Though I'm
almost three years in I still consider myself to be a new mom. I'm still
learning and growing into the woman and mom that I want to be, food stains,spilled milk and all. There are nights that I'm too exhausted to
sweep and days where my healthy dinner plans turn into takeout. Times when I'm racked with a case of
"mom guilt" so severe that it feels almost paralyzing. I've never
felt more human in my entire life than I do as mother. Navigating my way
through the many emotions of motherhood often leaves me sobbing into my Vegetable
Lo Mein.
But I
wouldn't jump into a time machine and change any of it. The decision to have my daughter was by far
the best decision I have ever made. It
has made me a better person, a stronger person who continues to grow stronger every
day. With that being said I have a few
things I wish I knew before becoming a mom:
1) As a mother you will
forever be a work in progress
There is no
"perfect" when it comes to motherhood. As a mother you will forever be evolving and
changing into the type of mom that your child needs you to be at that time in their life.
The one constant is that every action will be from a place of love and THAT'S
what matters the most.
2) Time is not your
friend
Time is like
Ice cream, it goes too fast and you never have enough of it (most of my zen
like quotes contain food references).
Before I had my daughter it seemed like I had all the time in the
world. Now I'm lucky if I get to read a
magazine, and my baby? Well I'm gonna blink and she'll be in college at this
rate! But you've got to slow down, play
a little more before bedtime, and dance a little more before dinner. While time may be fleeting, your memories are
forever.
3) You will be an
emotional wreck
Finally
while I'm no Rambo, emotionally I considered myself to be a pretty tough
cookie. Well now, my daughter calls me "mama" and my eyes start
leaking strange salty fluid. I just never knew I could love another human being
so much until I had a child. So be
forewarned, and always carry tissues.
