A couple days ago I wrote about my top 10 mommy confessions for my sons first year. I have decided to spin things around and also point out my top 10 things that I feel I did right. So, without further ado:
Money- I am grateful to my parents for having taught me about the inner workings of a trust, the market and interest. When my son was born my husband and I set up a savings account for him along with a trust, a trust fund and a life insurance policy. After all, what is the point of having kids if not to have someone to take care of you when you get old? And I'm pretty sure he'll need steady finances to do so, so why not get him off on a good foot? Nursing home in Hawaii, here I come! (Sarcasm... To those who are reading too far into this...)
Not afraid to be goofy in public- While at the grocery store today I came to the revelation that I am that crazy woman making strange noises to entertain her kid. Only, I tend to take it up a notch or two. A year ago I was one of those people that thought a child should be seen and not heard unless otherwise spoken to... And then I became a parent. My shopping trips have become more like going to work as a ring leader in a miniature traveling circus: My son and I make animal noises at random, race car sounds when I push the cart around corners and I've been known to shake the cart pretending there is an earthquake to get a great big belly laugh out of my little cart passenger. I'm not ashamed, and I admit to enjoying these games. As long as my son has a smile on his face the 'Quack, Quack' sounds will persist in the isles of my Target.
Bought him a great pair of shoes- I was a little overzealous with my credit card when I found out I was going to be a mommy to a little boy. He had clothes and toys galore before he was even born. By the time he started walking he owned 8 pairs of shoes. 8 pairs of glorified socks (since that's really all those soft bottom shoes are). When my son started walking, however, I knew that he would need a good pair of shoes- something that would teach him to walk correctly, give him support and wouldn't hinder him so much in the transition from learning to walk barefoot vs. with shoes on. I splurged on a pair of grey Nike's that my son LOVES. He now owns 3 pairs of shoes, of which the Nike's are the only ones he is able to run in without issue. I plan on buying a new pair soon, as he is growing so quickly, and I feel it's important that he have shoes that offer support while he is still getting the hang of this whole 'walking' thing.
Breastfeeding- One of my greatest accomplishments! I knew I wanted to breastfeed in order to give my son the best start I could and despite all my troubles that inevitably lead to needing prescription medication to help me boost my milk supply, I stuck with it. My first goal was to make it to 3 months, then 6 months, 9 months, then a year. My goal now is to wean my son OFF the breast by 2 years! I love the bonding time with my son, I love the health benefits it gives him (he's never been sick to this day!), but I'm not so sure my back or my breasts can handle much more! Not to mention I'd love to get my breast back for a bit before having to give them up to a new child.
Monthly footprints and mementos- It's amazing to me how many mother's wish they had kept up with baby books or took footprints or more photos of their kids. It's a regret I did not wish to share, so I have diligently kept up with my sons baby book where I write every milestone, or all my sons little quirks (example: March 2012- Nathan sneezes every time he gets cold), as well as taking monthly hand and footprints. The plan is to take yearly professional family photos, along with the mini photo shoots I take of my son every couple months. I'd much rather look back and say 'Geez, I took TOO many photos' than 'I wish I had more to remember those days'.
ABC's and Numbers (English AND Spanish)- There's this theory that kids are born with the ability of learning any language, and the brain cells not used for the particular language they hear daily slowly die off. Considering our regional location my husband and I have decided that our son should at least be introduced to the Spanish language while he is little. While I sing the ABC's to him mostly in English, I do on occasion sing them to him in Spanish (along with any and all songs I remember from all my years of Spanish class in school- one sure fire way to get my son to laugh hysterically is to belt out a verse or two of Cielito Lindo, as long as you leave it all out there with the 'AYE, AYE, AYE, AYE's').
Outings- I LOVE taking my son to see and experience new things. We recently completed a Run or Dye 5k, went to Boo at the Zoo for Halloween, kept up with our monthly La Leche League meetings and while on vacation to San Diego went to the Air and Space Museum to check out the Ripley's Believe It or Not exhibit. While the town I live in has very little to offer, especially with a young child, I try my best to introduce my son to new things. Aside from the 'places' we go we also spend a lot of time outdoors, whether in the desert where we go off-roading or playing in our own fabulous kid friendly backyard. I aim for at least an hour of playtime outside or somewhere new a day- my son loves to explore and I love that it wears him out!
Picking my battles- I have my bad days, and my good. I have a high energy kid that is hard to keep up with. I worry about him, but know that he needs to learn by exploring. He climbs on the furniture, he pulls the dogs ears, he throws his food and always leaves messes in his wake. If it's not life threatening, going to cause injury to himself or another, or crossing a boundary he is in full awareness of I try to let things be. I've tried correcting every little thing in a day and all it did was leave me emotionally drained, my son in a bad mood and a whole day ruined. He'll learn, but it's a slow process. Why not relax and let him enjoy being a kid for a bit?
Owning pets- I know in my 'confessions' post I mentioned that my son has a way of acquiring a handful or two of dog food a day before I am able to get it out of his reach (wait, I only admitted to one or two kibbles a day? Well, then, I'll stick to that...), but one thing I AM happy about is that my son is able to grow up learning not to fear animals. I very much dislike both extremes to this that some parents inevitably teach to their kids: either the 'fear all animals' side or the 'pets are disposable' side. I want my son to grow up loving our dogs as members of the family. I just hope eventually my son is able to distinguish the fact that he is not a dog, and stops trying to eat their food and playing in their crate.
Hugs and Kisses- I've kept journals since the age of 3. The only things legible from the first year or so are lists of the people and things I love: "I love Mommy', 'I love Daddy', 'I love my doggies', etc. I want nothing more than my son to grow up with love in his heart. (Cue the 'Awwwwe') I tell him I love him no less than a million times a day, I steal kisses (and recently started getting kisses back from my son- only he comes at me with his mouth wide open like he is going to swallow my face whole), and I hug him often. I so look forward to the day my son can say 'I love you, Mommy', but there is no doubt in my mind that he doesn't already feel my love for him.
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