Parenting vs. Lifestyle

My little cutie at 6wks old in her little car seat.

I ran across a forum and the day’s question was: How has parenting impacted your life? And what would you do differently?

My writing itch kicked in, and I posted the following response I thought I’d share here as well:

Parenting has totally changed my life. Before I became pregnant with my daughter, I was a young, successful loan officer with a much smaller waist, much larger wallet and a healthy social life. I used to sleep as late as I wanted, pamper myself on a weekly basis, and I partied down ALOT! Dancing into the wee hours and sleeping all day was not an unusual weekend routine for me. I came and went as I pleased.

In comes baby. My friend pool diminished sharply because many single, childless people seem to be allergic to kids or afraid they might “catch” one, and my time to get ready in the mornings increased from 45 minutes tops to an  hour and a half minimum. Rather than learning new personal skills, I learned how to finesse a dirty diaper and used wipes into a Kroger shopping bag with just one hand, and I learned that Nestle Good Start formula tastes TERRIBLE in coffee!I learned that babies don’t like having cold feetsies or bottoms and I was forced into facing the impossibility of fitting into my pre-baby jeans again. I’ve learned to wipe tears, kiss boo-boos and give my child magical “powers” through vegetables. I’ve had my favorite blouses ruined with spaghetti sauce and spit-up, and I long ago traded in my wonder bras for Gerber breast pads. Every aspect of my personal time and space has been repeatedly violated.

However, I wouldn’t change anything. In the midst of forfeiting selfish luxuries, I discovered the most mysterious and powerful love that only a mother understands and a child deserves.

Plus, parenting has its perks.  That’s all I have for today, but in the meantime…

If you liked this post, I invite you to read the previous one: My Love-Hate Relationship With The News. Before you go, please subscribe to this blog through the available RSS options or via email. I’d be grateful if you took advantage of the sharing buttons located at the bottom of the post. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my posts.