The milestone I was most eager for my child to reach was...

Crawling. 

Finally, at fourteen months old, Em is an official crawler!

Well-meaning individuals would advise me to enjoy Em's immobility, but how could I, when she was so stinking miserable and bored? I mean, her physical capabilities remained mostly static for like seven months!

It was tough not to get swept up in milestone mania, but I tried to remain level-headed. And now my sweet baby is a crawler, just in time to be super helpful with packing up our apartment (I put things in boxes, she takes them out, repeat).

She's just so fun lately. Her fun-level has quadrupled, and I feel like the first fourteen months of her life are finally paying off :)

What milestone were (or are) you most anxious for your child/children to reach?

Now that I'm a mom, I understand...

...why my mom got a Powerwheel four-wheeler for Mother's Day (it kept my little brothers entertained, which is the best possible gift)

...the meaning of exhaustion 

...why it's a big deal to leave your kids for an extended period of time

...the luxury of a date night

...what it means to surrender control 

What about you?

My favorite mommy mantras are...

Be okay with disarray.

Someday I'll miss these days.

She won't be little forever (though it feels that way...)

My parents did this for me.

What is God trying to teach me?

This too shall pass. 

What about you? What phrases keep you going?

The highlights of pregnancy are...

Brainstorming names.

Feeling your baby move. I thought it would get old, but it never did. I remember lying in bed the night before I had Em, tracking her wiggles with my hand on my belly, and feeling supremely satisfied.

Maternity pant waistbands. Enough said.

Buying baby clothes. 

Guilt-free lazing about (especially toward the end)

What were/are some of your favorite things about being pregnant?

The worst part about pregnancy was (or is)...

Becoming familiar with the soul of your toilet bowl

People saying "You must be due any day now!" when you still have three months to go

The inability to tie your own shoes for the first time since second grade

The evasiveness of comfortable sleeping positions, and dreading the imminence of utterly sleepless nights

Holding the big news inside until you're far enough along that you feel comfortable spreading the word

Oh to be a baby, and not have to worry about...

Upper arm fat
Health insurance
Waxing
Exhaustion 
What's for dinner
Managing my time

What do you miss about the carefree days of youth? Help me complete the sentence in the comments section.

I feel like an awesome parent when I...

Dance with Em in the kitchen.

Give her a massage.

Feed her more veggies than fruit.

Give her my full attention.

Don’t feel guilty about not always being able to give her my full attention

Don’t begrudge the moment she wakes up from her nap

Remember to record her milestones.

Write in the little journal I’m keeping for her.

Teach her something new.

Sing songs (she loves my slightly irreverent version of “The Ants go Marching”, in which ant three stops to take a pee).

Make her laugh.

Remember to love her the way she is, and not wish for her to be different.

Give yourself some credit and share a comment about when you feel like an awesome parent.

I don't feel like the best parent when I...

Give 10-month-old Em toys that say "ages 3+" (but they're so much fun!)

Feed her squash while I eat chocolate.

Put her in a jacket instead of a coat, because it's easier to wrangle her into her car seat that way. (I think she'd prefer nudity altogether, if only we lived in a warmer climate).

Try to cuddle her and instead we bonk heads.

I didn't feel like the best parent when I took Em for a walk in the front pack, and didn't discover until nearly the end of our wintry trek that her socks AND booties had fallen off. Don't worry, she only lost two toes to frost bite, and they were her least attractive ones.

I don't feel like the best parent when I...

Let Em play with my shopping list and she consumes some of it. (Maybe the paper fibers will ease her constipation).

Find toe jam between her piggies.

Leave her in the car while I check the PO Box.

Let her cry while I put the finishing touches on this post :)

Convince me that I'm not the only imperfect parent by completing the sentence in the comment's section.