Having a baby changes... everything.

Having a Baby Changes Everything Campaign

“Having a Baby Changes Everything” reinforces the values that people have come to expect of Johnson & Johnson -- our caring, our support of parents and families and our heritage of trust. The campaign presents a simple message: Before having a baby, you are the center of your universe. Everything you do is related to how things affect you. That changes dramatically when a baby comes into your life. Using real parents in real situations, a clear message is communicated: Johnson & Johnson understands how a parent’s universe changes and the Company is there to enhance the bond between parents and their babies.

This is not just a campaign from Johnson and Johnson. It's actually true. You may have seen the commercials on television, well... you HAVE seen the commercials on television, it's just a matter of whether you were paying attention or not. If having a baby wasn't on your mind or you have a DVR, you probably missed them. There hasn't been a time when I would see this commercial and I wouldn't cry. (I know, I know... lame. I cry over stupid, silly things and let the big important things roll off my back... Jerry makes fun of me daily for this, enough laughing.)

After searching high and low for an actual copy of the video, I found that many people are "offended" by this commercial because they think it makes parenting look "glamorous" and obviously Johnson and Johnson is trying to market the current theme of "have a baby, it's the cool thing to do". To those people, I say... you are an idiot. I bathe my baby every other day and it really is this much fun. And well, it is amazing how much your world changes when you have a baby. Trust me, I'm not going after "tall, dark and handsome types" anymore, I already have one and if I didn't, I'd be too busy to look for one! Ug! Cranky, cynical people!

Anyway... this campaign has been going on for a few years now, and I found another commercial that, I think, realistically depicts parenthood. (Again with the links, sorry, this stuff is apparently super, top secret, high class copyrighted.)

Steven Collins says it perfectly. You can't even begin to compare anything to taking care of your own child. Your life completely changes. And as you know, with change comes the good, the bad and the ugly. I'll start with...

The Good.

1. You have an excuse to talk to yourself anywhere. It is okay to be talking about what you are doing, what you are going to do and what you are thinking out loud in public. No one questions it or looks at you weird so long as your baby is within hearing range.

2. Your baby does not judge you, he thinks your are the best thing on the planet and will smile at you for any and all of your silly, and stupid, moments. This same smile is also disarming during your most manic moments.

3. You and your baby learn something new every day. It is absolutely the most awesome thing in the world to take your baby, who is a complete blank slate, and watch him learn before your eyes.

4. You get to relive your childhood. This allows for you to make his childhood even better than your own. It also helps you understand why your parents were so unbearably "mean".

The Bad.

1. You will not sleep ever again. No one will ever convince me that their baby "slept through the night from birth". They are just liars and will never be my friend. Even if Will does manage to sleep through the night, a la 4:00am, I'm sleeping a whole lot lighter than I used to in anticipation of the baby monitor going off.

2. You will feel guilty about not following the advice of doctors, friends and baby books. My child sleeps hours longer if he sleeps on his stomach. Does this mean William naps on his stomach even though every book says he'll die if he does? He sure does. Never fear, I check on him periodically to make sure he's still breathing.

3. You won't feel guilty about taking a few extra minutes to yourself, but lie about it. For example, when I tell Jerry to watch the baby while I go to the bathroom, I take my time. I also take my time in the grocery store and coming home from work. I need time to myself to ensure I am a calm, happy mommy. Have I lied about getting stuck in traffic because I called home and I heard a crying baby in the background?? You'll never know...

4. There are days when I think "What have I gotten myself into?" and I do not think enough parents are honest enough to admit they feel this way too. Being a parent is not easy and it can be isolating.

The Ugly.

1. Poop. Infant poop really doesn't smell, but it's still gross. Annnd, there are times it becomes an embarrassing inconvenience. See my post a few days ago about our trip to breakfast.

2. Spit-up. Everything I own, even things I don't own, have been splattered with spit-up.

3. The house. Chores go on the back burner for a while. There have been times when the laundry started to creep up the walls and there were science experiments in the refrigerator, but we tackle chores in order of importance... showers, meals, naptime...

4. The constant worrying about your child turning out okay. My goal is to never be asked to be a guest on Dr. Phil, or see my child as a guest on Jerry Springer or any other equally awful reality television show.

These lists are just a start and a small taste of how my life has changed. I could probably continue typing for days. I guess the most important question after all of this is... Is it worth it? And the answer is, absolutely.