Lessons Learned...

I am learning that I am still fairly naive when it comes to a lot of things, espcially parenting and pregnancy.

Here is what I thought:

1. my second pregnancy would be easier than my first
2. having a child already would make pregnancy go quicker and ease any symptoms I might have
3. by 1 year of age, my daughter would morph into this sleeping angel that loves having her own bed each night
4. that the terrible twos actually hit at two years, not 11 months
5. that my daughter would not grow up before my eyes
6. walking would not start until at least a year and, when it did, she wouldn't be the holy terror everyone warned me about

And here is what I have learned:

1. second pregnancies are not easier - in fact, I'm finding that I had forgotten what the first half felt like and I'm freaking out about every little thing once more (hello, self, you've been here before!). I'm also finding that my uterus, while bigger than it was, still stretches and that my morning sickness is not fading as quickly as I would have liked.
2. having a baby to chase around does not make this pregnancy go any faster and does not help me ignore the common discomforts. If anything, it makes it all the more amplified because, not only am I aching with normal things, I'm aching from all the running, bending, and lifting I have to do now.
3. my daughter has no plans of morphing into a sleeping angel. She would much rather scream all night and fight sleep, successfully ruining any chances for a decent night of rest for her parents. But, I have to say, that I still love her beyond all words.
4. the terrible twos are just an estimate. It can hit whenever your kid chooses. In our case, she decided to start early, so I'm hoping she gets past it a little early. Of course, knowing our daughter, that's not likely to happen!
5. Reality check: my daughter turns 1 in less than a month. This was made even more real when her birthday supplies arrived in the mail this week. I can't believe my little girl is growing up so fast! And it seems like yesterday that I was holding her for the first time...
6. walking starts whenever a baby decides it is time and, almost instantly, they become holy terrors - and walking head injuries! My God, my girl hits her head more than I would like!

And, thus, I am daily being schooled by life, pregnancy, and my child and I couldn't be more grateful! Because, while I have to learn the hard way, I wouldn't change a thing!