5 Things I've Learned In My Son's First 5 Months Of Life

I admire babies. They have so much to learn from us but they also teach us so much. My son has learned so much in the short period of time he has been on this earth. I remember when he was born like it was yesterday and now he is 5 months old! As he has grown, both of us have learned many things.

• Enjoy the little things, even if it is just for a second.
  Every little noise or little new thing that he sees is so intriguing to him. Whether it be a new sippy cup or the wrinkling of a bag of chips, he becomes so fascinated. He always has to stop and look at all the little things in life, that as an adult we would typically miss throughout the day. In reality, just having a baby teaches you to enjoy the little things no matter how gross and messy they are. I remember when Joshua had his first baby food poop, I was so excited (but still disgusted) at the fact that it was more solid than normal!!

• Shake it off!
  A few days ago Joshua got his first booboo. We were playing and as I was helping him stand, he fell face first into the bottom part of his high chair. He looked at me as tears filled his eyes, I swooped him up in my arms, started singing to him, and the biggest smile appeared on his face. Recently, I have received criticism for being a stay at home mom and it hurt, but if my 5 month old baby can get over smacking his face on the high chair, I can get over a few harsh things said to me. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt... but as Taylor Swift sings, “Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it off.” The faster you shake it off, the quicker you will begin to feel better.

• Everyday is a new day.
  Yesterday’s worries are behind us and the worries of today will only be with us until naptime -- or at least that’s how my son sees it. He just lives one day at a time. If something goes wrong one day, it doesn’t follow him into the next day. It honestly doesn’t even follow him to bed. As long as he gets fed, cuddled, and changed, he doesn’t care. He may not understand what he is doing, but he lives his life to the fullest and doesn’t let anything stop him.

•  Express yourself freely.
  I’ve come to the conclusion that the moment my son found his vocal chords, he realized that is how he can express himself. Much like myself, he hasn’t shut up since the day he found them. He sings with me when I sing. He squeals when he is happy, angry, or hungry. He loves to laugh and make noise. At home, in the store, even at church, it is like we have a little pterodactyl with us at all times. He doesn’t care what everyone else thinks, he found his vocal chords and wants you to know!

• Love unconditionally.
  Above all else, my son has taught me to love unconditionally. There are days where I don’t want to mess with him and I let him cry just a few minutes longer than normal when he wakes up. He still loves me. I may not change his diaper on time or feed him immediately but he still loves me. There are even days where I get mad at him for no reason and he doesn’t care, within minutes his tears turn into smiles. Joshua has taught me not only to love others unconditionally but to love myself. If he can love me without holding anything against me, then I should love myself even if it is just the slightest bit. Loving yourself can definitely be hard but it is easier to love yourself when you realize that someone else loves everything about you and doesn’t care what you do wrong.