Mommy Project 52:1 Teaching

This is the first of the 52 weekly entries for Mommy Project 52.  In trying to figure out what to write my mind first went to teaching the boys.  Seems obvious, right?  I mean, everyday, every moment becomes a teachable moment.  But then I thought about how much I've been taught through both pregnancies and raising the boys, so far. 

I've learned...

*  It is possible to love someone more than anything else in the world before you ever meet him. 

*  I can throw up two to three times a day, and still gain nine pounds in nine weeks. 
*  Stretch marks have more to do with good genes than anything else. (Thank you, mom!) 
*  Sleep deprivation can make anything seem funny...including projectile poop at 3:00 a.m. 

*  My husband is an even better man than I thought he was when we married. 

*  If you turn your head for even one minute, your three month old becomes a perfect canvas for your twenty-one month old's sticker art.  . 

*  No matter how cool the toy is, the best part of the present is always the box it came in. 

*  Nothing can quite prepare you for that first dirty diaper after your child starts solids. 

*  Daycare teachers are underpaid and underappreciated. 

*  Be careful what you say and do; your child is the greatest mimic. 

*  Knowing that one kiss from mommy can heal any boo boo makes me feel like Wonder Woman. 

*  Save your money on baby food cookbooks.  Every recipe is as follows - chop, steam, puree. 

*  If your friends give your one year old a box of percussion instruments for his birthday, either they do not have kids or you've done something to piss them off. 

*  Every chid is different and mine are polar opposites.

*  Bedtime might be my favorite part of the day. 

*  Little boy kisses are the best - even the big, wet, open mouth ones.  (Yikes, that doesn't sound quite right...but you know what I mean.) 

*  As much unsolicited advice as you receive when you are pregnant, you actually receive more when you are a parent. 

*  That being said, most advice-givers are generally good intentioned.  As such, it is best to smile and say thank you and to resist the urge to punch them in the throat. 

*  Sleep deprivation can also make you kind of snarky.  (See above.)

*  The laundry can wait.  The dishes can wait.  My little boy wants to dance to The Backyardigans...priorities, priorities. 
*  The only thing stronger than Catholic guilt?  Mommy guilt. 

 *  Nothing is more challenging, more frustrating, more exhausting, or more rewarding than being a mommy.