25 random things I learned through parenting

In the spirit of the "25 Random Things" notes floating around Facebook, I give you 25 Random Things I Learned Through Parenting.

25. Sometimes babies cry just for the sake of crying.
24. It’s hard to resist gently touching the soft spot on a baby’s head.
23. The top of a newborn’s head is one of the best smells in the universe.
22. Half of the baby items you purchased thinking you could not live without them are useless.
21. Conversations on the topic of circumcision can be highly volatile.
20. Conversations on the topic of breastfeeding can be highly volatile.
19. Conversations on the topic of diapers can be highly volatile.
18. Complete strangers will tell you how to raise your own child.
17. Complete strangers will touch and kiss your child without asking.
16. My mother would’ve been paid more than one visit by child protective services.
15. People love to offer parenting advice, even people with neither a child nor a clue.
14. People will tell you all about the horrible person they used to know who has the same name as your child.
13. You will have a new tier of friends - Parent Friends - you've met because your kids are playmates.
12. The smell of another kid’s poopy diaper is much uglier than your own child’s poopy diaper smell.
11. Babies have to learn how to eat and sleep, and it’s your job to teach them how to do these things.
10. You will say, and understand, things your mother used to say, like “I can never have anything nice!”
9. You will find yourself saying things like, “Oh, it’s just poop.”
8. It bothers you less than you thought it would to have another human being pee on you, poop on you, throw up on you, wipe snot on you, etc..
7. Ninety percent of the things you said you would never do as a parent you have done already, or will do in the future.
6. Nothing – nothing – can prepare you for the sleep deprivation you will experience caring for a newborn. You cannot stockpile sleep.
5. Your child is cuter, smarter, and more interesting than the rest of the kids.
4. When you forget to bring a change of clothing for your baby he or she will have a diaper blow-out the likes of which hasn't been seen since the eruption of Mount St. Helens. You will zip your baby, legs first, into the arms of a jacket as if it’s a onesie, and pretend there’s nothing to see here.
3. There is nothing worse than seeing your child suffer pain, illness, or fear.
2. There is nothing better than seeing your child playing, smiling, or laughing.
1. The random things you learn through parenting never end.

Share some of your 25 in the comments.