Husband and I are very educated people. Between the two of us, we have five degrees and countless certifications. But still, we learn things every day. And becoming parents has been one of the most educational experiences I have ever had. I thought I knew a lot about babies. I was wrong.
For instance, projectile vomiting is not a myth. I thought it was just an exaggeration. I learned that lesson the hard way when, several weeks ago, my son looked at me, opened his mouth, and sent baby puke all over himself, me, the chair we were sitting in, and the floor. Wow.
And the term "sleeping like a baby"? I would like to know who came up with that. And then I would like to step on their foot, really really hard. Because babies sleep in small increments. Which means Mommy and Daddy sleep in small increments. I saw a statistic that said in the first year of their child's life, parents lose 700 hours of sleep. That's a third of their sleep. And let me tell you, I believe it. Isn't sleep deprivation used as a form of torture in some countries?
Of course, not all of the lessons fall into the negative column. For instance: I had always heard that until 4 or 5 months, babies were like little sacks of flour and didn't do much. Another myth debunked! From day 1, Little Man was engaging and now more than ever wants to interact with us. There is never a dull moment, and since I am officially a stay-at-home Mama, I am lucky enough to get to see all the little nuances emerge in his development and personality (and video record them for Husband, who makes it possible for me to be at home).
I thought I knew a lot about raising babies, from my own experiences as a nanny and from the gazillion parenting books I read while I was pregnant. The biggest thing that Little Man has taught me? Nothing can prepare you for having your own baby. And having your own rocks.
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