How Have Your Lives Changed Since Having a Family

Oh goodness, that is a loaded question:) I think for me, it's being able to deal with really gross things like cleaning up vomit or wiping up diarrhea that is seeping down a childs legs onto their bed sheets or scrubbing dried boogers off walls. I was a bit of a high maintenance girl before kids so to bring my standards down to the level of a child was huge for me. Would I change that though? Nope. My hubby still takes me out to nice places that allow me to dress up and feel like 'me' again so it makes the gross stuff not such a big deal:) Plus, my kids are hilarious and the fact that I get to have a simple smile and laugh every day is perfect.

The changes are far too many to count.....I've become less selfish and much more patient than I ever realized I could be. I've learned to slow down and enjoy the little things with my DD. I love my husband dearly, but I never really realized how much I was capable of loving someone else until I had my daughter.

I will say, I'm not trying to pick a fight here, but as a mom who works outside the home....it's pretty insulting when people refer to placing your child in daycare or preschool as "paying someone else to raise them". I am not paying anybody to raise my child for me......I'm paying someone to help me care for her when I am unable. It's great for you that you have the ability to refuse to work, but please don't be demeaning to those mothers who don't have a choice. It doesn't make us less of a mother than you and it certainly doesn't mean we are choosing not to raise our own children.

Having said that, I'm glad that your children bring you so much joy. It's obvious that they mean the world to you.

I had no idea how empty my life was prior to my hubby and children. Growing up, whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was "a mother". When I held my first baby in my arms, I was shocked and amazed that I was truly, finally someone's mother. I remember my daughter staring so intently into my eyes that I was intimidated by her. She really had an intense stare, though! My other newborns never did that;-)

Our daughter changed our lives in more drastic ways than maybe is typical (though I know others have had similar). She was 11 days old, recovering from open heart surgery when we found out she had a really rare genetic disorder that causes bone marrow failure and different types of cancers. It's a fatal disease. They can do a bone marrow transplant (very risky), but they have no cure for the cancer part. It's very complicated, but their bodies are so fragile that they can't handle normal cancer treatments. And, due to their fragile bodies, they develop cancer much easier...4000 times higher chance than a healthy person. It's really just a matter of time.

So, from that moment on, I treasured every little bit of my daughter that I could. She's now nine years old, and we have baby #5 due in just over a week. We're still hoping for that bone marrow match as our daughter is now in severe failure and needs a transplant. We have a 25% chance of having another child with this disease (double recessive), but all four other children are healthy. There are some potential non-related donors, but in her case, she really needs a sibling donor transplant.

Knowing that we'll have to say our goodbyes to our daughter some day has broken our hearts, but it's also made us treasure life so much more than we did before. Like you said, things that are important to them are important to me...even if it's a little flower weed they are giving me or a bug or a rock... I absolutely love and adore all my children. I treasure each of them and LOVE to look at the world through their eyes. It's so much more exciting that way. I try to live TRULY in the moment and not in the future or in the past. And, I've definitely been learning how to be much more selfless than I was before.

Our oldest daughter has changed us in ways that we never knew we would change. I've never hurt so bad seeing her hurt and scared with all her medical issues. I've never felt so scared when she's gone through more life threatening things and we had no idea how it was going to end.

Not to sound dramatic, but it's been heart wrenching at times, but we also feel a closeness to the Lord that we hadn't before. It maybe seems like we should have depressing lives...but we live more than we ever have before. We feel happier and more determined than we have before...and feel the opposite emotions strongly at times too.

Anyway, having my family has definitely changed our lives, each one of our little people have changed our lives. I wouldn't choose to have it any other way. It's the hardest job I've ever had. I feel a rollercoaster of emotions at times, but it's so fulfilling. I'm grateful that I get to live my dream of being a mother. I love that I get to stay home and homeschool them and see every little bit of everything they learn and do. We have a lot of special times. I already miss it, knowing that one day they will grow up and move away! I want to live with no regrets.

I'll stop rambling now...

How hasn't our life changed? All for the better - except maybe for the exception of sleep! I can't imagine my life with out them. My priorities in life are totally rearraged for the better... less about what we have and more about what we do and who we are. They give your life purpose and at the same time make you ever so thankful.... happy just thinking about it : )

Much fewer naps and much less money. But more treasured moments and fulfillment. My kids are my rudder. They give me direction and purpose. They keep me young. And they keep me home nights and weekends because childcare is astronomical! They keep my husband and I together. I know one of us would've thrown in the towel years ago if it had not been for our kids. They keep us trying.

i too treasure my children. They are a gift from God to me.

Changes? To numerous to count...but I'm happy with each of them. Some were learning experiences and others were changes for the better.

I too am a SAHM...I am fortunate enough that I can work from home when a client needs me. but I don't HAVE to work!

I get to go do cool things with my son and don't have to tag along with my nieces and nephews anymore.

My husband and i used to be some pretty serious party people. That all changes, we still throw the occasional party but we no longer pull all nighters and end up in diners at 4 a.m.. lol. Since having kids we have bought a house and responsible cars. We even dress different.

Everything changes, but for the better.

My life has changed for the better for sure. I don't feel I really had a purpose before I was a mommy. I was pretty selfish before having kids--though I didn't know it at the time. Things that were problems in life BEFORE kids seem very trivial to me now.
BTW, I agree with Blessed Momma. I desperately wanted to be a SAHM and raise my children. Unfortunately, I have to work. I am lucky that I'm able to be part time and make it work, but on the 3 days that I'm AT work, well, I suppose I'm "paying someone else to raise my children." How blessed you are that you have the wonderful gift of being able to stay home with your children all day. However, you may want to think about us "bad moms" that have to work before saying things like that.