Things I've Learned Along the Way...

I've been thinking a lot about motherhood lately.... if "lately" means every day for the last 3 years.  And in honor of Mother's Day being this weekend, I thought I'd write this down.

Besides getting married, becoming a mother is the best choice I've ever made.  Not even kidding.  And to my children: I truly mean it.  I'm not just sucking up to you so you don't stick me in a mental hospital when I'm old.

I've learned a lot of unexpected things on this journey:

• Kids are super forgiving.
• You don't have to be on drugs to have hallucinations.  Sleep deprivation will do the trick.  And no, this is not an exaggeration.
• Kids can eat PB&J every single day.  I meanwhile convince myself that there's got to be SOME nutrients hiding in all that sliminess.
• If you have a boy you will inevitably be peed on at some point.  Although, as of today, (BRACE YOURSELVES FOR SOMETHING NASTY) I have officially had Lily's pee in my mouth.  Long story, but let's just say it was an accident on my part.  Whoops.  And yes, I did just put that on my blog.  Because it's another battle scar that I will have to live with.  Bless the people who invented mouthwash.
• My mom gave me some of the best advice ever: park next to the shopping carts so that you don't have to drag in a car seat or child all the way into the store.  Just pop 'em in the cart and go!
• Kids don't notice when you eat cookies for breakfast.  Or ice cream.  Or chocolate chips.
• Before you become a mom you say, "I will NEVER do this!" or "I will NEVER let my child do that!"  But you will.  Oh. You. Will.
• Epidurals rock.
• Being pregnant and nursing are two forms of torture for me.  I do them both, but I despise them both.  Kudos to y'all who love it.  You rock.
• Just because you lose baby weight doesn't mean you lose baby flab.
• Morning sickness = all day sickness.
• Sweats are my uniform half of the week.
• I used to be easy going.  Really.  I was.  And then my kids learned how to tear apart speakers, trample over our precious garden, throw their cereal on the floor, and go through my purse in the store and start throwing out the cards in my wallet.
•  Husbands are EXTRA hot when they play with their kids.
• Children can hide food anywhere: under sofa cushions, in cabinets, in toy bins, in diapers...
• You will learn all the songs of your child's favorite TV show or movie and will start singing them during the day when you're by yourself.
• When you're pregnant, people ask you super personal questions that in no other way would be normal.  Like: "how many centimeters are you dilated?" or "was this an accident?"

Now not all of my bullets seem peachy.  And that's the truth.  Motherhood for me isn't peachy all the time.  It's a real lesson of patience.  But you know what?  This week I had one of the best moments of my entire life.  Lily was sitting on the potty (just forget that little tidbit) and said, "Mommy, a hug?" so I leaned over and hugged her while she was plopped on her Seseme Street toilet seat and she just kept whispering in my ear "Mommy, I love you so much," maybe 10 times while she was brushing my hair with her tiny hand.  I almost cried.  

So while I always say, "these kids are going to be the death of me," sometimes I wonder if it's the truth.  But you know what?  My mom isn't crazy.  Ben's mom isn't crazy.  And I know what we both did to our moms.  So maybe there's hope for me, too.

I love my kids.  I'm so glad I'm able to be a mom.  Aaaaahhh... I think I'll go upstairs, tuck them in (while of course I'm smelling all their baby deliciousness), and brace myself for tomorrow's adventures.