So, for the final day of 2012's Things I Love...
I'm going to be really honest right now, so don't judge me.
A good girlfriend gave me the wisest words just before I had Tilley-Gray. If you are planning on having children, or in the process, or are a new mom, I want to share these encouraging words with you as well. She told me...
"It's OK if you don't love it at first, motherhood that is. You will love her to pieces, but being a mom is hard. You will eventually love it, I promise."
She was so completely and totally right and I'm so glad that she shared that with me. What she told me is one of the greatest gifts I've been given.
For the first few weeks of being a mom, I didn't love it. It's hard and it's not at all what you think it's going to be. Motherhood is amazing, don't get me wrong, but it's unapologetically difficult. My mom was with me for the first week and after she left, Gray found me sitting in our bathroom floor hysterically crying. Yes, my hormones were out of control, but I felt awful because I wasn't loving being a mom. Then I was reminded of what my girlfriend told me, and the next day I turned the corner.
Motherhood is so unique and unlike anything else. It's amazing to be able to have someone completely love you and need you with no reservation. It's the only time in life that I think that really happens. The way that she looks at me and coos and smiles, and the way she calms so easily when I soothe her is amazing. I love Tilley-Gray with all of my heart. I worry about her at night when she is alone in her nursery. I'll wake up in the middle of the night and tip toe into her nurser, just to make sure she is OK.
I also love that I have the opportunity to stay home. We have play dates and lunch dates and I fit my work in between when she naps or late at night. My sweet mother-in-law comes on Mondays so I can get a lot of my work done and run what errands I need to run. I have had a baby sitter a few times in the past month, which is so important. But you know what? I miss her when I"m away. Which is nice because that time away reminds me of how much I love her and love being a mom.
Thank you so much for letting me share all of my favorite things with you this month! I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have! Every email, every comment, and every new follower really makes my day and I appreciate y'all for reading this little blog of mine.
xoxo
For the first few weeks of being a mom, I didn't love it. It's hard and it's not at all what you think it's going to be. Motherhood is amazing, don't get me wrong, but it's unapologetically difficult. My mom was with me for the first week and after she left, Gray found me sitting in our bathroom floor hysterically crying. Yes, my hormones were out of control, but I felt awful because I wasn't loving being a mom. Then I was reminded of what my girlfriend told me, and the next day I turned the corner.
Motherhood is so unique and unlike anything else. It's amazing to be able to have someone completely love you and need you with no reservation. It's the only time in life that I think that really happens. The way that she looks at me and coos and smiles, and the way she calms so easily when I soothe her is amazing. I love Tilley-Gray with all of my heart. I worry about her at night when she is alone in her nursery. I'll wake up in the middle of the night and tip toe into her nurser, just to make sure she is OK.
I also love that I have the opportunity to stay home. We have play dates and lunch dates and I fit my work in between when she naps or late at night. My sweet mother-in-law comes on Mondays so I can get a lot of my work done and run what errands I need to run. I have had a baby sitter a few times in the past month, which is so important. But you know what? I miss her when I"m away. Which is nice because that time away reminds me of how much I love her and love being a mom.
Thank you so much for letting me share all of my favorite things with you this month! I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have! Every email, every comment, and every new follower really makes my day and I appreciate y'all for reading this little blog of mine.
xoxo
Love this post! What a great way to wrap up your Things I Love series. :)
ReplyDeleteInspiring! I just found out my husband and I are pregnant! We are beyond excited for what is to come, I love reading your blog everyday! Thanks for being a great inspiration!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog!! At least half of the things you love would have been on my list too!! Loved finding out about some new things too!! Thanks for sharing your post today - have twin babies about Tilley Gray's age (in fact my girl has the same sweet shirt she has on in the picture!) and I look forward to reading Fifi Cheek every day!
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed this series. I agree whole heartedly about this last post. I was 2 months shy of 23 when I had our first baby, a girl. I had been married foe 3 years and was completely ready to be a mom. What I wasn't prepared for was the havoc it would reak on my body and hormones. None of my friends had started having children. I remember sobbing in the shower the morning my milk came in and I couldn't put my arms down , ugh. The day I discovered a bald spot wasn't much better, lol. Darn hormones. But everything returned to a NEW normal , breasts shrunk(ha) and hair grew back ... Until the next baby. I just reminded myself that without those hormones I wouldn't have these precious miracles. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThat is such a sweet picture of you & Tilley-Gray. I love your openness about motherhood! xo
ReplyDeletecan i just snuggle her. lol. shes sooo cute
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed reading your posts related to motherhood, as I had my daughter a few weeks after Tilley-Gray was born. Someone gave me similar advice a few months before my baby was born. I agree that it was some of the greatest advice to receive. My doctor also told me to think of the sobbing fits as cleansing cries. I found myself laughing while crying because I just didn't have control over my hormones; this advice made the emotional shifts less scary. Despite the difficult moments, I remember how amazing it felt when my daughter began smiling. Thank you for your honest posts. They are fun and refreshing!
ReplyDeleteI think all new moms need to read this! This is such the honest truth! Motherhood is one of the hardest things and the most amazing things all at the same time (and that doesn't change when your kids get older.) BTW She is an absolute doll!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like being a mother, I am 17 months down the line and I still miss her so much when I drop her at her grandmas while I work, it's a roller coater journey but so worth it! Your daughter is beautiful x
ReplyDeleteYou saved the best for last, what a sweet post!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your posts this month. I'm not a mother now, but I plan to be one day. Thank you for being so honest. I read quite a few blogs everyday, including yours, and it almost becomes depressing. Everyone seems to be leading the most perfect glamorous life. While I know that no ones life is perfect, it is easy to be deceived by glitzy outward appearance of blogs. It's refreshing to see "normal". Thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteahh...I'm sad it's the last day : ( I've enjoyed every single post and will continue to love all future posts : )
ReplyDeleteI'm newly pregnant (I feel like I shouldn't be announcing that on blog land, but let's just go with it for now). I'm curious about your comment because I've heard it from many others. Why did you feel that way at the beginning? Is it because it's so much work and you're so tired, or do your hormones just reek so much havoc on your brain? Sorry, I feel like this is an extremely giant topic, but it really has me thinking (and a bit scared).
ReplyDeleteHi Lindsey,
DeleteFirst, congratulations on your pregnancy! I loved being pregnant and hope you have a similar experience. I'm not 100% sure why I felt that way other than to put the blame on hormones. It's not that I didn't love her, I just wasn't prepared. My body had just been through so much and it's kind of a lonely, exhausting time because only I could feed her (I nursed) and when my mom left and my husband was back at work, it was just me and the baby at home. Do not be scared. It is the best experience I have ever had, I can promise you that and I would do it all over again! xo
What an adorable photo and post! You've probably heard this 123,254 times, but you're gorgeous! You look just like Jessica Alba!
ReplyDeleteYou might like this poem about mothers http://caroleschatter.blogspot.co.nz/2011/12/random-quotation-spot.html
ReplyDelete