Through the Years...

So, I spent this afternoon sitting on the couch with my kids watching home movies. The first one we watched was from February of 2002... when Jordan was just nine months old. My oh my, was it funny. I spent a lot of time observing my parenting skills, since you know, I was barely out of high school and Jordan was my first baby and all. Let's do a little compare and contrast shall we? I think I've changed a bit in the past seven years.

Back then... I was totally stressed about making sure that any future viewers of our home life documentary were well aware that I did NOT let Jordan get as messy as he was on camera, every single night. I also listed each item that he'd eaten that day, obviously checking to make sure that every major food group was covered.

And today... While I was working in the garden yesterday, Henry came walking out into the yard, stark naked, holding a cup of yogurt that he'd retrieved from the refrigerator, and a spoon he'd pulled from the dirty dishwasher, still smeared with the last bite of someone else's peanut butter. I rinsed the spoon off with the garden house, dried it on the butt of my shorts and handed it back to Henry. "Knock yourself out, kid," I said.


Back then... I asked Josh to distract Jordan so that I could get his diaper and his sleeper on him without him rolling over, since, you know, I wasn't sure I could do it by myself.

And today... I sit on the floor and pin Henry's limbs to the ground with my own legs and change his diaper and clothes in 17.4 seconds.


Back then... I spent nearly an hour sitting on a blanket in the front yard tossing a little plastic ball to Jordan, and clapping when he rolled it back to me. Then we read stories, then we practiced walking, then we ate a fully balanced, completely healthy lunch.

And today... Wait, has anyone actually seen the baby today? Someone go find him, and then grab a cereal bar for him to eat in the car. That'll do for lunch, won't it?


Back then... I looked forward to my two hours of "me" time every afternoon when Jordan took a nap.

And now... Me time? Ha!! That's funny.


And now for a few unrelated notes to my 2002 self:

Hey MommyJ... um, you know those overalls you wear every other day? Not near as cool as you think they are. Oh, and I know you aren't used to those things being so big. I realize they have NEVER been big before. But you're breastfeeding, woman! Buy a decent bra, cause you know, they don't really belong all the way down there!! And don't worry. After you breastfeed your fourth baby, I promise they'll disappear again. Trust me on that one.