In November 2004, I made the transition that 80 million other mothers in the United States have made at one point or another. I went from being me, Pam Liccardi, to being Autumn’s mom. Now I will never just be Pam Liccardi ever again. And that’s OK.
People tell you life will change when you have a child, but that could be the biggest understatement of all time. Once you’re pregnant, other parents tell you parenthood is life’s greatest joy, but that, too, is an understatement. It’s also something you don’t want to hear when you’re experiencing morning sickness (or as I like to call it, all-day-feel-like-crap sickness). But once the baby arrives and you’ve finished that sleep-deprivation-just-home-from-the-hospital time, you find out it’s all true.
The one thing I’ve learned in the past year and a half is that I will read almost anything related to kids my daughter’s age. I own at least five books that scream — Hey, you who just had a child, buy me! — including, “What to Expect the Toddler Years” and “The Secret Lives of Toddlers." I subscribe to Family Fun, Parents and Child magazines. I used to get American Baby, too, but, well, that just got to be too much and one magazine had to go.
I’m proud of my daughter and love her more than I ever could have imagined. So, I like to talk about her. I like to share what wonderful and fabulous thing she’s doing now. Have no fear, there are times when she does something incredibly frustrating, too. It’s during those times I like to hear from other parents who have experienced something similarly frustrating with their children. I consider it validation that my child is just being a child and she still is incredibly cute, despite her tendency to throw her food.
So feel free to join me on this parenthood journey. I'm going to start with entries each weekday and see how it goes. I’ll share my experiences and hopefully you will, too.