People look at sweet little Lucy and are smitten by her cuteness. Then they see the dimple and they are slayed. Me too. It’s interesting, though, that everyone always asks the same 2 questions: “Are you so happy?” or “Isn’t being a mom so fun?”
Those 2 questions always seem to throw me for a loop. "Happy" and "Fun" aren't exactly the first two adjectives that come rushing to my mind. Either I didn’t get the memo or all these people just forgot how long the sleep-deprived hangover phase lasted. I definitely think the “joy and rejoicing” part comes a little later when brushing my teeth is something I can actually do every day. Right?
I sometimes feel like the worst mom ever when I have to admit this motherhood thing is definitely kicking my butt. Or the thoughts at 2am and 3am and 4am and again at 5am where I envision a “Free Baby” sign on my lawn. It’s so much harder than I thought, but then again, that’s part of my problem. I thought I could just drop a baby into my already busy life and be fine. Man, am I getting schooled.
I was reaching out to an old friend of mine, Morgen, who just had baby #3. I asked her if it somehow got easier because I just can’t imagine putting myself through this again on purpose!
She laughed at me and told me I needed to change my expectations. She even said, “If you expect life to be like pre-baby with just a little one dropped in you are bound to be frustrated and exhausted and feel totally unproductive in life. But, if we embrace this chapter for what it is and accept the new pace and level of productivity that means a successful to-do list is one that only has keeping baby alive on it, then it all goes along pretty well. Time is going to pass, so might as well enjoy the ride with the little ones.”
What perfect advice for a novice like me. Thanks Morgen. So, you guessed it. I am re-evaluating my expectations and now I only have one thing on my to-do list, which is keeping the sweet little Lucy bean alive. And, you should know, I’m doing a really great job! :)
