Fact: Nothing soothes a fat lip like a bomb pop. If you had asked me if I would let my one-year old daughter eat popsicles before I had children, the unequivocal answer would've been "No; kids that young don't need sweets." Ha! Hahahahaha! Old you, you are so funny!
It wasn't long into this parenting thing that I figured out Mom Karma. Meaning: Every parenting issue you get up on your high horse and swear to God you won't do...you will. And even if you don't, it won't be because you didn't already try and fail. A little advice for any new/ thinking of being new parents out there: do not throw off your Mom Karma. Don't believe me? Let's take a look at some of my sordid experiences mothering Audrey:
First of all: Somehow, formula companies know who's pregnant. They know which women are thinking about getting pregnant. They probably know you're pregnant before you do. Then the mass mailing begins: formula samples, odd coupons, strange magazines and pamphlets of useless pregnancy advice. Unlike many first time soon-to-be mothers, I pretty much just trashed these items without a second glance. "I don't need to worry about formula", I thought "I'm going to breastfeed!" (said with head held proudly high and nose prominently in the air) Ohhhhh, what a good mother I was going to be! Not like people who use formula; people who formula feed are either quitters or failures. Common knowledge.
So, it should come as no surprise that karma bit me in the butt, took me down a peg (you name it) and blessed me with an inadequate breast milk supply. BAM! Where were all those free cans of formula? Why is this stuff so incredibly expensive? Where are the coupons? I was right in the middle of something I had not only not prepared for, but pretty much despised. Thank you, humility! And even though I learned my lesson on that one (fyi: parents who formula feed are capable of loving their children just as much as parents of breast fed babies) Karma decided to make sure I didn't forget and started sending me sweet, sweet $11 formula checks...the month Audrey switched to whole milk.
That one pretty much took the cake. From then on, I started making a concerted effort to be more understanding of others' parenting choices. Just a few ways I've slipped further from my old image of the ideal parent? Using OTC drugs for teething, letting my kid gnaw on my cell phone/car keys/wallet, giving Audrey solids before 6 months and praying to God it would help her sleep through the night, having the kid with graham cracker crumbs on her face in public. We even tried to get Audrey to take a pacifier for a while and (thank God) she wouldn't.
The point is: Bomb Pops are not only a potentially addictive, super sugary treat, they're also the fastest way to heal a fat lip. The secret to good Mom Karma for me? Audrey's happy--I'm happy.
Norbert is almost 19 weeks old, the size of a mango and is happily kicking Mama's belly because he got to have a bomb pop too!
3 comments:
I couldn't have said it better myself. I was the mom that said - "My child will not eat sugary ketchup on everything at every meal like I did!" Well, guess what? When you have a child that won't eat anything you put in front of him and isn't growing and gaining weight properly because of it, and every meal is a struggle, but he WILL eat food with ketchup on it - bring on the ketchup! Everyday. I did compromise by buying the one with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. But I gladly bring out the ketchup now, and we proudly call ketchup a vegetable in our house :) Never say never.
Thanks for the heads up about the coupons, I will keep that in mind down the road whenever we decide to reproduce.
Well put and wonderfully said. I believe all mothers can relate. Young and old. You have a gift!
Post a Comment