2.26.2013

Reasons Why Henry Makes My World Better

Henry is the center of my universe, obvsies.  I love him so much for the same reasons every parent loves their child, but being a mom has led to a few unanticipated perks.  Here are a few:

I eat better.
Pre-preg, I was a pretty shitty eater.  I've always loved fast food (sue me) and I never finished a salad until long after college.  Now that I have my picky little Henry, I get to eat his leftovers, which are particularly handy in the morning (banana, blueberries, other yummy fruit).  I'm more full in the morning, and crave the bad stuff less.

I work out more.
I gained 50 lbs when I was pregnant.  It sucked.  I became very self-conscious of my body postpartum and forced myself to go to Pure Barre classes beginning when Henry was 2 months old.  Henry's 15 months old now and I weigh 10 lbs less than I did pre-preg. 

I call my parents more.
I constantly want to tell them about the latest cute thing he's done, but mostly I call to ask for parenting advice.  And I enjoy (most) every conversation.

I work at an insanely efficient pace.
Grad school is tough and requires a lot of time management.  I thought I was good at juggling things before Henry, but now that I have the little monkey, I insist on making the most out of the time that he's in day care so I can devote my mornings, evenings, and weekends to him.  I get more done by lunch than I used to in a full day.

I think beyond grad school.
Pre-Henry, I was pretty content to couch everything in the name of my program.  I get heart palpitations when I think about the Saturdays I spent my first year holed up doing statistics labs, or the miles I logged driving to see my first client almost daily.  Granted things naturally eased up after that first year, I've definitely gained some perspective on where I see myself and my family in a few years.  It's not just academic journals and evidence-based practice.  It's also family vacations and trips to museums.  Walks in the neighborhood and family hugs. 

At first, I thought having Henry was going to throw me completely off track.  Instead, he's put me on the right one.

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