Why didn't anyone warn me?

When I was pregnant with Harper everyone gave me their opinions and had pointers for me. Everyone told me to sleep as much as humanly possible before she arrived because I would never get sleep again. Or that childcare costs were ungodly expensive. Or tips on teething, breastfeeding, cry-it-out method, non cry-it-out method. What stroller or carseat is the best, what must-have's I MUST register for. You get the point...everyone had an opinion and great advice. But not one person stated the obvious. And it obviously wasn't obvious to Will and I! 

No one told us just how messy kids were! Oh my gosh, the amount of mess Harper produces is unbelievable to me. I'm the furthest thing from a neat freak and Harper is too (maybe that is the problem), but the amount of mess she brings to the family is downright astonishing. I can't remember this last time she had a sparkling clean highchair. Judge me if you will, but I don't have the time or patience to scrub that thing every time she eats. Must I remind you that time is a precious thing in our house since I'm a working Mom! I'm not going to spend my valuable time with Harper making sure her highchair is sparkling clean every time she eats. 

You can walk into my house at any given time and find toys strung from the third level to the bottom level. Sippy cups abandoned in random places and food stashed in drawers and toys! Just the other night I went to open our end table in our family room and I found a piece of banana...seriously...and god knows how long it had been in there. I'm predicting 2 days tops. Harper loves to eat from one hand and carry food in the other. Obviously she doesn't always eat the "spare" food, she stashes it, or Trooper gets a treat! 

Now, I'm spending my evenings after she goes to bed checking all toys and drawers to make sure she hasn't stashed a banana or cheese stick somewhere. 

I can't be the only Mom who has to deal with a messy, hoarding daughter right?! Oh god, talk me off the ledge and tell me my daughter is normal! 

And for the love of god, if you or someone you know is pregnant, warn them to brush up on their cleaning skills. And to start taking their vitamins now because they will end missing more work in the first year of their child's life than is the last 10 years combined because of the germs the kids produce and pass on to you! 

Morale of the story...kids are messy and germy...take it from me and Harper!