HI friends,
Wow, super ridic I am just now posting! Sorry for the massive MIA...so much to talk about, so I definitely will be posting more!
Well, this particular subject has been lingering in my mind since I have been a mama for the past 13.5 months. Now, OBVIOUSLY I am SO NOT an expert, not even close. Heck, are any of us really experts? However, I feel like a completely different person from when I first started this journey. These are 10 little lessons that I learned from being a parent thus far...
1. Being a parent isn't a horrific as some make it out to be...
Before kids, I was beyond terrified to have them. Heck, we waited 5 years (okay, more just me) because people made parenthood sound like a version of hell on earth. Turns out, being a parent is pretty darn cool. I love being a mother, and my baby girl is a pretty darn good baby. She is sweet, hysterical, joyful and deliciously chubby. While she is our #1 priority and comes first, we told ourselves that Rowan had to go with our lives, not the other way around. She has fit seamlessly into our world and sharing it with her is INCREDIBLE. I won't lie that it SUPER helps having an amazing spouse to help and do life with, but with that being said, comes this next one....
2. BUT being a parent can be hard too....
I know for my grammar people I used "BUT" in the beginning. Sorry, get over it, LOL! Okay, so being a parent is definitely be challenging. Even though Rowan is an "easy" baby in some ways, it hasn't been all kittens and sunshine. We have had our really rough seasons, and her health was HORRIBLE during the winter. When you have a baby, your life does get turned upside down. It is a massive life change. There are times where I feel panicky realizing I am in charge of this human for the rest of her life. There are days I wish I could just be alone or sleep in. However, I wouldn't change this life for anything.
3, It is okay to mourn your old life
To be quite honest, this right here is the BIGGEST reason why parenthood has been so hard. Having a child was a HUGE life change for me. I remember last summer sobbing into Rowan's tiny newborn head when I realized we wouldn't be going on our annual summer Vegas trip. I was longing for the yardstick drinks and nightlife. I know, lame huh? I went from doing whatever the heck I wanted to having to slow down completely to care for my infant. I really struggled with it in the beginning, and sometimes I super miss my old life. That's okay to feel that way but find ways to adjust. When Rowan was really little, we would go to the drive in. We would still eat out, go shopping, do day/road trips, the only difference is she came with us. Which leads me to my next one...
4. Take your baby every where!
As mentioned in my earlier bullet, we found ways to "carry on" on our old life by just taking her with us. By the time she was 6 months old, she had already been on 4 road trips. It paid off in the end, because Rowan LOVES to be out in public. She loves to people watch and loves being out an about. Thanks to this, she actually is a decent traveler!
5. The first real sickness is the worst
We were very lucky we went 7 months before Rowan got really sick, and that's that she was formula fed (haha, sorry had to throw that in there!). It came to a crashing halt on Thanksgiving when we ended up in the ER thanks to having difficulty breathing. Rowan's chest was caving and I remember the car ride was the most terrifying ride of my life. Turned out Rowan had bronchiolitis, and it sure as heck wouldn't be our last. I remember thinking she was going to die and it was pure trauma for all of us. That's when we were introduced to the nebulizer, abuetrol and pulmicort. Doing treatments and seeing her cry hysterically was more than this heart could take. Thanks to her preemie lungs, every cold she would get from here on out would basically turn into bronchiolitis. Each time she got sick, we would do the treatments and each time it would get easier. I still get so sick to my stomach when she gets sick. However, she just keeps getting stronger and I am too.
6. Always go with your gut
I am famous for being a germaphobe and hypochondriac. I think I need therapy, lol. However, every time I got a pit in my stomach, I was always spot on. Always trust your gut. God gave us that intuition for a reason!
7. SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE...
Some moms may not agree with me. I get it. I remember planning a meet up with a fellow mom friend. I asked her if we could meet after 7:30, which is Rowan's bedtime. She was shocked. She said her 9 month son's bedtime was 10:30, sometimes later. My eyes got big from hearing that. Now I get every family is different, and that's great. That may work for some families! However, I think my child is a great sleeper because of being on a schedule. She flourishes from it. Its never a fight nor issue. As working parents, we also didn't have a choice. I am also somewhat blessed that I have kid who likes their sleep (yes, I know this will/can change). I think that having a schedule was so important and vital for our family. It's also nice because hubby and I get alone time and bond together, which is so important.
8. Make time for hubby
I never realized that being a parent would put my marriage in the backseat. In the beginning it was very hard, and I felt like we were roomates. Especially in the early days, we were running on no sleep, and being downright snippy with each other. We realized we had to put ourselves first from time to time. Hubby and I have BEYOND supportive family, and we have gone a good share of date nights and often trade babysitting with my sister. It has helped our marriage and recharge us!
9. Dem hormones are real...
Recently I did a blog post about my bout with the baby blues. It was CRAZY AS HELL in the beginning. I felt like it wasn't normal, because the movies and people make it seem like everything should always be sunshine. I felt like no one was going through it. I truly thought I had PPD, though it was just the blues. The hormones were insane and yucky. I felt so sad, angry yet sometimes elated all at once. Oh my land, these hormones are REAL, NORMAL, and its okay if you have them. I feel sad because I feel at times I didn't always savor those first 2 months because of it. It happens and it's totally okay. It gets better
10. Enjoy every season...
People said this to me all that time, as well as "enjoy it, it goes by quick". After awhile I would get annoyed but guess what, THEY ARE RIGHT. I find myself poring over Rowan's pictures/videos when she was tiny and at times, I catch myself crying. Every season with an infant can be amazing and rough. I remember during the tough times wishing she was bigger but now I want to stop time if I can. I learned that every tough season doesn't last forever and you don't get that time back. That saying is true, "the days seem long but the years are short". I get Rowan is only 13.5 months, but I swear she was 3 months old yesterday. Ugh, excuse me while I go cry....
Being a mother has been the toughest but most incredible experience of my life. I am thankful God deemed me worthy to be the mother of this extraordinary baby girl!
We were very lucky we went 7 months before Rowan got really sick, and that's that she was formula fed (haha, sorry had to throw that in there!). It came to a crashing halt on Thanksgiving when we ended up in the ER thanks to having difficulty breathing. Rowan's chest was caving and I remember the car ride was the most terrifying ride of my life. Turned out Rowan had bronchiolitis, and it sure as heck wouldn't be our last. I remember thinking she was going to die and it was pure trauma for all of us. That's when we were introduced to the nebulizer, abuetrol and pulmicort. Doing treatments and seeing her cry hysterically was more than this heart could take. Thanks to her preemie lungs, every cold she would get from here on out would basically turn into bronchiolitis. Each time she got sick, we would do the treatments and each time it would get easier. I still get so sick to my stomach when she gets sick. However, she just keeps getting stronger and I am too.
6. Always go with your gut
I am famous for being a germaphobe and hypochondriac. I think I need therapy, lol. However, every time I got a pit in my stomach, I was always spot on. Always trust your gut. God gave us that intuition for a reason!
7. SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE...
Some moms may not agree with me. I get it. I remember planning a meet up with a fellow mom friend. I asked her if we could meet after 7:30, which is Rowan's bedtime. She was shocked. She said her 9 month son's bedtime was 10:30, sometimes later. My eyes got big from hearing that. Now I get every family is different, and that's great. That may work for some families! However, I think my child is a great sleeper because of being on a schedule. She flourishes from it. Its never a fight nor issue. As working parents, we also didn't have a choice. I am also somewhat blessed that I have kid who likes their sleep (yes, I know this will/can change). I think that having a schedule was so important and vital for our family. It's also nice because hubby and I get alone time and bond together, which is so important.
8. Make time for hubby
I never realized that being a parent would put my marriage in the backseat. In the beginning it was very hard, and I felt like we were roomates. Especially in the early days, we were running on no sleep, and being downright snippy with each other. We realized we had to put ourselves first from time to time. Hubby and I have BEYOND supportive family, and we have gone a good share of date nights and often trade babysitting with my sister. It has helped our marriage and recharge us!
9. Dem hormones are real...
Recently I did a blog post about my bout with the baby blues. It was CRAZY AS HELL in the beginning. I felt like it wasn't normal, because the movies and people make it seem like everything should always be sunshine. I felt like no one was going through it. I truly thought I had PPD, though it was just the blues. The hormones were insane and yucky. I felt so sad, angry yet sometimes elated all at once. Oh my land, these hormones are REAL, NORMAL, and its okay if you have them. I feel sad because I feel at times I didn't always savor those first 2 months because of it. It happens and it's totally okay. It gets better
10. Enjoy every season...
People said this to me all that time, as well as "enjoy it, it goes by quick". After awhile I would get annoyed but guess what, THEY ARE RIGHT. I find myself poring over Rowan's pictures/videos when she was tiny and at times, I catch myself crying. Every season with an infant can be amazing and rough. I remember during the tough times wishing she was bigger but now I want to stop time if I can. I learned that every tough season doesn't last forever and you don't get that time back. That saying is true, "the days seem long but the years are short". I get Rowan is only 13.5 months, but I swear she was 3 months old yesterday. Ugh, excuse me while I go cry....
Being a mother has been the toughest but most incredible experience of my life. I am thankful God deemed me worthy to be the mother of this extraordinary baby girl!
