"One Year Old"

I have been a mother for almost a year now. My little girl turns 1 on June 27^th.  It is still so odd that I have a child, let alone that I’ve had a child for one whole year. Oh the milestones reached. I’m of course speaking of milestones for me, not Selah. She’s developing great. I, on the other hand, am developing slowly but surely into a bona fide mommy! Here are some milestones I’ve reached this past year…

Milestone # 1: She will not die if she get’s sick! I used to think this.

Milestone # 2: I do not need to change her diaper every time she pees. In fact, I wait as long as possible…diapers are expensive and they can hold A LOT.

Milestone # 3: I can shut off the video monitor and she will still continue to breathe! At least I think so…I’m only halfway to this milestone. I turn the monitor off and on.

Milestone # 4: I now realize that she will know that I am her mommy despite me working! This is a big one….and an important milestone for working mommies!

Milestone # 5: Daddy not remembering to do that which mommy asked him regarding our daughter does not mean she will suffer for the rest of her life….it may mean daddy will suffer, but she’ll be just fine!!

Milestone # 6: I’m psychotic and crazy when it comes to my daughter and that’s perfectly fine with me. I’ve accepted this and will now move on. People can talk about me all they want…I don’t care!

Milestone # 7: Giving Selah a taste of something other than organically made, hand blended food does not mean she will be unhealthy and die an untimely death due to heart disease, high cholesterol, or obesity.

Milestone # 8: I cannot avoid changing Selah in a public bathroom stall and so I’ve embraced it. She will not develop a deadly disease from laying on the pull down changing table….at least I don’t think so.

Milestone # 9: Clothes get dirty…and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Milestone # 10: I cannot avoid the freakin’ Wiggles. Try as I may, Selah loves them!

So Happy Birthday to Me….as a mother, I’m one year old!

"Mother's Day"

Mother’s Day is approaching. For me, and many of my friends and colleagues, this will be the first Mother’s Day experienced as the MOM! I’m certainly not saying that last year at this time I wasn’t a mother as Selah was growing in my uterus. Last year, however, Mother’s Day was celebrated by hitting up Golden Corral for their breakfast buffet and scarfing down loads of food because I chose to believe the myth that I was “eating for two.” Uh yes, the myth is now sitting on my lower abdomen in the form of flab.

This Mother’s Day will be different. I’m of course dropping hints left and right to my husband (and by dropping hints I mean I’m telling him) that I’d like to sleep in, get a massage, have a bouquet of flowers, and watch the movie I’d been so kindly denying myself because he doesn’t really want to watch it. I am going to party like it’s 1999! Juggling motherhood and work has been a major adjustment. I’m proud of myself. For me, going back to work was wretched, and yet, 6 months in…I’m alive, I have a routine, I’ve adjusted, Selah has adjusted, my husband has adjusted, and life is good. Don’t’ get me wrong, there are certainly days I want to fall over, cry, or quit my job. It can be hard to work full-time and balance motherhood…but I’m doing it!

So, isn’t Mother’s Day supposed to be about celebrating the hard work a mother (ME) puts in to take care of the ones she (I) loves? It’s my day…this is the moment I’ve been waiting for, right?! Sleeping in, being catered to, and getting a break??!!

But wait….it’s Mother’s Day and I LOVE being a mommy. I adore every little thing that comes with being Selah’s mommy. I love waking up early to get my daughter in her crib. Granted, the waking up and dragging myself up the stairs isn’t fun, but her smile when she sees me is to die for. I love how we crawl all over the house and she follows me from room to room as I say, “come on” and she giggles. Tired or not, I wouldn’t give that up. I LOVE when she cuddles with me as she watches Sesame Street and waves at Big Bird. I absolutely adore being a mother. Blood, sweat, and tears…. it’s worth it.

Shouldn’t Mother’s Day also be about celebrating the fact that I’ve been chosen to be a mom? I’m blessed to have the opportunity to love and care for my daughter.

So, on that day, when my daughter gives me a big, fat slobbery open mouthed kiss when I say, “kissy, kissy”, I can truly say….this is the moment I’ve been waiting for! I don’t want a day off…I just want a massage!