Being a Mom Along With Everything Else

I celebrated my birthday over the weekend and I’m just now beginning to feel like myself again. I know I said that I wanted my old social life back but I might have to reconsider; I can’t hang like I used to. Back in the day, I could party all night long, even until the sun came up and hopping up the next day was effortless. But, celebrating my birthday since having a baby has shown me that lots of things have changed. I’ve had hangovers before but the worst part about having one this time around was being a mom…with a hangover.

I wanted to nap so bad but my son wanted my full attention. I feel bad for even having the thought, but it was like he was punishing me for being away. He was extra fussy and for a moment, the mommy-guilt crept in: “If I hadn’t gone out and partied, I’d be well-rested and ready to deal with a clingy baby.” I’m not going to lie, that thought lingered for a while until I realized that I did, in fact, deserve to celebrate my birthday. Especially considering last year I was eight months pregnant with heartburn and swollen feet on my special day.

Being a Mom Along With Everything Else

I knew that being a mom would come with its fair set of sacrifices so I did all that I could to mentally prepare myself. But I guess the one thing I didn’t give much thought was the fact that I still had to take care of myself while also caring for another human. I’m working on setting aside me-time but now I’ll be more conscious of how I choose to spend that time. I don’t want to have to still be paying for the time I took for myself days later—like I am now. 

This is my first time being a mom and my boyfriend’s first time being a dad. And, as silly as it may sound, I also think about it being my son’s first time being our kid. We’re all learning to navigate this new life. With communication and our style of parenting, we’ll get it right.

And although it’s going to suck being sick or super tired while still having to be a mom, I’m prepared for what’s going to be a long road ahead.

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash