2013: A List of Lessons from a New Mom

As a new mom, 2013 kicked my butt. I've had (and still have) a lot to learn. Here is a short list of some of the parental lessons I received in 2013.

A SMILE LOOKS BETTER THAN SHAME - Embarrassment can be funny or humiliating. When Dylan has a wet fart in the produce section of a grocery store, I die a little inside. Then I laugh. 

"ADULT TIME" IS ESSENTIAL - Mannerisms are infectious and you don’t want to be the girl that starts clapping in the middle of a conversation like a freaking baby (aka me). It’s all fun and games until you baby talk to your boss (yeah, I did that too). 

JUNK FOOD IS IN FACT, JUNK - Who knew my 8 p.m. dinners from McDonalds and chili cheese fry burritos would be replaced with organic potatoes, hormone free meats, and nutritional outrage? My son’s healthy habits start with me…unfortunately. 

WE AREN'T GOING TO PARENT THE SAME - And that's okay. My husband and I even change diapers differently. So talk, walk, and play as you damn well please. A good team knows how to come together when it matters. 

TAKE ANY SCRAP OF SLEEP YOU CAN - Babies are exhausting little creatures that will wait for the exact moment you nod off to remind you of their existence. If they offer a break, you freaking take it! 

PREP FOR TOMORROW, TONIGHT - Mornings are rush-rush and if you’re not prepared (like me), you’ll show up to work wearing every color under the sun and hope the people don’t stare. 

COFFEE IS MY BEST FRIEND - Okay, I admit that I already knew this. But best friends deserve shout outs. 

POSE THEM WHILE YOU CAN - Soon, every photo you take will be an action shot. Good luck with that.

"HE NOT BUSY BEING BORN IS BUSY DYING" -  Time is constant and we lose out when we’re hung up on losing yesterday. It's not just the babies that are growing, we are too. Celebrate now and forever. 

SYMPATHY AND KINDNESS - I used to be a judgy bitch when kids screamed and tantrumed in public. Now I find myself praying that it won’t be my baby. 

I AM A BLUEPRINT - Dylan looks to me for guidance and often mimics my reactions. If I have any say in how he behaves, it’s going to be by setting the example. 

But of all the lessons I’ve learned in 2013, the biggest has been that choice equals probability. My life is directly impacted by my choices and can either ripple with grace, or splash recklessly with ado. And as a new mommy bear, the probabilities of my choices matter now more than ever. So in 2014, I choose to choose wisely.