Ten Things I Didn't Realize About Raising a Baby

1. I would become a frugal toy-crazy hoarder.
2. Pregnant women and babies in strollers would jump out at me on the street. I never noticed them before.
3. Hand lotion would become part of my daily routine. Cracked skin develops fast with all the hand washing after diaper changes.
4. Mass media messages I previously blindly consumed would jade me into raising my kid in a household not oriented around television, video games and movies.
5. It's possible to jam to "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round."
6. My vocabulary would become more interesting with substitutions (wiseacre, mutton-head, etc.).
7. The heavier the baby gets, the lighter our cats feel.
8. I would become very optimistic and simultaneously very worried about the future of the human race.
9. Nine o'clock is late night.
10. Something that didn't exist a year ago would become the most important thing in my life.

Comments

[tod]

#2 especially surprised me. Ever since my lil' K was born I notice baby's and toddlers ALL over the place where I never did before. And then I catch myself googling and about to go 'awe, how cute' before I remember I'm not supposed to do that (as a man). :)

[Tami]

Very sweet. Tod - you can still do that, just be sure to have pics of your own baby handy to show off!

[Joe]

Had to laugh at #7 and #9 . . . you basically took the words out of our mouths. We have a new, second son. Our first is 13 months. Late nights USED to be 9:00 . . . but, now we're back to 11:30 with the late feeding. Sort of bums me out . . .

[mike]

I only worry I will make the wrong point at times.