This day, eight years ago was the last time I was ever child free, All Praise and thanks are due to God. I was taking a long shower this evening and thinking about it, pondering about the things I know now and the things I would have told myself in that stage.

The top 5 things in no particular order are:

1) Be more adventurous when you can! Now that I have 4 kids I have to constantly ask myself questions like, “is it kid appropriate?” “Can I take the kids?” “How on earth am I supposed to fit that double stroller in my car?” “Is my husband off?” etc etc. Long gone are the days when we would randomly drive 5 hours away to a beach and then decide we are staying a weekend, or go camping on a whim. That would take a couple days of planning for me now.

2) Remove the words “tired” and “busy” from your vocabulary when speaking about your day which involved going to work/school and coming home, sitting on the couch, watching tv and eating icecream. You don’t REALLY understand those concepts until you have a child, or four.

3) Your body will never ever be the same again! After my third child was born, I was 3 pounds shy of the weight I was when I got married but the jeans I kept tuckered away for 6 years hoping to fit back into, never quite fit the way they used to…..and that’s ok, because your body has done amazing, miraculous things.

4) Focus on your own instincts. You’ll receive tons of unsolicited advice and trying to take them all in, ends up making you feel rather inadequate. You will shine your brightest when you let go of everyone’s opinions which ultimately cloud your ability to parent and dim your confidence. Stick to the things you believe in and the choices you make.

5) This love that you are about to experience will change your life more than you can possibly imagine….in all the ways that make you appreciate the simplicity of what once was but more than that, it will impact your marriage and together you will marvel at the amazing human you created; it will impact your relationships, your friendships and your image of yourself and the world around you. Once you jump into the depths of this love, you will never look back.