Change

The transition from being us to be parents has been a relatively smooth one for us. We have been very lucky. The following is not by all means a comprehensive list but rather some observations along the way in our journey into parenthood.

You know you are a parent when:

1. Someone points out the baby sick running down your back and you ask "Is it just on the one side or have I got it down the other as well?"
2. Someone points out the baby sick on your top and you throw something convenient over it to hide it from plain sight e.g. a scarf, a bag strap or even your hair if it is long enough
3. You are never without a packet of wet wipes - never know when you will need one.
4. Leaving the house is a military operation in that the timing is crucial to the success of the mission
5. You trade your handbag in for a nappy bag
6. You have no qualms about sniffing your baby's bottom in public. Well....better safe than sorry!
7. You have no qualms about baring parts of your anatomy in public. Better that than a hungry, screaming baby
8. You start talking in a very strange singsong voice to your child and start referring to your other half as Mummy or Daddy
9. You pick out the baby's outfits for special occasions in advance. You wear what is clean on the day.
10. It ain't over till the little baby sleeps!

Still, it is an exciting journey. Every day is a little different. It amazes me how Munchkin manages to evoke such extreme emotions in us. He can make me very sad but more often he makes me ecstatically glad. He needs us and we most definitely cannot imagine life without him. People told us that things would never be the same again. What they didn't say was how much better it is and how you can hold the true meaning of happiness in your arms.