Life is Better With Baby

I was reading this http://www.parents.com/baby/new-parent/emotions/nine-ways-life-is-better-with-baby/?sssdmh=dm17.503745&esrc=nwpmmdailytip012411&email=811031896
article today and thought about the wonderful changes to our family in the last two months.

Samantha Adores Us

From the second she wakes up, Miss Samantha is all smiles. She "coos" and "ahhs" to me and my heart just melts! Samantha doesn't mind my excess mommy weight, she doesn't care that I'm in public in sweat pants with my hair a mess, and she's too little to talk back just yet! Sammie doesn't hold a grudge if her bottle is too chilly, or fight me when I want to dress her in pink with a big bow on her head! Her love for mommy is unconditional, as is my love for her.

You Gain a Feeling of Belonging & Make New Friends

It's nice to have someone so innocent and sweet depend on you. I don't mind explosive diapers or being barfed on. I don't mind being up to feed her at 3am. We are now parents of two-- we aren't interested in bar hopping; We'd rather watch a Disney movie on the couch. Instead of new gadgets for ourselves, we get excited to buy their clothing and toys. Our new community of friends revolve around kids, and we don't mind the change. We have traded bar-hopping weekends for picnics at the playground, followed by nap-time! We now belong with our family in our home or on adventures together, and while it's great to keep in touch with our friends from our "Before" life, we are glad love to meet other families with kids-- learn from them, watch our kids play together, and to put the kids first.

Your Heart Opens SO Wide

I knew I would love Stephen more than I have ever loved anyone or anything the moment I was told he was growing. When I got pregnant a second time, I knew that I could somehow love this baby as much as I love Stephen. The love between Josh & I grew somehow even more. Getting pregnant with Samantha reminded me of ALL I have to be thankful for and reminds me of what my priorities really are.

You Get Things Done

I know what it's like to be a working mother, but most days as a stay-at-home mom I feel like the master of multi-tasking. I can cook, clean, organize, pay bills, change diapers, and as fast as I can knock 20 things off of my 'to-do' list, another 20 things are tacked on! Josh and I do our jobs so that Stephen and Samantha can do theirs- grow up and have a great childhood to look back on. The sooner we get the adult stuff out of the way, the sooner we can do the fun stuff with our kids!

I am Reminded That My Body is Important, too

My kids can't eat candy and cookies all day because it's not healthy. Having a baby and all of the changes to my body that come with it was a big reminder that I need to follow some of the healthy eating habits that I am trying to instill in my children. I may have an additional chin, 'mommy marks' on my belly and hips, and any chance of ever wanting to purchase a bikini are slim to none, but my children were worth what my body went through and now it's time I lead by example. This is sort of a way for me to reward myself; The better I eat and the more I work out, the more things I can do with my children physically and the longer I will be able to do them.

I Know What Matters & Can Cut Myself Some Slack

My house is not going to be perfect 100% of the time. Not every meal I cook will be gourmet and sometimes I'll forget what the heck I was supposed to be doing or where I put Samantha's pacifier. Spit-up on a new outfit isn't the end of the world. Having kids makes your priorities change and some things that used to feel important, just don't feel as important as they were. I try to do my best, even if sometimes my best is just alright. I am not in a competition!

We Have Built a Family

When I look at my two amazing kids I can say, "We did that!" I am lucky enough to have a husband who is happy with me and my imperfections. I have kids who forgive me for sometimes being high-strung. Josh and I depend on each other and our kids depend on us as a team. I love my role in our family and am proud of how the Moody Chiperno's have turned out thus far.