Wishlist Wednesday #3

For details on this series, please click here: http://justamotheroftwo.blogspot.com/2012/12/wishlist-wednesday-number-3.html

Today's prompt is: The one thing I wish everyone would learn is.....

There were a couple of things that popped up in my mind when I read this prompt. The first thing was: "To live in the moment, to live in the present".

Most people brood way too much over their past. And worry way too much about the future. And as a result of these two, they forget to enjoy the present.

After becoming a mom, "living in the present" is the one mantra I remind myself everyday. And I have to thank my children for inspiring me to enjoy the daily moments with them. They are babies right now and won't stay this way for too long.

My daughter will not go to bed without me. All night, she snuggles along my shoulder/arm for comfort and warmth. My son's face lights up when he spots me - from near or far away. While nursing, when he takes breaks, he looks up to me and talks to me with his eyes and smiles. My daughter was the same way when she was his age. It's surreal to experience such a connection with another soul.....I get lost in the moment every single time and nothing else matters.

My own childhood is not documented in the form of thousands of pictures or videos. And my parents don't like to talk much about it either. So, for me, watching my children grow is like getting a chance to grow up once again. It's a lot of effort and requires tons of patience, but the rewards are also unparalleled.

Another thing that popped up after reading the prompt is: "To stop judging others."

The above statement is Parenting Rule #1. Before becoming a parent, I was guilty of judging so many parents. I had opinions on every aspect of parenting, and discussed it freely with my non-parent friends. Now, I rarely do it. There are people who really don't deserve to be parents (seriously), and they still irk me a lot, but most of the times (especially with strangers), I try not to judge. Not only that, I always try to give the benefit of doubt and think positive. For example, a few weeks ago, we were dining at an upscale restaurant. A couple with their baby who was as old as my son was seated right across our table. The lady nursed her baby a little bit, then took out a bottle of milk to feed him more. At the same time, she ordered a glass of wine and was enjoying her drink too. Atleast she nursed before consuming alcohol and I hope she would not nurse again for 2-4 hours until the alcohol is flushed out of her system. I don't know the reasons behind her consumption of alcohol and I left it at that. I forgot about it as soon as I left the place and did not discuss it with anyone else. Before, I would have mentioned it to someone and said something negative about her.

I have started to apply the same principle in all other aspects of my life as well. Combined with the mantra of living in the present, I feel I have made my life a lot less stressful and so much more peaceful. When I go to bed each day, I make a mental note of 3-5 things that made me happy that day. I sleep with those positive thoughts in my mind....I hug and kiss each of my babies....and enter my la-la-land in a happy mood :)!

Wishlist Wednesday #2

For more details on this contest, see this link: http://justamotheroftwo.blogspot.com/2012/12/wishlist-wednesday-no-2.html

Today's prompt is: My one wish that came true and gave me immense joy....

This one has to be a no-brainer. When I first got pregnant, and found out that I was going to have a daughter, it was a dream come true for me. Even before I got married, I had always wished for a daughter. Girls in my family are treated like princesses. My grandma used to adore me, and so did all my cousins. My parents raised my sister and I to be self-reliant. My mum and I, as well as my sister and I, share a very special bond...and  whenever I have to share something personal, I never have to think outside of these two. I don't have a BFF or a girlfriend who is very close to me....but my sister more than fills the gap.

So, I wanted a little girl to pamper, to dress up in girly outfits and cute hair accessories, a chatterbox who would keep me entertained for hours, a teenager who would be rebellious but still could relate to her mom from within, someone I could cook and bake in the kitchen with, someone I could bitch about her dad with, a grown-up lady who would go on trips around the world with me....and so much, so much more.

My daughter is two years old, and is the love n light of my life. I thank God everyday for blessing us with her presence in our lives.

{Picture from today morning while being dropped off at daycare...it was -4C when we stepped out so she is all bundled up, but the sun was out so she was enjoying herself and entertaining me with her pouty face :)}

PS: I live in the US so when we have an ultrasound at 20 weeks (called the anatomy scan) where they check the baby's growth and development of all organs, we are given a choice to find out the gender of the baby. Hence, I knew I was having a girl before she was born.