Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Mommy

If you're reading this as a mother or parent yourself, then you've probably learned the some or all of same lessons as I have.  It's pretty incredible how a brand new person who hasn't learned to walk or talk yet, who is learning literally everything for the first time, who has only been in this world for a matter of months, could teach me who as a teenager thought she knew it all; as a young 21 year old, thought that life couldn't get any better than living it wild and carefree and who now at age 29 feels like I hadn’t begun to live until I became a mommy.

As I said before in a previous post, my whole life I never really could decide of a passionate career path to dedicate myself and my life towards becoming and enjoying my work.  If someday I decide I want to head towards a degree for a specific career, I'm all up for it!  However, I have always known that I wanted to become a mother, and in doing so I have learned so much about myself and about life that I never thought possible.

I have learned the true meaning of unconditional love.  It's such an important love to learn and to feel.  The very first moment I met my daughter, I had a deep and profound feeling of wanting to protect her; wanting to keep her from the sometimes twisted world and from all harm.  I had the feeling of knowing I would take a bullet for her in an instant.

I have learned that diet and nutritional needs of a human is also very important.  I was blessed with a healthy baby girl and coming from a family of alcohol, drug and nicotine abuse, I want her to know that health is important and she should stay clear of all of those things and live a healthy lifestyle.  I have started a gym membership and want to eat more healthy foods on a daily basis so that I can be a good role model for her.  I want her to be active and want her to realize the better you are to your body, the better your body will be to you.

I have also learned that with a healthy diet practice, comes a healthy poop.  Yes poop!  I have never been so  concerned over anyone's bowel movements... which would kinda be weird if I did... but since Annaliese was born, I'm constantly monitoring her poop schedules.  In a way it's kinda gross, but it's definitely a necessity in life and as a parent of a young child.  We're all human and we all need to poop.

I have learned a different careless side of me.  I don't care who's watching, if I need to jump up and down and make silly faces or sounds to make her smile, I will!  I know I can't have a 100% happy baby 100% of the time, but it's nice to think I can try to make it happen.  :)  And it's fun trying anyway.  I have found the kid inside me again and I love it!

I have learned how precious time is.  Every cuddle time, laughing moment, bath time, story time, feeding time, play time; just every moment is precious.  After my teenage years and losing some high school classmates at such a young age, I began to realize more and more how short life is.  After I lost my grandparents in 2003 and 2011 and also my father-in-law in 2011, who had suffered health problems such as Cyctic Fibrosis for all of his life...even a life that ended at an old age is still short in the grand scheme of things.  I know I've said this before, but every single one of us gets caught up in daily life somehow and sometimes it's hard to get pulled back to take a look around and appreciate the little things in life that make life wonderful.  Even something as simple as listening slowly to someone tell you that they love you.  Be in the moment and feel what they say.  Life is short.

I have learned that parenting is less about listening to advice from friends or doctors, but listening to your instincts and doing what works best for your baby.  Every new mom and dad had been subjected to unsolicited advice from family, from friends and hell even strangers from time to time and it can be VERY frustrating, especially for mom's as women are hormonal.  We were all raised differently and survived differently and although there are things I disagree with, I have to do what's best for my daughter.  It's hard to do sometimes when you hear and read all sorts of different opinions which we have the wonderful world of the internet to thank for that, but thus far, we've been able to find a happy medium.

I have learned patience.  There have been times when I was nursing that I felt like my daughter and I just couldn't get it down.  She was too hungry to want to work with me to latch correctly to nurse.  It was very frustrating.  We had our good days when it worked and more times when it wasn't working out.  It was practice and patience that kept the good feedings good.  Then of course the times when she was crying and we didn't know what was wrong with her.  Being so mentally and physically exhausted and trying to calm a crying baby isn't easy.  After having fed her, burped her, changed her and still she cried, we began to think there was something wrong.  But after many nights of this, we realized that she's just as stubborn as her parents are and was fighting sleep or had gas that was very uncomfortable for her.  Patience is something every parent needs to have and learn.  And when my patience was running thin, I had to step away, leave the crying baby and just breathe and collect myself.

I have also learned every song on The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show.  But that's a different kind of lesson.  haha!  :)

Being a mommy in the last 9 months has taught me so many things.  I appreciate each and every one of them and will continue to learn and appreciate ones that I have yet to encounter.  I love being a mommy.  I take enormous pride in this little life I helped create and birth.  I hope to be a great role model for my child and future children.  I hope to make parenting mistakes and learn from them, just like I have for most of my life.  I say this because I know that I will make mistakes and I'm accepting that now, so I'm able to move on from them quicker when they happen.  It's natural and almost indefinite.

But of all the things I've learned, "The greatest of these is love".  ( 1Corinthians 13:13)- my favorite bible verse.

Your Friendly Mama,