During my pregnancy, I experienced my fair share of unsolicited advice. I've come to see that pregnancy and motherhood are one hundred percent individual like your fingerprint. This photo perfectly captures the way I feel about myself as a mother. To see that my baby was having the time of his life that he decided to play a joke on me meant the world.
My grandmother passed away soon after that picture was taken and my husband took it upon himself to have that picture framed for me. Experiencing grief mixed with postpartum hormones is excruciating. When you are a new mom there is not much time for self, let alone grief. Mothering is not just taking care of your baby but also reinvesting in yourself in a more meaningful way. Having this picture as a daily reminder of a job well done has helped me heal a lot.
I'm still a work in progress if I compare myself to pre-baby me. I now have a running checklist of things I need to get done weekly to feel like I'm achieving goals outside of being a mother.
Is my house clean? Mostly.......
Is the laundry done? My husband does it
Does my husband feel loved? Of course (he's my hero)
Have I showered? YES!
Did I ask for help this week? Not really (I'm reminded of this often)
Am I eating healthy? Kind of...... Is the baby? Always
Is my baby happy and reaching all his milestones? YES, YES and more YES
Hindsight is 20/20 and if I could go back and talk to myself before the baby I would say a couple of things: "You are starting the most important chapter of your life, and the road is unpaved but the path leads to more fulfillment than you've ever known".
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