10 Things I Learned to Appreciate after Becoming a Mom

Since becoming a mother there are many things that I have learned to appreciate. Either because they make my life easier/enjoyable or because I so rarely get these treats that I relish every moment of them.
1) Non-alcoholic beer- I learned to love O'Doules when I was pregnant. Nothing beats a beer with pizza or many of the other pregnancy cravings that I had. Of course I could not drink alcohol during pregnancy and now that I am nursing, alcohol is very limited. So now it is O'Doules for me... As Homer Simpson would say, "No Beer makes Maria go crazy".
2) A "Hollywood" shower-When I get to take a shower without hearing a baby screaming for me to hurry up and I actually get to lather, rinse, and repeat--this is a very rare treat.
3) A husband who cooks for me-If the cooking was left to me I would have sandwiches or cereal every night. It is just too difficult to juggle work, baby, and then making a meal at Matthew's "fuss hour". I always appreciate when Tony or my father in law cooks dinner for us. If I get to eat the meal while it is hot, instead of after feeding Matthew, even better.
4) Working out at the gym-This is an hour and a half of time completely dedicated to myself. Before the baby, I complained about having to work out to get in shape, but now I enjoy these rare moments to myself.
5) Caffeine-What a cruel joke nature plays on new mothers. We are exhausted from multiple nightly feedings, nursing releases a hormone that makes us sleepy, and we have to cut down on our caffeine to boot. The lactation specialist told me I can have the equivalent of 2 diet cokes or coffee a day. I have decided to make these shots of caffeine count and I have them around 2 in the afternoon when I am most exhausted. It also prepares me for Matthew's fuss hour (5-6PM).

6) Starting and finishing a task in one sitting-I oftentimes blame my forgetfulness on lack of sleep or lack of caffeine, but in most cases I am forgetful because I start a task and get interupted before getting to finish it. Whether it be organizing the baby clothes and diapers, sending out Christmas cards, or writing blogs, it never fails.... before I am through it is time to attend to the little one. Uh oh.. the prince awakens.. he is saying that is time to eat. Maybe I will get to the last four things tomorrow, unless I forget.