Insights on being a mom

Alot of my friends have been announcing that they are pregnant lately, and it got me thinking about being a mom. I am not writing this for anyone but me, so if you're looking at this post, don't feel obligated to read this or to agree with what I'm saying. I'm just rambling (and for those of you who know me very well, I do that quite often!) So here are my insights on being a mom (or I guess a parent in general).

Things you never thought you'd do BEFORE you became a parent:

• Wake up in a panic in the middle of the night because you DON'T hear a noise
• Touch poop with your bare hands (yes, it will happen at some point in your parenting life)
• Talk baby talk (for those of you who never have, kudos to you because it's just so hard not to do it sometimes!)
• Watch the same Disney movie 9 billion times in 2 days (want to watch Toy Story, Hannah?)
• Change a diaper in crazy, crazy places (on the trunk of your car, on your coat on a public bathroom floor, on your lap in the front seat of a very full car--believe me, you get quite good at being creative AND sneaky)
• Get peed on, pooped on, and thrown-up on all in the same day--and sometimes multiple times in the same day
• Leave your house thinking you look okay only to discover you have spit-up ALL OVER your shirt (this was a daily occurrence for me with both kids)
• Cherish a binky/blanket so much that you are willing to drive all the way back to who knows where and search unthinkable places just to find it
• Run down the aisles at Walmart to beat that other mom to last last package of size 3 diapers (does anyone else have a hard time finding them?)
• Have conversations with your spouse about the consistency/amount/color of your child's poop (this is much to Ben's protest). And just to clarify, this isn't a regular occurrence with me--only when the kids are sick. Maybe it's the nurse in me. I don't know.
• Realize that you are far more or far less patient than you ever thought you would be (it depends on the situation)
• Think statements like, "That's good crunch, can't get enough" and "I've got an idea!" and "Super Readers to the rescue" are hilarious (probably only funny when it's your own kids saying it, I know)
• Pick another person's nose (I am OBSESSED with keeping my kids' noses booger-free)
• Spend your Saturday nights playing in the aisles of Toys R' Us instead of out to dinner and a movie
• Become a grandma driver before you even reach the age of 30 (there are multiple facets to this one--the first drive home from the hospital you will be scared to go over 25 mph; you will learn to drive while holding a binky in a baby's mouth or while searching frantically for the binky that fell out. If you ever see a red Pontiac swerving on the road, it's just me trying to find a binky while driving instead of pulling over--I'm SO bad, I know. I'm trying to be better)
• Tell endless stories to everyone you meet about your amazing kids (sorry to all of you who have had to listen to me!)
• Love someone so much it actually hurts even though that person has never said the words "I love you" back (and believe me, the first time they do say it, IT'S AWESOME!!!)
  
• To sum it all up--I LOVE MY KIDS SO, SO MUCH!!! Being a parent is not always easy, but it is by far the MOST amazing thing you will EVER do.