7 Things I Thought Were Easy Before I Became “MOM”

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Sometimes motherhood means making sacrifices… or at least, adjustments. I believe that every stage of life carries the ability to challenge us, but I think you’ll agree that the changes introduced by joining Motherhood are unique in their scope.

In light of Mother’s Day Month (because let’s call a spade “a spade”: it should at minimum last a month), I’m offering up :

7 Things I Thought Were Easy Before I Became “MOM”

Tivo.....

1) Staying home for the day
Old life: A full-time RN, I’d enjoy a day off. Lounge on the sofa, eat what and when I pleased, and consume without apology my entire TiVo in the span of 5 continuous hours.
This life: I have a 2.5 year old.  If we don’t leave the house to go somewhere — anywhere — by 9AM, we can bid a fond farewell to our ever-loving minds for the rest of the day. The house will be ransacked, the kid will be bored, the whining will ensue and the hair will be pulled out. I like my hair. I have nice hair. So we leave.

2) Laundry
Old life: Who cares? It’ll all get done in one morning.
This life: How can you have no clean shorts?! Oh, right – you covered yesterday’s 4 pairs in peanut butter, mud, honey and smooshed raisins, respectively.

3) Eating in restaurants
Old life: A routine event driven either by romance, convenience or curiosity.
This life: A last-ditch option driven exclusively by travel or risk of in-home starvation. {OR}: a luxury driven by the babysitter’s schedule.

4) Sleeping in
Old life: 10 AM.

This life: Why on earth would I sleep in?? And waste those precious quiet moments to just do me?? Besides, “sleeping in” is 7AM.

5) Staying up late
Old life: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
This life: HAPPY BEDTIME!!!!! zzzzzzz

6) Arriving on time.
Old life: Okay, I admit I was actually kind of bad at this in my old life, but I rarely had a decent excuse.
This life: I’m weirdly better at it. Unless I have to change his shorts 4 times.

7) Knowing what day it is.
Old life: A shift-based, work schedule that is constantly shuffling days, evenings, nights. I get confused? –> I get fired.
This life: Did we go to church yesterday? Or was that the day before? What’s tomorrow? When do I get my day off to watch TiVo? Oh wait. It’s full of Daniel Tiger.

And with these adjustments?
The greatest joy I have ever known in the face of a
brown-eyed, red-headed, sugar sweet boy.  

And the pleasure of being his mom.

*****This post is dedicated to MY mom, Carla, and to my Mother-in-Love, Debby. Thank you both for all of the ways that you allowed your lives to change for the sake of your families. Mom, I want to be just like you. Debby, I glean from you so much, and I want Nolan to be just like Mikel.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Ha! Love these! Numbers 3 and 4 are my life right now. I’ve been forced to become a morning person.

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