From One Mom to Another

March 5, 2014

It’s been a little more than a year since my daughter was born and in that short time, I have laughed more, cried more, played more, loved harder, and slept less than I ever have in my life and I am happier, healthier and more fulfilled because of it.  I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous about becoming a parent, but it is absolutely the best thing I’ve ever done!  It is also the hardest, scariest thing I’ve ever done!  In my thirteen months of parenthood, I have learned enough to fill a lifetime, but these are a few of my favorite lessons.

It takes a village….

It’s true!  Now, that village does not have to be family, but if you’ve got it close by, lucky you!  We moved to be closer to ours and it is wonderful, but I’ve also discovered the power of moms’ groups.  As soon as we got here, I joined the neighborhood MOMs club and searched Meet Up for every mom’s group in the area with similarly aged children.  A new parent thinks their child’s sleep, eat and poop habits are fascinating, but your friends without children will not.  I’m not saying dump your friends, just expand your circle.  Believe me, you NEED someone to talk with about these things because it’s helpful to see what’s working or not for others.  It’s also good for your sanity!  Finding parents of similarly aged children is key because when it comes time to get together, a 15 month old naps very differently than a four month old (do four month olds even nap?!) and if your kids can enjoy similar activities, it makes a nicer get together for parents too!

 

Let something go….

To make space for something new, we must let something go.  It’s a rule I’ve never been able to follow with shoes, but I have whole heartedly adopted with parenthood!

So that I may be the type of parent I want to be, there are simply not enough hours in the day to do all of the things I did before Parker was born.  This is not just because I was in perpetual motion before she came with a to-do list that was always a mile long. This is simply reality.  It’s also true that I would RATHER play with her, teach her, nourish her, love her than do certain other things I filled my day with before she was born.  Parenthood forces you to prioritize and that’s a good thing.

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Write it down NOW….

I always heard to write down your birth experience as soon as possible even if you’re tired, because you will forget it quickly and you’re not going to get more rest anytime soon.  So true!  What I hadn’t read about was quickly recording Parker’s experiences.

One of the best gifts my mom gave us was a calendar to keep in Parker’s room so that as she did things liked smile for the first time, roll over, eat solids, sit up, etc. we would have an easy place to quickly record it.  Every day she does something I want to remember and if I waited to put it neatly in her baby book, it would never happen! She is learning things so quickly and changing so fast, that I don’t want to miss a moment.

 

Be flexible….

I love a good list and a well constructed plan, but babies could care less about those things!  Can I just tell you about my thorough birth plan?!  However, my daughter had her own idea about how and when things would go down, and that is pretty much the story of my life now.  I plan activities all the time for us, but I don’t get too attached to them because I know that a nap or lack thereof or a mood or an explosive diaper could change everything.  Guess what?  I’m ok with that because I chose this life!

Relax and enjoy…

 

BEST. ADVICE. EVER!!

 

-Jolynn Baca Jaekel has been a fitness professional for more than a decade. Her first child, Parker,  just turned a year old this January. Jolynn, her husband Rob, and Parker recently relocated from NYC to Washington D.C.

 
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