being able to love these two forever.