I’m one of those annoying parents who has migrated to Facebook. I find it ironic, because only a year ago I was reporting on how teens embraced this social networking site and how parents were wringing their hands over it.

Now it seems, many of us have decided, ‘Hey, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.’ As old and cranky as we are (okay, I’ll just speak for myself here), we’ve jumped in with both feet, and are attracting friends the way rock stars attract groupies. It’s scary. We’re poking each other, doling out beers, enjoying good karma, I even received imaginary food products from New Mexico from one friend.

I mean, it’s a regular party over here.

So, in homage to the 25 Things list that spread like wildfire last month, where we each shared goofy minutiae about ourselves that we thought our friends would want to know (except we probably didn’t, sorry), I’m adding my voice to the din. Take a deep breath, it’s not another 25 Things list (and thank God for that, you say).

It’s a 15 Things list (gotcha).

I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen this elsewhere, though who knows? Maybe once my list gets out there, others will feel compelled to post it on their Facebook page, so they can add their own brilliant insights and tag 15 friends.

15 Things I Learned During My First Year as a Mom
1. l learned to recognize my child’s wail above all others.
2. I experienced overwhelming fear when realizing this new life was totally dependent on me.
3. I quickly forgot what life was like B.K. — before kids.
4. I recognized the gift of 15 minutes of solitude, even if it was only time spent alone in the bathroom.
5. I learned how to be a supreme multi-tasker.
6. I found delight in life’s simplest pleasures: the warmth of a baby nestled in your arms, the joy of a first step, first smile.
7. I experienced overwhelming confidence as I learned how to care for another.
8. I learned more than I ever imagined possible about the various by-products my little angel could produce.
9. I discovered my brain became rewired; 95 percent became dedicated to baby-related stuff, leaving the remaining 5 percent for coping with the rest of my life.
10. I experienced considerable forgetfulness.
11. I learned how to be kinder and gentler.
12. I gained membership to a club I didn’t even know existed B.K.
13. I realized I would do whatever it took to protect my child.
14. I experienced love more deeply than I ever thought possible.
15. I learned I wouldn’t trade being a mom for all the tea in China.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 1st, 2009 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Columns, Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.