No One Tells You

No one tells you it’s 10 months of pregnancy and not 9

No one tells you about that first car ride home from the hospital, and how acutely aware you become of being in a car with such precious cargo

No one tells you how many colours poop actually comes in

No one tells you about how many levels passed exhaustion that you can actually tolerate

No one tells you that no matter how tired you are, you’ll hold your child until they finally fall asleep, no matter what

No one tells you how you can’t go to sleep until you’re absolutely sure that your baby is asleep, safe and sound, and that you don’t need to check on them for the 20th time that evening

No one tells you that hearing them cry with no way to console them has nothing to do with you

No one tells you the guilt you will feel for trying to console them but can’t

No one tells you that it’s OK and normal to feel that way

No one tells you that the biggest messes happen when you’re in a hurry and just about to leave the house

No one tells you that you’ll often be late and that those without babies just won’t understand

No one tells you that you’ll be OK with all of it and in fact, embrace it

No one tells you that you’ll doubt and question your every move, forever

No one tells you that you have to remember to “remember” life before baby

Today, I will tell you…

Embrace the sleepless nights

Celebrate poop in all of its forms (it’s the weirdest thing to know you’d have gagged at any other poop but your baby’s poop is awesome!)

YOUR BABY’S POOP IS AWESOME!!!!

Make a point to remember date nights

YOU, nights 

You will go through the highest highs and the weirdest lows, they’re normal

When you question your decisions, it’s OK. Generations of mothers before you have done and continue to do the same thing no matter how much time has passed

You’ll yell, you’ll scream in ways you never thought you would and you will have full-on freak-outs several times….it’s OK, if you didn’t…THAT would be weird

Don’t believe the super-Mom blogs, the super-soccer Moms, the “I make my own baby food, sew my children’s clothes, use cloth diapers (what the hell?!), sleep 3 hours a night and I’m soooo happy!” Moms. The ones who “appear” to have it all together…believe me, they don’t!!!!

Be true, be real as I know you to be

This is motherhood

It’s raw

It’s primal

It’s the most amazing thing you will ever do as a woman

You are the essence of creation

You have formed an entire human being

You brought forward a soul that was created by the culmination of two loves

This is the best, most profound life changing experience that you will ever have

A moment that will echo over future generations, for eternity

Your child chose you

Even before they were born

A choice that will forever make you gasp

Grateful and in awe every time you watch them sleep

When the day arrives

The understanding of why “No one tells you” will wash over you

Because now…as a mother, you realize…

No one had to tell you