One Hundred

My 100th post, folks!

To celebrate, here are 100 things that I have learned since my first post.

1. If someone says: "she's napping really well", Alexa will wake up within five minutes.
2. Alexa's eyes are the colour of the sky on a clear morning.
3. My baby loves the water as much as I do.
4. If you give watermelon to a six-month-old, it comes out much the same as it went in.
5. It's time to go to a new diaper size when you have several exploda-poos in a row.
6. Just when I think I know what to expect, Alexa changes.
7. There's nothing sweeter than a freshly bathed baby.
8. Except maybe a naked baby.
9. Pureed green beans are a perfect colour of emerald green.
10. Emerald-coloured green beans stain when sneezed all over a white tank top.
11. Baby poop is much less gross when it's your own baby's poop.
12. That said, it's still poop and it's still kind of gross.
13. Sleep deprivation becomes normal.
14. It's possible to nurse while both mummy and baby are snoozing.
15. There's a whole new kind of peer pressure when you're a parent (I bought a Sophie Giraffe because everyone else has one. And then Alexa chucked it overboard from her stroller and I bought Sophie II).
16. Everyone thinks their own kid is the cutest, but I know that mine really is.
17. Pouting can look adorable.
18. Giving in to pouting because it's cute is a bad thing in the long run.
19. Spending a summer off work is luxurious.
20. It seems like Alexa can spit up more than went in, but she keeps growing.
21. The best toys are non-toys (remotes, electronics, pens, paper, etc).
22. The second-best toys are someone else's toys.
23. The third best toys are one's own.
24. It's possible for a non-crawling baby to wiggle herself across an entire room.
25. Travelling with a baby becomes a Tetris-style adventure of fitting things into the car.
26. We need a bigger car.
27. Being a parent takes a lot of energy.
28. Lights are fascinating.
29. Fans are more fascinating.
30. The television is magically fascinating (scarily hypnotizing).
31. Sometimes Alexa can't differentiate between Mummy and aunties Ange and Em.
32. A smile can melt even the most frustrated heart.
33. It's fun to pull Mummy's hair.
34. It's hard to pull Mummy's hair if she cuts it short.
35. It's really fun to pull Grandpa's and Opa's beards.
36. Eating a little bit of food can take a long, long time.
37. Unless it's mango. Mango always goes down fast.
38. Alexa will eat nearly any food if it's mixed with mango.
39. People are friendlier when you're holding a baby.
40. Random people have offered to hold my baby. It creeps me out when they do that and then I feel guilty for being creeped out.
41. Everyone wants to give a new parent advice.
42. It's best to take advice with a smile and then only pay attention to the bits that you like.
43. People will still think Alexa is a boy even when she's dressed in a pink dress (like the lady who remarked that it was very progressive of me to dress my boy in a pink dress. I think she was disappointed when I told her that my child was a girl in a pink dress).
44. Some babies are born with a SERIOUS cone-head.
45. Even the worst cone-head goes away quickly.
46. It's possible for a nine-month-old to be absolutely fascinated by a seven-month-old. Our friend Kieran lights up when he sees Alexa.
47. As a short mum, I was surprised that I have a tall baby.
48. Alexa isn't the baby I imagined she would be, but she's perfect.
49. Always remember your diaper bag.
50. ALWAYS remember to keep your diaper bag well stocked.
51. Swim diapers don't contain pee.

52. Holding Alexa can sometimes be like holding a little tornado.

53. When two cousins are only nine days apart, it's really easy to compare them to each other (even though I know I shouldn't).

54. Alexa thinks it's hilarious to throw things and make me pick them up.

55. Alexa also thinks it's hilarious when her daddy growls at her.

56. Time keeps moving faster and faster.

57. I have so many beautiful hand-me-down baby clothes that I feel as though I need to keep changing Alexa in order to get use out of all of them.

58. A baby can be more stylish than her mother.

59. One thousand pictures of one subject are endlessly fascinating to that subject's mum.

60. Jevon is even more fascinated by pictures of Alexa than I am.

61. "Don't grab/throw/otherwise mangle Mummy's glasses" means nothing to a baby. I wonder how many time I have to say that before she understands the words?

62. Power cords are more fascinating than non-toys, others' toys, fans, lights and the television all rolled into one.

63. A newborn will pee on the feet of even the most seasoned nurse.

64. Play dates are probably more fun for me than they are for Alexa.

65. Alexa seems to teethe when we're at a cottage.

66. Breastfeeding can be the most rewarding experience ever.

67. Breastfeeding can be the most frustrating experience ever. Especially breastfeeding in public with a nosy baby who likes to turn herself into knots to see what's going on around her.

68. Feeding a baby organic veggies seems a little pointless after you've discovered her with your winter boot in her mouth.

69. I loved being pregnant but I love being a mum even more.

70. It's easier to think of myself as a "grown up" now that I have a kid. She did what school, career, house, car, and marriage didn't do.

71. A good stroller is essential.

72. The large storage basket under our stroller is indispensable, especially for grocery shopping.

73. It's easy to feel inadequate as a parent.

74. I knew that I would love time spent with my baby. I didn't know that I would also value time spent away from my baby.

75. My house doesn't have nearly enough storage space.

76. Babies come with a lot of gear (see #75).

77. Watching Alexa grow is bittersweet because she continually outgrows each sweet stage, but each new stage brings its own joys.

78. Brand-new teeth are sharp!

79. Baby fingernails grow faster than I ever thought possible.

80. Keeping my house tidy is more of a challenge than I thought it would be.

81. I worry more about the future of the world than I ever have before.

82. Now that I have a baby, no matter how organized I think I am, I tend to be later than I expected.

83. I totally understand why some mums get into a style rut. Yoga pants are ridiculously comfortable.

84. Whole days can fly by without me realizing how (see #56).

85. Daytime television has terrible ads.

86. When someone says: "WOW, she's such a BIG girl", my body issues come to the surface even though I love that Alexa is chubby and tall and healthy.

87. My baby wakes up happy.

88. Her smile lights up the room.

89. Making baby food is easier than I thought it would be.

90. My feet are bigger than they were before I had Alexa.

91. My rib cage is bigger now, too.

92. There comes a time when sleep trumps anything else I might want to do.

93. I can shower in the time it takes the mobile to wind down.

94. I can't blowdry my hair in the time in takes the mobile to wind down - it takes at least two runs. More, if I want to style it.

95. Alexa looks like a perfect little cherub when she sleeps.
96. Alexa has us both wrapped around her little finger. Example: we spend five summers in this house without air conditioning, but bought it this year so that Alexa could be comfortable.

97. Those hilariously noisy toys that we bought for other kids are coming back to haunt us.

98. Jevon is a fantastic dad. I always knew he would be.

99. Having a baby changes everything.
100. It's harder than you might imagine to come up with 100 things.