600th Blog Post

This is the 600th blog post for All Things Katy! Talk about milestones! When I started this blog a little over a year and a half ago, I couldn't have imagined life as I know it, today. So, in honor of this milestone, and as a record of life, here are some things that I've learned along the way...

-Children definitely learn by example and repetition. The whole phrase, "Children are like sponges," is so true! We didn't realize that always say a mealtime blessing would become so ingrained until Katy started insisting that we say prayers before we eat- even before snacks!

-Know your child, know yourself. I remember this one time when Katy had a cough that wouldn't go away. I called the doctor's office about it a couple of times but they said it could be teething, could be a slight cold but nothing much to worry about. Finally, after a week and a half, I knew that this was more than just the sniffles and I insisted on taking Katy to see a doctor. Turns out that it was a sinus infection that needed medication. Nobody knows your child like you do- trust that maternal instinct when something seems a bit "off."

-Life after having a child is challenging at every stage. At first, it's the whole "new parent, getting used to it" stage. Then, it's feeding all the time. Then it's, setting patterns and routine. Then teething, crawling, cruising, walking, talking, running. Every stage is hard in the moment but rewarding just the same.

-Gone are the days of walking out the door with just my wallet. Nowadays, it's diapers, wipes, snacks, toys for entertainment, EpiPen, extra change of clothes, bib, etc., etc.

-After having a baby, life is measured by very small increments- ounces, number of dirty diapers, number of naps, hours of sleeplessness, bites of vegetables, wardrobe changes, toys played with/put away, attention span.

-Little girls definitely have the CLOTHES!!!

-You can try to teach gender neutrality, but in the end, girls with be girls- complete with a shoe and purse fetish at the ripe old age of 18 months!

-Yo Gaba Gaba is infinitely more entertaining when watched through the eyes of your baby (and mocked by with fellow parents of toddlers).

-Having a child is full of hard choices all in the name of having and raising a child; Choosing to go back to work, then quit work to stay home with Katy, taking a long, hard look at the budget in order to stay home, saving and sacrificing in order to afford baby, Friday nights in, etc.

-Our dining room has gone from a place to eat dinner to a place for Katy to play.

-Ted's Art Room has turned into the office/guest/Katy's upstairs playroom with a complete Ikea makeover.

-I have learned a lot about what goes into the foods that we eat, thanks to Katy's allergies to soy, nuts and eggs. It has been a real eye-opener to see what goes into our bodies. It has also been a catalyst for our family to eat better, too. I've learned various brands that she can and cannot eat.
-A mother is the supreme multi-tasker.

-Phone calls for business are near-impossible with a toddler playing, crying, laughing and screaming in the background.

-You learn to cram a lot of chores and tasks into short windows of time. Unload, load the dishwasher, get dinner ready, make a phone call, clean up the toys, check emails, blog, make the bed, sort the mail and recycle all in the span of one naptime!

-I will do just about anything in order to get- and keep- Katy asleep during naptime and nighttime.

-Routine is subject to change at any given moment.

-As a parent, you are much less inhibited. You will dance, make silly faces and break out into nursery rhymes at any moment- all in the name of entertaining your child- even and especially in public. You don't care who is watching you as long as your child is happy!

-If baby is happy, mommy is happy.

-Raising a child is a lot of HARD work and not for the faint at heart!

-Having a child is a lot of fun!

-Having a child does, indeed, change everything. :-)