Let's Talk Truth

It's so very exciting to tell people you're pregnant. It's such happy news. Everyone hugs you, tells you how great of a mom you'll be.

I wish someone had whispered to me at some point in my first pregnancy: "It'll be the best thing you ever do, but hands down the hardest."

Let's talk truth here: Parenting. Is. Hard.

I used to think the highest stress came from trying to get all the ads in and approved for the next day's paper in time.

Ha Ha.

Stress: Your baby crying incessantly. You are the only adult, you are the mom, the one who is just supposed to inherently know everything, and you cannot figure out how to make baby happy. You feed, you diaper, you soothe, you rock. Nothing works.

Stress: Said baby gets older. Has the ability to follow you from room to room, is teething, and is crying because they want to be held. You can't even go to the bathroom alone.

I would like to tell my pre-mom self: "I'm sorry you had a rough day at work. But did you get to go to the bathroom alone? Did you get an entire hour round trip in the car, by yourself, to unwind and listen to whatever kind of music you want? Enjoy those free moments that you take completely for granted."

Parenting. Is. Hard.

Some days there is so much crying, screaming and fighting between the two munchkins that I find myself counting down the minutes to when Steve gets home. I find myself hoping that it's Wine Wednesday.

Most days flow relatively easily and happily. But those days I mentioned above? I honestly start to wonder if I'm really cut out for this mothering stuff. I start to doubt myself and my ability to keep it together.

As if by magic, a Really Bad Day is most often followed by a Really Good Day. A day so good, Parent Amnesia starts to seep in and I question whether the day before was really as bad as I thought it was.

I'm very thankful for Parent Amnesia. Because of it, I had a second child and continue to take my children to places where meltdowns are likely to happen (i.e. anywhere). It's the reason I can continue on as a mother even if it means sometimes I have a baby in one hand and a wine glass in the other.

Salute!