My thoughts on Parenthood

As I read an article today on parenting, I became lost in the memory of a time when it was just Dustin and I. I remember the time we used to spend together, dreaming about the future and wondering what it would hold for us. I remembered the dates we used to go on. Last minute movies and long delicious dinners; never being hurried and feeling very carefree. I remember finding out we were pregnant with Charlotte. I had the excitement and anticipation of a naive mother to be. I longed for the day she would join us. I remember thinking that life probably wouldn't change much. That was a time when I thought  the phrase "slept like a baby" was literal. I remember thinking that I was not going to have anything to occupy my time as a stay at home mom. I truly believed that babies were an easy transition and mothering just came natural.

As I look at my beautiful children today, I am reminded how unprepared I felt as I brought that crying baby home from the hospital. How wrong I had been about what was in store for us as new parents. I remember the panic I felt the first time I couldn't calm my screaming baby, and the way I hid under my covers and cried. I will never forget those first few sleepless nights and the shock it caused my system. I will never forget my babies first smile's or first "I love you Mommy." The thing about being a parent is that one can prepare you for it. There is no way to comprehend the complete 180 that your life is about the take. There are no words to describe the love that you feel for your own. Today I was reminded just how lucky I am to be a mother. Through all the messes and tantrums and dirty diapers and dishes, there is no other place I would rather be than home, with my littles. Through the good and the bad I hope I always remember how lucky I am.