Life with John Mark

So before John Mark was born I read a book called Babyproofing Your Marriage. One of the main themes in the book was about how busy the stay at home moms were and how to keep things balanced between working husbands and busy moms. I remember thinking that the book never really defined what exactly the mother would be doing all day long and Brandon and I would say to each other, "I'm sure you'll have plenty of time - it can't be that bad." I'm not that naive, I know that mothers of toddlers and school age children are extremely busy and there is a lot to manage (laundry, birthday parties, grocery shopping, chauferring, play dates, etc.); however, I was confused about what exactly I would be doing all day long as the mother of one newborn. Well, now I know.

John Mark is a really good baby. He rarely cries unless hungry and he sleeps A LOT. You think that this would leave me with a lot of free time. Think again. When I started this post two days ago I hadn't washed my hair in 4 days. You think: how can she not make 15 minutes to shower? The truth is, I may be able to scrape together 15 minutes, but there are so many things I could do with that 15 minutes that I often opt for the latter instead of shower.

It's not just priorities that change once you have a baby, your general personality changes too. Pre-baby, people who were late, poor planners, and absent minded with their time were my pet peeve, but as it turns out, I'm one of "them" now. I'll make mental plans like "cook dinner" only to get caught up in nursing and forget completely. Nursing takes 45 minutes at least and I seem to forget that if I start at 5, I won't really be done until 5:45 and if nothing is thawed or even shopped for then the chances of getting a pretty meal on the table are unlikely (even though mentally my intentions were good). I know it's only a phase and this too shall pass. One day I'll be begging for him to be little like this again (or at least this is what ladies in the grocery stores and restaurants tell me).

Speaking of people giving unsolicited advice to new mothers, here's my advice to all you preggo or soon-to-be preggo people out there: enjoy your pregnancy and don't wish it away! As you remember from my previous blogs, I was just dying for John Mark to arrive. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled that he is here; however, I miss being pregnant more than I thought I would. No more frequent bathroom visits (this I'm happy about) also means no more kicks and flutters. Being pregnant just makes you feel special...you're a human growing another human and that's pretty amazing. Now I'm just a normal person again alone in my own body. Perhaps the most noticeable difference in life pre and post baby, is that pre-baby every second is coated in anticipation and excitement for his arrival. It was so exciting to think that any second I could go into labor. We are still waiting for milestones like first words, laughs, giggles, and steps, but it's a different kind of excitement. I know most of you who are pregnant aren't really going to take this advice to heart (and neither did I back when I was pregnant) because you are just as excited as I was to get the show on the road, but it's worth saying again: don't wish your pregnancy away - revel in it. I can't wait to do it again some day...and when I do and I start to complain I hope you will remind me of this post :)

 I know people think all he does is sleep because every picture I post he has his eyes closed, so here's one with his eyes open. Also, even though you're probably sick of sleeping pictures, this pose was just too funny not to post (below).

 I love this one because I love seeing Brandon and John Mark together, but also because you can tell that, in the background, Sam is not too happy having the attention stolen from him. Look at that pouty face!