I love my kids. They're my world and I can't imagine life without them.
However, becoming a mother makes you realize that there are a lot of things that change when you have kids.
Sleeping in is non-existent (why can't they learn that 6 AM is not an acceptable hour to wake up??). You trade in your TV shows for Wonder Pets and Dora the Explorer. Your favorite lipstick becomes your daughter's new favorite marker. Of course, these things don't make you regret being a mother, they're simply the "other side" of motherhood - the side that people don't see when they look at your perfectly preened, rosy faced child. (You know, the one who covered the cat in applesauce right before family portrait time?)
I've had many of these moments as a mother. I think it's most difficult with your first child because you haven't experienced the true ins and outs of parenthood before. I mean sure, you've changed a diaper here and there and babysat for the neighbor kids but now, you can't just give the kid back to their parents. You ARE the parent.
Now, your days go something like this:
Yes, I am wearing pj's while I grocery shop.
Um yes, I DO have a Cheerio stuck in my hair. That's not a fashion now?
Yes, that's my kid eating your potted plant. That's the most vegetables he's had in 2 weeks.
Oh wait, I'm not supposed to discuss poop at a dinner meeting?
There have definitely been some hard times. My daughter once
managed to take the cap off of my bottle of chondroitin/glucosamine supplements and eat a couple of them. That was the first day I called Poison Control - and hopefully my last. (The supplements aren't harmful in case you're wondering.) Poison Control is now on speed dial. And of course my
least favorite times
when my daughter has gotten sick in the car and my husband and I have had to scrub down everything. Ugh, no matter how much throw up I've dealt with in the past 2 years, it still bothers me the most.
All the hard times make me appreciate the funny times the most though. Like the challenge of
working out with a toddler, or most memorably,
when I put one of my daughter's boogers in my mouth. My son is still too young to wreak any big time mischief yet, but I know the minute he can crawl I'll have some stories for you.
I polled some of my friends and readers to ask them for their stories. Surely I wasn't the only one who has ridden home in the back of the car holding a handful of throw up? I wasn't disappointed.
We go through a lot of crap for our kids. Literally.
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My daughter was only 4 days old. It was the middle of the night. We were concerned because she hadn't pooped for 2 days and only once while in the hospital. That night I prayed that she would poop! (Something I never thought I would be praying about!)
Around 4 am she was sitting in her bounce chair and she opened her eyes and was wide awake. I was happy to see her awake,since she was only days old, but was wondering why it had to be at 4 am! All of a sudden my husband screams, "Oh my gosh! She pooped!" And he runs into the bathroom to get a wet towel. I was confused because I didn't see anything. (After all it was 4 am and dark). He replied, "You are not looking up high enough."
I look at her shoulder and there it was, green/black poop. (You moms know what I am talking about too, those first poops newborns have). It made it all the way up her back, sides and shoulders and starting to come down the front of her shoulders. Her brand new bounce chair is covered too. I pick her up and take her to her changing table. At that point I said to my husband, let's just cut this onesie off of her! So that's what we did. Then my husband looked at me and said, "You prayed she would poop!"
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A few days ago, my daughter came running up to me in the backyard - she had something in her hand. It was dried dog poop. And she had something in her mouth, which she told me was grass.
So...we're in the public restroom at a local restaurant, every stall full with people waiting,and she decides she needs to poop.
She says, "Eewww, that tastes bad." I said, "You mean it smells bad. You smell with your nose."
Then she said..."Mom, I did eat the poopie. I'm sorry I lied to you.
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And here's a sweet (non-poo related) reminder from one reader that God is always looking out for our kids when we can't:
I was a young mom of 23 with my first born. I had to work so I was working a a snack bar at the pier. I took the playpen and placed my son in it where I could watch him and play with him, during the times I was not busy behind the counter.
One day I was very busy and I heard a voice (which I know was God ) telling me "look at your son." I responded in my head "I am too busy right now" the voice more sternly but at the same time lovingly said "LOOK AT YOUR SON!" so I did.
Somehow he had grabbed a cap from a baby juice bottle and had placed it in his mouth and was choking. I jumped over the counter took the cap out of his mouth grabbed my baby and went outside.
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Thank you all for sharing your stories, and thank you for all that you do as mothers.
Happy Mother's Day
