Thursday, April 12, 2012

Being Present

As a new mom I think there is a lot of "pressure" to get everything right, try not to "mess up" and keep your cool at all times.

Well, at least that's what it feels like sometimes.

With social media all around us, it is so easy to compare ourselves. As a generation with a lot of college graduates, I think a lot of us come from a life of organization, being successful possibly to the point of being borderline perfectionists. We then decide it is time to procreate, ten months later we are greeted with a bundle of joy and our world is turned upside down.

It is safe to say that Hub and I did not know what to expect when we decided to have a baby but I think we were surprised in a lot of ways.

It is hard.

But also so rewarding.

Being home everyday, it is easy for me to peruse Pinterest, Facebook and blogs off and on all day. It is easy to read article after article and condemn myself for not doing things like everyone else or not always having some gourmet dinner every night or my favorite: never getting out of my pajamas and letting the Hub come home to a wife in the same clothes she has had on since the night before. But, folks, we are learning, this is reality. And the rewards from being a mom don't come from a spotless house, gourmet dinners or getting dressed everyday.

They come from spending all of my time with my sweet girl.

From getting to delight in every smile she has to hand out and experiencing all of her firsts. It has been me that has seen her roll over, laugh, grab her toes and continue to form her little personality. The reason I get to continue to relish in all of these rewards is because I am there for her everyday. I try not to focus too much on the things that will always be there tomorrow.

This article has been circulating on Facebook and inspired this post. I am not writing to say that working moms aren't there for their kids. I am not saying that at all. I am writing to say that it is not all the things that matter when it comes to parenting. The homemade everything, the business woman/wife/mom/PTA president/DIY extraordinaire. It is being there. Day in and day out for our kids. And babies alike.

The babies know, too.

1 comment:

Katie said...

Oh man, I never have a gourmet dinner ready :) And yoga pants are my go to... everyday. You're right, the rewards come from putting in quality time with our kids. I wouldn't trade anything for my little man's firsts :)