The Mom I “Thought” I Would Be…

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When I first found out I was pregnant, I had so many ideas and thoughts of how things would be. Oh boy, was I way off!

While I was pregnant, I did research and bought the “faja,” also known as a girdle, that my mom told me I NEEDED to wear after the baby was born. Honestly, I wore that thing for a day and a half. I didn’t complete day two because I felt like I couldn’t move, breathe or exist in a world where I should have to wear one! It was torture. I don’t know how some of you moms did it and still continue to do it! Props to you brave ladies.

Pregnant Me swore I would lose all the baby pregnancy weight three months after having my daughter because that’s what fit moms do… Right?! I’m going on two years postpartum and barely finding the time and energy to join a gym and work on losing the stubborn baby weight! I’m halfway there, give or take a few pounds. I’ll blame the fact that I didn’t listen to my mom and didn’t wear the magical and life changing”faja.” I wasn’t that fit before I became pregnant, why would I think I would be fit after? I’ve come to peace with that, and I’m totally ok with it.

Pregnant Me was so anxious to have my baby and get into shape again. Now, I look at pregnant women and envy them. Oh how I wish I could be pregnant again! I really do miss the tiny flutters in my belly. I also miss eating a whole bag of Hot Fries and not feeling guilty about it. Now, I can’t eat anything without my daughter watching me like a hawk and asking “Mommy, can I have it?” even though she doesn’t even know what I’m eating.

I’ve convinced her that everything I’m eating that she can’t have is “picas” — in other words, it’s hot and spicy. My poor child thinks gum is “picas.” If you tell a toddler a simple no you can’t have gum, they’ll more than likely throw a tantrum. So in my defense, a little lie here and there isn’t all that bad.

Pregnant Me said I would NOT let my baby watch more than 30 minutes of TV a day. Ha, was I wrong! The only time I can brush her hair, feed her breakfast, sit her in the car seat for more than 10 minutes, or get anything done around the house is if she’s watching TV, or in my daughter’s words, “my show.”

She’s watching educational videos, ok? And she has learned so much, it’s crazy. I am a teacher, but I did not show her the name of farm animals, zoo animals and all the sounds they make! She can also count to 10, knows her ABC’s, and is learning her colors too. Yes, I do sing with her and build on the knowledge her tiny human brain already holds, but the initial introduction to all these things are from educational shows. YouTube is definitely a lifesaver!

Pregnant Me said I was going to be the super stylish mom who made time for herself to get ready. Ha! I’m lucky to leave the house without forgetting to put on a bra for work! Yes, that happened to me, just once. I don’t get how some moms are so cool all the time. Even my daughter is cooler than I am. She’s got a necklace, a bow and shoes to match every and any outfit. I can’t even remember when I made time to get a haircut. Well, if cutting my own split ends over the bathroom sink counts, then I guess I got a “haircut” last year!

Pregnant Me said I was going to give my baby ONLY homemade food. For the most part this was true for my daughter’s 1st year of life. The baby bullet was definitely a hit in our household! I made all her baby food. Steamed, boiled, prepped, organic — you name it, I covered everything. Now that’s she’s going on two, the second she sees McDonald’s, she’s automatically asking me for French fries and chicken nuggets. Oops!

Pregnant Me read all the books, statistics and stories on what to expect during labor. My labor was basically like going on a short weekend vacation, without the vacation! 39 hours later, labor was not anything like I read in the books. They lied. The last hour of labor I was being prepped for a C-Section. I couldn’t take it anymore! And just as the doctor came in to talk to me about the scary and nerve wrecking process, my daughter decided she was ready to make her big debut! Just a short half hour later, she arrived. It was definitely worth it all, but geez louise it was tough!!

Pregnant Me said I was going to learn how to do crafty stuff for my daughter. I wanted to make her bows and add iron-on’s to cute onesies. My boyfriend even bought the Cricut in hopes I would learn how to make stuff. Who am I kidding? I barely find 15 minutes out of the day to shower, let alone make bows.

Amazon has definitely been my go-to for my daughter’s 200+bows! Clicking on the “Complete my Purchase” icon is so much easier and just as rewarding for me. I feel very accomplished when I can do online shopping while my daughter is asleep for the night! Besides, I have a cousin that does awesome crafty iron-on onesies. So if a family is making it for me, its like I’m doing it myself… right?We’re from the same gene pool, we are practically the same person. 

Pregnant Me thought as soon as I had the baby I could finally sleep on my stomach comfortably. Sleep? Yeah, right. I really can’t remember the last time I slept through the night. It’s true all along what the elders say. Well in my case, what my mom would say: “Once you become a Mom, you will NEVER sleep again!

My daughter just turned two and she STILL. WAKES. UP. I’ve resorted to co-sleeping just to be able to get a few uninterrupted hours of sleep. Who knew my kid was a talking ninja in her sleep?! I can basically have a conversation with my daughter while she sleeps. I also feel like I should wear a helmet. There’s nothing like being woken up in the middle of the night with a kick in the face to remind you that you are, in fact, a mom!

Pregnant Me thought I knew it all and had everything figured out. Now I will admit, I was wrong on so many levels. We are ALL different and I’ve finally learned how to stop comparing myself to the mom who has matching outfits with her daughter, the mom with rock hard abs or the mom with a live-in nanny.

Yes, to be those moms would be nice at times, but no matter what, my daughter doesn’t care what I look like, how messy the house is, or when was the last time I went to the gym. I love being her mom, and all the craziness that comes with it!

I thought I wanted to be a different kind of mom, but when my 2-year-old daughter calls me her best friend and says she loves me with all her heart, then I can proudly say I’m doing this Mom thing just fine the way I am. 

 

 

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Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a traditional valley girl, born and raised, with a real and honest passion for writing that began as a very young girl. She shares her home and heart with a 3 yr old beautiful little human being named Isabella Samantha and her loving husband, Sam. She is recently a stay at home mom, or as she likes to call herself, a Family Manager, with 10 years of elementary teaching experience under her belt. She loves scrapbooking, journaling, crafting and reading. On her free time, she likes to spend time with her mom, travel, go to the movies and enjoy family time! Her guilty pleasures include the likes of iced coffee, Netflix, Amazon and tacos!

4 COMMENTS

  1. Love your post! I think your doing this Mom thing just perfectly for you and your daughter! It’s the hardest and best job ever!!!!

    • Thank you Sarah! Just saw this message! I appreciate your kind words and completely agree with you! Mom-ing is Hard Work, but so worth it!

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