What a year it's been! And what an amazing experience it has been to grow into this role of being someone's mom. I wouldn't have been able to do it without my own Mom! But that deserves it's own post. :)
When I was pregnant with George I felt really prepared for this whole parenthood thing...after all I'd nannied before...and babysat before...and how many younger siblings had I helped to take care of? Hahahaha! Nothing prepares you for parenthood--of that I'm sure! Among all the new surprises these have been the best/funniest/sweetest:
- How grateful I would feel for my own parents. Oh my. When you become a parent you can't help but reflect on your own parents! All those sacrifices they made! All the patience they had! All the energy! I am so grateful for mine.
- And simultaneously--how awful I would feel that I ever did anything to cause my parents grief! Like, Emily, what were you thinking?! How could you have done that! Becoming a parent makes you want to go back to your own parents and say, "I'm sorry for every stupid thing I ever did that I put you guys through!"
- How easily I would cry during any movie with a storyline about kids. Andrew and I watched Inside Out a few months ago...and when the little girl changes her mind and returns home...I could.not.stop crying. Andrew, too!
- It's surprised me how thankful I'd be for other mom friends and how comfortable I would feel texting any question...did breastfeeding feel this way for you? what would you do when your baby woke up at 1:30am? should I send Andrew in? what solids are working for you? And so many more!
- Becoming a mom made me experience God's love in a whole different way. God as our Heavenly Father...God sending His one and only Son...God's great love for us...His sacrificial love. Oh my, thank you Lord!
- It shocked me how quickly I replaced pre-baby things...so long cute iPhone cover, hello OtterBox! So long regular sessions of painting my nails, hello short trimmed nails! So long blowouts, hello messy buns!
- Though it was sometimes brutally hard, it surprised me how decisively I was able to say no to things...weddings, funerals, vacation plans, family dinners, etc. It just killed me to miss some of those things, but I also feel like becoming a mom has given me a healthy sense of my own bandwidth...and, let's be honest, baby's bandwidth!
- How many times I'd check the driveway at the end of a long day to see if Andrew's car was pulling in yet. Cue all the praise hands when it did!
- All of the body changes surprised me. The human body is an amazing wonder! I thought I would go bald from all of my postpartum hair loss, yet miraculously it all grew back! I thought my stomach would never look the same after that massive pregnancy belly, and yet weeks later there it was. In those early postpartum days I thought I would never feel normal again...and yet months later George and I were rolling around on the carpet together!
- And the biggest surprise of all? The LOVE. Oh the love! Nothing and no one could have prepared me for that. It covers everything...the sleepless nights, and vomit, and fevers, and teething, and dirty diapers, and crying. It's like love amnesia--all you can recall is the joy and the wonder. At least, that's what it's been like for me. :) It has been an incredible, life-changing, soul-expanding, wonder-filled first year of being George's mom! What a gift!
P.S. My Sis has taken so many of these wonderful photos of George and I! I have always loved her eye for photography, and these photos from her are truly lifelong treasures! Thank you, Rab! xoxo
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