What I've Learned in Eight and a Half Months

So, I have been at this parenting thing for 8 and a half months now and having not been given an instruction manual upon Caroline's arrival I have been able to learn a few things...

I have learned...

1. The importance of swaddling!!! The best swaddling blanket ever is the Miracle Blanket. http://www.miracleblanket.com/ Those of you expecting a baby should highly consider this blanket. Caroline went from sleeping 2-3 hours a night to 6+ hours the night we started using this blanket!

2. Prunes really make for an interesting and very messy diaper!

3. Exersauers are a lifesaver...especially when you need to use the restroom or do something around the house.

4. Daddy's are more apt to sleep through ANYTHING! (Or at least Caroline's Daddy!)

5. Baby proofing your house REALLY is necessary!

6. Swimming in the bathtub at 2pm is a totally acceptable form of entertainment.

7. Pots and pans really do provide for hours of cheap enjoyment.

8. You really do not need all the crap they tell you to buy at Babies R Us and Pottery Barn Kids. Although it may all be very cute, it's truly not all necessary.

9. Owning a pass to the zoo is a blessing! Thanks Mom and Dad!

10. Having family in town is a HUGE blessing!

11. Allowing babies to feed themselves with a spoon really does create a mess and chances are you will have peas and carrots on your walls.

12. Don't put a swim diaper on your baby until right before you get in the pool! (This is very important). If you do put it on before going to the pool, the chances of having a wet mess are quite probable. The swim diapers hold the pee in once the diapers are "wet" not dry. And who knows if they really hold it then either... Chances are the pee still goes into the pool... You know you all still pee in the pool too! Just like babies! :)

13. Removing the crib bumper so that the baby will not keep using it as a step can be a very tramatic experience for the little peanuts! (Miss Caroline has apparently become attached to her bumper and was not happy when I took it away so she wouldn't continue to climb on top of it. I had to put it back, so she would be a happy girl again).

14. The "My Breast Friend" nursing pillow is MUCH better than the "Boppy!"

15. The Diaper Dekor smells terrible! (Do all diaper pails smell this bad?)

16. Smock dresses are by far the cutest children's apparel ever!

17. It takes at least 15 minutes to actually get out of the house with a baby.

18. Watching your husband pray with your daughter every night is by far the cutest thing in the world.

19. A smiling baby really does melt your heart!

20. Being a mother is by far the best adventure of life!

These are just 20 of the many things I have learned thus far. Of course there is so much more to learn from this amazing experience. Being a mother to Caroline is truly the best blessing in my life!