A first baby changes your life tremendously. Expectant first-time mothers and fathers often have the belief nothing huge is going to change. They see the addition of the new baby as just an added blessing to their busy lives.

Your first baby will change everything you ever believed about how your life works. Suddenly instead of taking off at a moments notice to run to the grocery store together, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to prepare. You need to grab a diaper, some wipes, take along a bottle, wrap up the baby, get them in the car seat, carry the car seat to the car, and then finally you can head to the grocery store to buy that frozen pizza. You learn quickly why parents learn to shop in bulk and fill up their freezer, pantry closet, and cupboards with food.

While you are waiting for your first baby to arrive, make sure you enjoy staying up late, watching movies, talking, reading books, or whatever late night activities you now enjoy. Very shortly your late night activities will be changed to rocking with your baby, carrying your baby around the house convincing them to fall asleep, changing diapers, and feedings. When you get a chance to sleep you will be excited to grab it, instead of wanting to watch the movie or read.

Remember that thing called a budget? It suddenly is going to be stretched. Instead of having extra money to eat steaks and lobster, you will be loving the idea of a quick dinner out for chicken, hamburgers, or tacos. You budget will be used to buy diapers, baby clothes, accessories, formula if you don’t breast feed, and the list goes on.

Now the real secret, you won’t care. You will be excited to see your budget stretched, because you are spending it on the most precious thing in your life. You will love giving up the movies and reading the book so you can stare in the face of your first baby. Hamburgers out will be just as exciting as steak and lobster, because you can imagine your little one playing in the play areas with the other kids in just a year or two. The trips to the store are rewarded with the comments and admiring glances of friends, and totally unknown shoppers.

While your first baby brings great changes and challenges into your life, the rewards offset the challenges. You will be feel a new kind of love spreading throughout your body, and wonder why you waited so long to have a baby. Every great addition to your life has always had costs, and so does this one. You will discover this is the best return on investment you will ever make with it being repaid in joy, laughter, and love.

Your first baby may become the center of your life, but that is what you dreamed of when you planned to have a baby anyway.