Nothing in Life is Free

I've learned a lot already by having a baby. Lately Ive been reflecting on the idea that you must give in order to receive. This applies in different areas of life and, I suppose, I already knew this. However, having a baby has reiterated this point in my life. For example, I was laying in bed last night thinking solemnly about the things that I miss about being pregnant. Then I remembered all of the things that I now get to do with Cole since he is an outside baby. I was also thinking about how dramatically my life has changed since the morning I found out I was pregnant and how much more it changed the moment Cole entered this world. I never could have prepared myself for this. Sometimes I get down when I realize how much I have to give up to be a parent but that only lasts a second because I get so so much in return. Change is hard to accept and this is the biggest change that has ever happened to me. So, I decided to make some lists just to prove to myself how much I am receiving from being a parent by giving up so much of my former self.

Things I miss about being pregnant:
-Feeling Cole kick , it depresses me so much that I can barely remember what that felt like
-Eating everything I wanted (esp when it was perfectly acceptable for me to have dessert for dinner)
-Carb Lunch ;) (getting away with things that I normally wouldn't)- yes, I may have used that to my advantage once or twice, but hey I was carrying a person around INSIDE of me!

Things I miss about my independent life:
-The beach with friends
-Being spontaneous
-SLEEP
wait, wow- I cant even think of anything more at the moment because I have realized how much more meaningful my life has become. So when I think about things to add to this list, it makes those things sound very minuscule and unimportant.

Things I get in return from being a parent:
-Unconditional Love- something I have never known before
-The chance to watch a baby grow day by day into a toddler, child, teenager and adult
-The chance to teach someone with a completely blank slate as much as I can about the world
-The chance to get to experience every life experience over again like it is new by sharing it with Cole
-Meaning, a reason to thrive
-I get to play with toys all over again and I have a perfect excuse to do so (hotwheels at that)
-A new cuddle buddy
-Unexpected surprises every day as he learns new things

I finally can say I have truly never been happier to have Cole in my life. Being a parent is the hardest job, just as much as that saying is cliche. However, I wouldn't trade this job for anything and I am so glad that my life has taken this turn.