your only newlywed's once. . .

A couple of years ago I heard the phrase. . .

"You're only newlyweds once, but once you have kids, you're parents for the rest of your life."

I don't remember where I heard it, but it stuck with me, probably because I had just had my second baby!

Shortly after I heard this phrase I was with a group of friends, all mommies, at a restaurant. Our waiter was a sweet young man who commented that he was getting married soon. Now, if you want a good tip from a bunch of sentimental mommies, just look young and sweet and mention how much you love your fiancee. . .we melt! My dear, sweet friend Janelle decided to give him another kind of tip, and sweetly started to try and explain to this young man why he should wait to start a family. After several attempts at wording, she blurted out. . .

"Kids can just suck the life right out of you!"

The rest of the mommie's gasped, not because we didn't agree mind you, (we DO live in the reality of motherhood!) but because Janelle is usually very sweet spoken and eloquent and I have never seen her lose her cool with her kids. I spoke up, remembering the phrase I had recently heard and said something like "what she means is. . .You're only a newlywed once. . ." The nice young man then quoted the Bible back to us about "children are a quiver in your heart " or something like that, and then moved on to his next table. I wonder where he is now, and if he has children, and if MAYBE, just MAYBE now he knows what we meant!

I mean, kids are wonderful! I adore mine and I thank God for giving them to me. But Mercy they are a LOT of work! That got me thinking on some of the differences in our lives since we became parents. I already posted on the differences between having 1, 2, and 3 kids, (read that here) I suppose I should have done this post first, but oh well!

BK (before kids) : We would go on weekend getaways at the drop of a hat.

AK (after kids) : We go on about one getaway a year without kids, and one with kids (you can read about that here!)

BK: We drove a small car that was kinda sporty.

AK: We drive a SUV and we are shopping for a Suburban!

BK: When I dropped something in the small sporty car, I reached for it with my hand.

AK: When the kids drop something in the SUV, I reach for it with "The Claw." It's a device that allows me to have "Super Hero Mom Arms" and reach into the depths of the SUV to retrieve lost items, all from the driver's seat!

BK: We would have quiet evenings at home where I didn't hesitate to spend an hour or more cooking something yummy I saw on the Food Network.

AK: Our evenings are punctuated by screams and giggles, and if it can't be cooked in 30 minutes or less, i don't even try!

BK: We would go see a movie at least once a week and I watched whatever I wanted on TV.

AK: "Movie Night" is a special event now, and I watch a lot of "Dora the Explorer" and "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody"- while nursing a baby.

I thought about the bodily changes from BK to AK, but let's just say pregnancy and nursing have taken their toll!

BK: I exercised an hour a day.

AK: I constantly exercise by chasing kids and picking up toys! (and yet i'm not skinny!)

BK: I stayed up late and slept in.

AK: I stay up late and wake up with the kids.

BK: During the night I would dream about my future children.

AK: During the night my children wake me up from my dreams!

BK: It was just me and hubby, and sometimes it was boring.

AK: It's me and hubby + 3, and it's NEVER boring!

BK: I thought I had a great hubby.

AK: I KNOW I have a great hubby!

BK: I got about 3 hugs a day.

AK: I get about 23 hugs a day.

There are many more, but you get the idea!