So, you think you want kids?

             Before I had kids, I imagined what life would be like as a mother.   In my mind, I was going to be the perfect mother.  I envisioned myself picking up fresh food from the market on my way home from work so that I could make fresh organic baby food every night, make wholesome dinners when they got older, have an endless supply of energy so that after dinner, we could spend “quality” time together.  Then, I had kids and after that, reality set in.
I’ve seen young girls and women looking at babies and toddlers.  I’ve seen that look of longing on their faces.  You can almost hear them saying, “Oooh, that baby is so cute!”  “I can’t wait to have my own.”  I just want to tell you this, STOP THAT!  For those of you who don’t have children and are wondering about what you’re missing, I am here to tell you this, don’t be fooled with those sweet smiling angelic faces, those infectious laughs, or those beautiful big eyes!  It’s all a trick! 
                Yeah, those babies are cute and adorable, as long as they’re clean, fed and burped.  But they’re not like that twenty-four hours a day.  You should be around early in the morning when the baby wants to be fed (and by early, I mean 2 a.m.), or when that super smelly diaper needs to be changed, or anytime during the day when the baby is hungry, cranky, irritable, crying, screaming, and Mom has no idea why this baby is crying, or what to do to make that baby stop.
                Better yet, come and see what it’s like when you’re tired and irritable because you just really want to get a nap in and you can’t ever remember the last time you had a good night’s sleep.  All you want to do is crawl in bed, pull up the covers, turn off the alarm, and not wake up until sometime next week.  But you can’t.  That little big eyed baby is looking at you, babbling about only God knows what.  And you’re struggling to stay awake, wishing that someone, no, anyone would come and just watch this little “bundle of joy” for a few hours so that you can get some long overdue sleep!
                But that rarely happens.  Instead, you drink a pot of coffee (that is, if you’re not breast feeding.   If you’re breastfeeding, your SOL), put a smile on your face, and act as if you have a clue as to what your little Angel is talking about.
                Now, don’t get me wrong.  My two babies are now teenagers, and I love with all my heart and soul.  I wouldn’t trade them for the world.  Through them, I get to re-experience this wonderful world and get to see it new again through their inquisitive eyes.  I live for that.  But, every now and again, I just want a good night’s sleep.  Oh, and just so you know, it doesn’t end when they’re teenagers.  That’s a whole different set of worries and sleepless nights.  The only difference is that now you can half understand the babbling, which then turns into arguing because, you know, you’re not cool.  Or as my daughter once told me, “Mommy, you don’t understand.  It’s been a loooong time since you were young!”  I think I liked it better when I couldn’t understand her babbling.
                So, if you’re a women yearning for your own little child or children, consider yourself warned!
                Tell me, can you add anything from your own experience so these poor misguided souls can get a glimpse at what parenthood is really like?