What she said….

More or less anyway. Wholeheartedly agree with #1. Had I known my reproductive faculties would be required to perform so long and so well I would have taken the utmost care.  It is a temptation even now however not to feel shame when people tsk and make comments about how they never rested so long after birth or how so and so was up and RUNNING with the other children days after birth.  Falls under "All things are possible but not all things are profitable." Stay home. Lay down. Enough said.

#2 – my olders were colicky as well. Not so the latter kids. Not sure why though.

Frustration and perfectionism were problems in the early years here too.  My children would likely snort and say "early years?". We watched home videos of when Alannah was born 13 yrs ago. Sigh. Had I to do it again I would have gone ahead and just snapped the pictures with Zachary trying to make the baby smile instead of scolding him ad nauseum about turning towards the camera and not getting grass stains on his knees. I swear I would.

#8 and #10 – yep.   And I regret disregarding my husband’s concerns about same. He had perspective I needed.

And ah #5 – disciplining out of embarassment vs out of conviction.  Right up there with living vicariously through your children. Don’t do that.

I am sure my list would look different in some ways. In many ways it would be the same. Someone has to be first and we never walk the same road exactly the same way twice. Obviously the later children have the benefit of our early trial and error. I hope the older children had the benefit of unequaled zeal and enthusiasm. I have loved every moment of motherhood despite the mistakes. Every single moment!