Sunday, May 11, 2014

Ten Things I Learned From Motherhood

Say hello to Piper, my perfectly amazing creation!
There are so many things I have learned about myself and life once I became a mom.  I figured it was high time I give praise to some of these.  So, here goes...

1)  There is no other love in the world that compares to the love a mother feels for her child. No matter how much you think you love someone, even your significant other (if you have one) and your closest family members and dearest friends, none of those loves remotely touches a mother's love for her wee-one. At least that's how I feel.  Then again, I never could find my Prince Charming and became a single mom by choice via IUI, so my experience with romantic love for another is not quite up to par with others out there in the world. Also, mother-child love is very different than other types of love, of which there are many.  But I do honestly feel that I could not love anyone as much as I love Piper....ever!

How could you not totally love this face?
2)  There is no other journey comparable to the one a mother goes through during her pregnancy.  I am a world traveler.  I have seen things that have literally made me cry or gasp when gazing upon their beauty; from works of fine art, to man-made constructions, to the wondrous creations of Mother Nature.  I have adventured far off the beaten path and even been brazenly daring at times.  None of my travel experiences, however, remotely compares to the journey of my pregnancy.  From the moment I laid upon the doctor's table to have my IUI performed, to the moment I saw my little girl just three weeks old in my womb, to the moment I pushed her into this world, the entire process of change, both mentally and physically, was astounding. Every day was new and exciting.  Every day was a joy.  I am rare in that my pregnancy was perfect throughout. It was one of the happiest nine months of my life.  Although my body has still not fully recovered from it's fantastical journey, I wouldn't change a thing about the experience.  If you have the chance and ability, put pregnancy on your bucket list, you won't regret it!

Piper's first picture!
Me at 40 weeks!
The greatest day of my life!
3)  Children are the most bizarre and hysterical creatures on the planet!  Watching a little human learn and grow is quite a unique experience all on its own.  At times, it's the most humorous thing in the world.  No two are alike, but they all can be down right laugh-your-ass-off funny.  Piper keeps me in stitches and has been doing so from the moment she arrived.  Whether she is ninja-nursing, running half-naked through the house holding balloons, or dancing and singing in her own special style, she never lets me down when I need a good chuckle.

This girl cracks me up!

4)  My body is perfect the way it is.  Before having a child, I had a horrible body image.  It was probably due to all the years as a ballet dancer where I had to constantly worry about my weight that instigated this issue, but it was motherhood that cured it.  I no longer look in the mirror and overly judge myself.  I know I will never have my 22-year-old butt and stomach back, and I'm perfectly okay with that.  Don't get me wrong, I don't want to let myself completely go or still not lose some of that post-baby weight, but now it's not a race to be perfect by bathing suit weather.  I've earned my cheese, and with it a glass of wine instead of a workout if I so choose.
Who cares if my thighs are larger than they used to be,
This is what it's all about!
5)  Breasts are highly over sexualized!  Yes, I know some people look at them as solely sexual objects, but come on, my baby eats from those, so stop glaring at them!  I used to be smaller chested and along with my body issues I always worried they weren't big enough to be attractive to men.  Well you know what, that's total bullshit!  They're bigger now, but it wouldn't matter what size they are, because they are just breasts. They're amazing in all shapes and sizes because they can sustain life.  And the only person whose opinion matters regarding them is Piper's.  They're hers and hers alone.  Believe me, she'll let you know that they're hers.  Did I mention she's ninja-feeds?  Seriously!  Check out my post My Little Weirdo Part 1, The Breastfeeding Diaries if you want to know exactly what I mean by that.  And one last thing on the topic, I feel for you women with larger breasts.  When mine were ridiculously huge when my milk first came in, I had no idea what to do with them.  All that cleavage just made me uncomfortable.  I quit wishing for bigger boobs after that.

And we're still going strong on this 13 months later!
6)  The world no longer revolves around me, the world revolves around Piper.  Everything, I mean EVERYTHING, comes secondary to my daughter.  Whether it's me getting to eat, going out with friends, sleeping, letting my road rage out, shopping, etc.  None of this is important until Piper's needs are satisfied.  I know not all moms will agree with this, some say it's important to take time for yourself and get away from being a mom once in awhile.  I guess I just waited too long and with too much desire to have a child to think otherwise.  She is my world and I will always put her first, no matter what anyone else says or thinks.  I may lose some cool points with my homies for this, but I have enough to spare, lol.

Even this plate revolves around Piper!
7)  I now have a perfectly good excuse to act silly all the time.  I've always been a bit of a goofball, but now I seriously let my goober flag fly!  I don't care if it's at home or in the middle of some store, no place is off limits when it comes to having a silly-good time with my goofy little sidekick.  Her laugh is infectious, so really it's better for all humanity to hear it.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Being silly is a good thing!
8)  Every event can be turned into a song and dance number.  What is it about being a mom that makes it so easy to make up songs about poop?  I have seriously made up songs about just about everything we do now.  I sing about pottying, eating, sleeping, driving, shopping, walking, talking, strolling, a variety of bodily functions, and the list just keeps going.  Sometimes I use already familiar songs and change the lyrics to fit the action.  I'm like the Weird Al of mothering.  I'm good at busting out some rhymes, too, so if there is ever a calling for mother rappers, I've got a record deal!

Yep, I can even make up a song about this!
9)  Alone bathroom time only happens when your child is either sleeping or completely distracted by something else.  As a mom, you learn that no bathroom break is sacred unless you make a well thought out plan ahead of time.  And if you've done something in the bathroom that goes into the toilet, I'm trying to be discreet here, you better show it off because curious minds want to know and see!

Piper gets no privacy, either!
10)  Being a mom is the greatest thing that will ever happen to me.  Nothing can come close to topping motherhood.  I feel sorry for men who cannot experience parenting like a mom does.  No insult to the daddies out there, but it's just not the same.  Piper is my magnum opus, and I will cherish her always for what she has brought to my life.  I would even give my life for hers without a split seconds thought.  I have never been happier, I finally understand true, unconditional love, and I definitely understand sacrifice without complaint.  Life just doesn't get any better than this!

Yep, life doesn't get any better than seeing that smile on a daily basis!
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