Most moms will agree that being a parent is the best thing that has ever happened to them. They will joy you with different things that have happened throughout their ordinary day, even when these things seem so unimportant to you. It's not you, it's them. These things are probably unimportant to most people. You see, when you become a mom, life is different. You get a new set of wants and needs. There are obvious changes like no longer sporting a convertible or living on your parent's couch. Your bank account will look different. Your circle of friends will either expand or shrink. Aside from all of those changes, here are a few more that your ever so kind mom friends might leave out.
1.You naturally become a late person.
This may not be everyone, but this is definitely me and a lot of moms I know. Let’s be honest, it’s not usually my fault I’m late. I blame the kids. Shoes had to be on the right feet, the sippy cup wasn’t the right color, and there was a blowout on the way out the door. These things really happen and they usually happen all at once.
2. You develop "mom" brain.
This is a real thing, it has to be. I used to be able to do quick transactions in my head when it came to purchases. I could remember where I put my keys. Now I sometimes forget to put shoes on the kids, I have no idea where my keys are if they aren’t in the drawer and we’ve had to replace four of our debit cards since becoming parents.
3. You become exhausted.
And I mean in every sense of the word. There will be times when you literally fumble your way through a few days, just to make it to the weekend and do it all over again. Befriend coffee and join the rest of us mombies. We aren’t as mean as we look.
4. You learn to share.
Your food. Your body. Your nice home with actual blinds in the window. Your time, sanity and personal space. You learn to share literally everything.
5. You become responsible.
Most moms become responsible. You can check your local headlines to find some that aren’t, but for the most part they are. Even with all the forgetfulness and being habitually late, you become responsible. You realize that your tiny world goes beyond just you. You learn to make doctor appointments for other people.
6. You develop sensory over loads.
This also might not apply to all, but it applies to a lot. There are days when your child will not function without touching you and when someone else comes in your little bubble, you will lose your cool. Oh, and if you breastfeed, your child will go through stretches of what the doctors call “growth spurts” and be attached to you for hours at a time. I’m no doctor, but I really don’t believe in these said “growth spurts” because it seemed like the first nine months of my youngest’s life was nothing but a said “growth spurt”.
7. You will become exhausted, again.
Yes, this is included twice because this exhaustion lasts for a really long time. I actually cannot tell you how long because my oldest is only three, but I have a feeling this goes past eighteen years. Your once peaceful sleeps will become periods of restless sleeping interrupted by crying children or checking to see if they’re still breathing because they didn’t wake you up at the normal times.
8. You will become obsessed with your kids.
We all have these moments, especially with newborns. I personally blame the new baby smell on this obsession. But the obsession starts before the baby is even born. You will be amazed at how many outfits you can find in places you didn’t even know had baby things. Also, never check on Amazon for baby gadgets or clothes unless you want to go bankrupt.
9. Nothing will be about you anymore, it’s all about the kids.
Not even kidding. Sometimes people will only ask you about your kids and that will be the gist of your conversation. One Christmas my husband got a car seat and a high chair for his gifts. While he may not have been that excited, I was! That was two less things to check off my list.
10. You learn to stretch yourself.
This doesn’t refer to any of the labor process, which really is the physical sense and definitely happens, but rather the actual journey of being a mom. You will literally stretch everything about yourself from your sanity and time to your personal space and heart. Sometimes you’ll even make more hours in the day just to get a project done. Or you’ll lose hours of the day by simply enjoying your kids.
11. You fall in love over and over again.
Having kids is one of the greatest things that will ever happen to you. Yes, they are exhausting little personal space bubble-bursting beings, but they are seriously great. When they learn to say I love you, give kisses, or simply say sorry, you're going to fall in love again. When they learn something new after months of trying, you fall in love. And when you want to scream from parenting just being overwhelming, you'll look into their little faces and remember that you love them.
