Words of Wisdom

Here are AilidhDaisy Words of Wisdom for New Mothers

(or anyone contemplating beginning a family)

1)  Marry a man who needs a lot of sleep.  Especially if you don't.  This may be frustrating for a time, but it will all be worth it if the baby takes after him!  If it takes after you... pray.

2)  Pray anyway.  No matter what, all the time.

3)  God has wonderful design for pregnancy and nursing -- your body will give the baby whatever it needs, even at the cost of your own needs.  The same thing holds true for brain cells -- in fact, the dumber you get while pregnant, the smarter the baby will be!  I do not know if this has ever been proven, but it is a very comforting belief.  It's also why I laugh to myself whenever Steve talks about college savings.  MY children will be geniuses.  Full scholarships, here we come.

4)  Anything the children do that is annoying, frustrating, or downright strange comes from your husband's side of the family.

5)  DO NOT teach your baby to say "Mama".  Concentrate all your efforts on "Dada".  "Mama" may be so cute at 10am, but "Dada" is wonderful at 2am.

6)  Take a weekend getaway with girlfriends as soon as the baby is done nursing.  It will do wonders for your marriage!

7)  Along the same lines, go to bed at the same time as your husband.  Again, this may be frustrating if he needs a lot of sleep, but will do more for you marriage than a dozen weekend getaways.  But never turn down one of those either.

8)  The phone will never ring unless you are changing a diaper.  Not really advice, but I wanted you to be prepared.

9) The world looks better after a cup of good coffee.

10)  When you find out you are expecting, invest in a nice, cozy set of fleece pajamas for your husband.  This will help considerably to ease the tension when you are burning up in the night, and will not allow the sight of a blanket in the bedroom, much less have one touching the bed.  It also helps prevent surreptitious wandering onto your side of the bed during the night as he seeks out body heat under the arctic blast of 2 fans and the AC set on 65.

11) Don't edit your photos or videos too soon.  That 10 minute long clip of the baby rolling to his belly for the first time may seem tedious once he's doing it all the time, but in another 5 years it will be incomparably precious.

12)  Don't share your chocolate with your children.  It will just make them expect it.  Besides, it's bad for their teeth.

13) Remember, potty training issues are not a sign of serious flaws in your toddler's character.  However, they do probably all come from your husband's side of the family.