The Little Things

Since I've become a mom, huge changes have taken place. People talk about those all the time. But there are smaller, odd changes that no one talks about. So of course I thought I'd take those on today.

Parking: You'd think with a kid, you'd want those nice, prime spots by the front of stores that are reserved for pregnant mothers or mothers with toddlers. But if returning a cart is involved, such as in the grocery store, my prime spot is one next to the cart return. Because here's the dilemma: when you've unpacked your groceries in your car, do you then unpack your child as well and leave him or her while walking away to the cart return? Or do you take your child with you to the cart return and then lug them back to the car in your arms? I'm going to go ahead and assume that none of you are the types to just set your cart free in the middle of the parking lot.

Eating out: While I still love the opportunity to eat food that I don't make, or to go on a date with Rob at a restaurant. But in general, the idea of eating out turns my stomach. Sawyer has a limited time span for sitting in a high chair, and it's usually ended just about the time my food has arrived. Meaning that I eat in a huge rush, not enjoying anything, and spend most of dinner stressing over the full-time job of keeping him contained and quite. No fun. So now I'd much rather stay home and cook, or have someone deliver take out to me.

Schedule: This one is pretty obvious, but it's crazy how I have to plan around things like nap time, or when the gym has child care, or what time Sawyer goes to bed. My first thought when a plan comes up is not "Am I free?" but "What is Sawyer doing at that time?". And, "Could we get back home in time that Sawyer won't fall asleep in the car and ruin his nap?".

Invitations: Kind of along the same lines, now when I'm invited to plans, instead of thinking about whether or not I want to go, I have to think about what Sawyer would do in that space. Example: I'm invited to a cookout at the home of a family with kids in high school. The old me would think: free food. Yes! The new me thinks: high school kids--no childproof cabinets. No baby gates. Lots of electronic things for Sawyer to get into. If it's a two story house--stairs. Me chasing Sawyer around for two hours while wishing I was able to sit down and eat. I think not.

So you see, it's not just the huge things like your attitude, your sense of self, your identity, your level of selfishness that are affected by having a baby. It's where you park your car at the grocery store.