…that being a parent would cause you to count hrs of sleep like precious pearls on a string, or
…that nothing else would make you so happy to give up sleep.
…that you would hork down your food just to make sure something got eaten before you were next “needed” again.
…that the songs most often heard in your home would be “Old MacDonald” and “Itsy bitsty Spider” or
…that a nursery rime about a spider could have such a calming effect on a child.
…that all the time you spent snuggling with your spouse before children would now be condensed into a 5 minute neck rub before you both collapse in exhaustion, or
…that the 5 min neck rub would mean so much!
…that the “voice” of your little one could pierce through the deepest sleep and drag you back to reality in an instant.
…that “working up” the energy to roll on the floor with your kids or build and destroy a lego tower would be better than a caffeine jolt.
…that you could nurse and infant and hold a toddler on your lap at the same time, or
…that you could play “this little piggy” on top of all that too!
I’ll tell you who knows all this stuff. It’s the mommies and daddies who have the privilege of possessing this information. Sometimes we try to kindly pass some of it along to couples who are expecting their first, but the truth is, it’s so experience based that you really just can’t give it away like advice. However, we know that the moment that little squirming (sometimes squalling) bundle is placed in their arms, somehow they will “know” too. They’ll know the truth that shines through all the other things they will learn, and that is, who knew that you could love someone so small so very very much!