​Just kidding! 

Honestly, I did know the basics. I have been around babies since I was 10. And I mean really around them - changing, feeding, burping, playing - the whole shebang! So when I became a mommy, breastfeeding was probably the main thing I hadn't actually experienced before. But thankfully, mommy instinct and baby instinct kicked right in and we got it!

What I wish I'd known when I became a mom, is that I didn't have to know everything. When you become a mom, you embark on a never-ending journey of life lessons. When your baby is born, you are also born. You don't have to know it all, have all the answers, or expect to be this perfect parent, because YOU WON'T!! And it's ok.

Crazy, right? Our children are our teachers, not the other way around. We get a second chance to grow up with our kids. Live life's experience through their eyes. We are rushing to get them to school, they pause to admire the cloud that looks like a duck. We are in a hurry to eat dinner and get back to something "more productive", they want to know why broccoli looks like a mini tree. Take the time to enjoy these moments with them. Color, build forts, and pretend you can fly!!!

It doesn't matter if you use cloth diapers or not, if you put your baby on a schedule or not, or even if you choose to vaccinate or not! As parents, our ultimate goal should be raising happy and confident children who are able to experience life as THEY are, not who you think they should be. We will make mistakes along the way, forget things, and wish we'd done something different. It's ok...just remember to embrace the journey! If we can sit still, and be truly present with our children, we will learn all we need to know about being a parent.