What no one ever told me about.............

Pregnancy, Childbirth, & Children

Here are a few things that nobody ever told me about having kids.

First of all there is no such thing as "morning" sickness, sometimes it lasts all day, for days, weeks, and months!  I was sick with all four of my kids.  I had the horrible ability to be able so smell everything!  I couldn't even open the fridge without getting sick.  I also couldn't go in public restrooms without getting sick,  not a very good thing when you are potty training one of your other children.

Another thing no one ever tells you is that you will gain weight in the strangest places~ everything grows~ and it does not go back!  I went from a size 7 shoe to a 9 by the time I was finished having kids. 

Pregnancy is different for everybody, and you won't have the same things happen to you with each child either.  It's amazing what a persons body will go through.

Childbirth really should be called torture.  Okay, I say this tongue in cheek, because I know their are some who have the best childbirth ever, and don't feel a single bit of pain.  God bless you~ it doesn't work that way for everyone.  My first daughter, was too big to come out, only we didn't know that till it was too late.  Ever had a vacuum birth?  Not pretty, I assure you!  My next two kids were relatively good deliveries, then came baby #4.  Torture!  The wonderful thing called an epidural did not work, not the first time, nor the second time.  Thankfully she was my last child, because I never will go through that again.

No one ever tells you that breast feeding is hard, not what you expect it to be. Okay, I won't go into what's best, everyone has their own opinion, I tried with the first child, it didn't work, and bottle feeding was what was best for us, for a variety of issues.  Again, though had someone told me what it was going to be like, I would have been better prepared.  Not everything is as the baby books tell you, really someone should write a book about what it's really like.

Childbirth is an amazing thing, but I think a lot of people go into it with all these crazy expectations, and when it doesn't go as plan they get upset.  Nothing can prepare you for it, because it's different for everyone.

Then there's parenthood.  The best, greatest thing on earth.  Everyday is different, and every child is different.  It's funny to see my kids in their different stages.  We look at pictures and sometimes I have to look at the date to see which one of my girls it is.  My second and fourth daughters look so much alike in their baby pictures it's scary.  Each child has their own, unique personality.

Yes, we know that being a parent is a 24/7 job, 365 days a year.   But when you think about it, it's a job that is forever.  Just think about all the rewards that being a parent brings.  You have little ones who adore you, they hang of every word you say.  Well, at least until they are teenagers!

Did you know that parenthood brings out the best, and worst of a person.  You will never get a full nights sleep again, you may never get to sit and eat a hot meal again, you may never just go to the store without having to visit the restroom either.  Well, at least till they are teenagers! 

Being a parent is the greatest thing on earth, and I am so glad that God entrusted my four children to my husband and I.  I only hope we can raise them to be everything that God wants them to be.