Until I Had A Toddler

These are some things that I have never done, and never imagined I could do...that is, until I had a toddler.

1. Picked up literally 500 things off the floor ever day.  And without ever being sure just HOW the socks got into the kitchen again, or the tupperware got under the crib.

2. Been completely amused, or rather doubled over in laughter, by one word or expression that comes out of a tiny little one year old.

3. Felt such extreme anger toward another child, when they cause intentional physical harm to my child.  Just as blown away I am by how much love Reilly has in her, I am just as blown away by how hateful children can be at the age of two.

4. Be able to fly out of bed at any hour by the sound of her cry.  Or her calling "Mommy! Mommy!", which she is undoubtedly realizing makes me melt, and is the quickest way to get me to run to her.

5. Been able to feel such intense pride for an accomplishment that isn't even mine.

6. Shared my favorite food, no matter how many times she says "More".  Just because she is so sweet (and says please).

7.  Had the stamina to sing the same song 65 times in one day (La La La La, Elmo's World!)

8.  Find the energy to dance around the house with her, while being 4 months pregnant and Reilly just wanting to nap.  If during my last pregnancy, you would have come up to me while I was laying on the couch, and told me "Next pregnancy, when you are this tired, you will get up and play chasing games around the house just to hear your baby giggle.", I would be shocked.  And wonder where I would find the energy.  And then probably go back to sleep.

9. Acquired a mother's instinct, at the age of 24, out of seemingly nowhere.  I know what it feels like now.  It's this tiny voice that says, "Hm.  That makes me nervous for some reason."  And then, your child gets hurt, and you wonder why you didn't listen immediately to that voice.  And you vow to always listen to that voice.  That's the mother's instinct. And when you see veteran mother's act on it, they seem like super heroes, and you wonder "Wow. How did they see that once coming? They just grabbed that choking hazard so fast, before I even saw it!"  That happens after years of the mother's instinct talking to you.  You hear it.  You get faster at acting on it.  But I realized it's not super-hero-esque...it's just knowing your child.  Each mother knows their own baby so well, that they are able to know what will make a child smile, laugh, cry, fall down, or get scared. In turn, we become their voice and protector when they are too young to be it for themselves.  The mother's instinct, is THEIR instinct, before they can listen to it themselves.  This realization is more and more fascinating to me as Reilly becomes more mobile and independent.


10.  Be so excited to hold such a tiny little hand, all day long.