Life Since Motherhood: What's Changed and What Hasn't

Happy Mother's Day to all those mamas out there! Are you doing anything special with your family? We had dinner at my mom's last night and today we are having brunch with my dad then heading out to our local garden center to get some plants and flowers so I can play in the dirt!

Teacup Human was born a little over a year and a half ago, sometimes it seems like yesterday and sometimes a lifetime ago. She is the absolute love of my life and I thank God every day that I get to be her mama.

Over the course of my pregnancy and new motherhood, I knew things were going to change but I also knew somethings were going to stay the same and get even better.

What's Changed

I don't give a fuck. After college, I wasn't much of a person who cared about strangers opinions - it was a long process to get there, but I got there. After Teacup was born, I stopped worrying about other peoples' opinions all together. My main concern is my baby and what she needed. Now granted, I give more weight to what my husband and family think, but that stranger in the grocery store? Fuck 'em.

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My tolerance for idiots. I've never had a high tolerance for morons, but when I'm functioning on little sleep and just want to be home so I can cuddle with my baby, that tolerance is almost gone. Nonexistent. There is murder in my eyes and I will let you know my feelings. I especially don't have tolerance for public places that don't have changing tables but do have highchairs. I don't care if it doesn't fit your esthetic. You know what's going to ruin your esthetic? Me changing my child's poopy diaper in the middle of the dining room. 

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Bodily functions don't gross me out. When Teacup was a week old, we took her newborn pictures. During this photo session, I got peeped and pooped on simultaneously. It was a nice "Welcome to Motherhood!" Since then, I've had my fair share of changing blowouts (it really can go all the way up their back), randomly getting poop on my hands, catching vomit, and being handed chewed food was deemed unacceptable. Plus, babies really do have the cutest farts.

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I am ten times more organized. I was always an organized person. In high school, I loved using my planner for writing down assignments, due dates, and the like. This trait followed me to college and beyond. For 2017 I had a regular paper planner which worked fine, but was lacking. For 2018 I upgraded to the Plum Paper ME planner and absolutely love it! I'll do a separate post on it later, but just know it's kind of the best thing and I would be lost without it.

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I'm more emotional than ever. I was always an easy crier, but now I cry at almost everything that brings upon strong emotion. Remember that Amazon commercial where the dad buys his dog a lion mane so his baby won't be afraid of him? Instant tears.

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What Hasn't Changed

I get to spend plenty of one-on-one time with my husband. It's not as much as before Teacup was born, but we still carve out time for just us. Whether that's watching TV after she's gone to bed, hanging out on the couch reading while she naps, or having a date night we ensure we keep our relationship strong. It's harder, yes, but it also allows us to enjoy our time together all the more.

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I am able to carve out time for me. Recently I've started doing Yoga with Adriene and I'm obsessed. It's definitely helped me be more claim and keep my racing thoughts at bay. It's helped me fall asleep quicker, and stay asleep, as well as be more present each day. I'm not toting this as "the cure for all your woes" this is just what has worked for me.

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Baby giggles are the best thing - and make it hard to discipline. If you tell me you don't at least smile when a baby giggles I'm going to call you a liar. It is one of my favorite things when Teacup giggles. The drawback is that when she does something bad and giggles when I scold her, I have to look away. I can't help but smile, which defeats the whole purpose, because "if Mommy is smiling and laughing I'm not doing something wrong." Joe is definitely better with disciple because he can keep a straight face.

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I care about my appearance. I'm not vain about it, but I also don't (purposefully) leave the house with unbrushed hair and dirty clothes. I've perfected the five-minute beauty routine - eyebrows, eyeliner if I'm feeling ambitious and have time, mascara, and lipstick. When I look good, I feel good.

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I drink alcohol. I'm not a lush about it, but after a long day and a cranky toddler a nice class of red wine goes a long way

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I have time for my friends. We're all quite busy and at this point are either married, having babies, or have had (multiple) babies, so I'll admit it's tricky to find time. But the nice thing is with today's technology, we're always within reach. We may have to schedule a night out months in advance, but it's always worth the wait!

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Toddler Toy Review: Best Choice Products Bump and Go Action Learning Train

About Best Choice Products Bump and Go Action Learning Train :

Best Choice Products presents you the Smart Train. This colorful train has many ways for your baby to have fun. It has lights and sounds that will keep your baby amused and entertained for hours. Your baby will smile and laugh watching the train's eyes move and its mouth open as it rides around. The train comes with colorful blocks that your baby can place into the shaped holes. It even has a fun phone game on top of the train so your baby can make all their important phone calls free of expense. The train is also equipped with a Bump and Go moving function that allows it to keep moving even if something were to get in front of its tracks. Your baby will find endless enjoyment watching the lights of the chimney and listening to the melodious music of the Smart Train. 

We purchase our products directly from the manufacturer, so you know you're getting the best prices available. 

FEATURES: 

• Helps babies learn their ABC's and shapes while having fun, 
• Bump & Go feature allows it to change directions and run when it bumps into something, 
• Equipped with lights and sounds to amuse your baby, 
• Facial features (eyes and mouth) move as it rides around, 
• Includes phone game on top of the train. 

SPECIFICATIONS: 

• Product Dimensions: 7"x 3.5"x 5.5", 
• Weight: 0.5 lbs, 
• Color: Main color red. 
• PLEASE NOTE: Our digital images are as accurate as possible. However, different monitors may cause colors to vary slightly. Some of our items are handcrafted and/or hand finished. Color can vary and slight imperfections in the metal work are normal and considered evidence of the hand-finishing process, which adds character and authenticity to those items.

        

My Thoughts

What a fantastic toy! And the amount of detail and thought that obviously went into developing it is truly impressive - just look at how well-made it is, with even the silver pipes on the side to make it more realistic!

This battery-operated interactive toy is wonderful for children who are ready to learn about shapes and colors, as well as simple counting and first ABC. The train has color-coordinated slots for letters A, B and C on one side, and numbers 1, 2 and 3 on the other. Your child will learn to recognize and match the shapes in order to get the plastic elements inside the wagon. My daughter is a bit too young for this just yet (18 months old), but she is already trying! At this point, she hands me the elements and demands I put them in myself, or allows me to guide her hand. And she's thrilled with the results! Thanks to this train, she also learned to say "open", when she wants me to open the back door so she could take the letters and numbers out.

The direction on the box states that this toy is designed for children age 3yo and up, so that is something to keep in mind when purchasing. The plastic elements are small enough to potentially be a choking hazard, so I never allow my daughter to play with the toy unsupervised. She is a quick learner, though, and I hate to hold her back, so we often play with the toy together, even though she's only 18 months old now.

When turned on, the train moves around happily. It seems to have some sort of sensor that allows it to recognize when it bumps into obstacles. It then easily turns and changes direction. There is a big yellow face on the front - the eyes are blinking and moving around, and the mouth is opening and closing (as if it's laughing). On top of the wagon there is a dial phone - a nice touch!

It's a colorful, well-designed toy, that keeps my child entertained and happy. She's fascinated by the loud melody and choo choo sound, and she is having plenty of fun matching the shapes. I can see that she's starting to connect the dots on her own now, which makes me extremely proud!

I think this is a very beneficial toy worth adding to your child's toy collection. Personally, I think it's a gem!

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of the product in exchange for my honest review.