(Little Bun spelled out the above on his own but ran out of DDY to finish “Daddy” and asked to “go shopping to buy more Daddy”)

When your kid cries for you, says “WANT MOMMY” and comes to you for everything (this apparently won’t last)

When your partner tells you that the baby even at 7 months, would crawl to the door around the same time every day (4 p.m.-ish), check to see if Mommy was coming home, and then come back to him. As he got older, he would patiently wait at the window looking out for my car coming around the curve

When you get in the door and your kid just drops everything and RUNS to you

When other parents commiserate with you

When you remember being pregnant with him, and you fondly look back at old videos and photos and then compare to the little boy he has become

When you go to throw out the garbage (just across the hall) and your son runs to you saying: Want to go with Mommy! because he just wants to be with you all the time

The worst things are:

When you get mommy shamed by your partner, your family, your in-laws, your friends…

When you’re told what to do by other parents who know it all and are better in every which way

When your kid cries for you, says “WANT MOMMY” and comes to you for everything (this apparently won’t last)

When you don’t get enough sleep because he woke up 8 times last night, kicked you in the face and you have a huge presentation with a bruise on your cheek now

When you just want to have alone time to do basic things like shower. I spend a lot of time trying to hide in the bathroom but no place is off limits as long as Mommy is there. He is literally my baby shadow / bodyguard

Or you just want to be left alone because you’re tired or sick but have to suck it up. You just want to crawl into bed, read a book or close your eyes and not have anyone scream for or at you, to rest and sleep.

When your kid is in “a mood” or has a major temper tantrum and you as the adult, intellectually KNOW that he cannot control his emotions right now but you have to try and be calm, patient, the bigger person, the adult, and to try not to yell at him because he doesn’t know any better.

When you yell at your child and then realize you’re a monster but also know that there was no other way at that point to get them to stop before you were driven off the sanity cliff

When you read all of these parenting books about how you are the model for his future spouse, and what you say and do now affects how he grows up mentally and how he acts as an adult towards others, and the responsibility you have to make sure you don’t EFF HIM UP is real

When other parents brag about their perfect angels. Every kid has their bad and good points. Mine likes to eat, is pretty sweet and well-behaved, and is clever and curious. His bad points are that he doesn’t sleep soundly, he is very fixed in his ways and if you deviate just one little iota, it becomes a huge deal, and he only wants me 100% of the time if I am around.

When you just want to eat a meal in peace and not have someone sing the alphabet at the top of their lungs or scream or just make noise and jump around which causes your partner to lose it, and then you in turn to have to try and calm both of them down because now your son is crying from being yelled at.

That’s it. The best and worst I can think of.

The highs are the highest I’ve ever had, the lows are also the lowest I’ve ever had.

Children bring out the best and worst in you and reveal what you love and hate about yourself.