May 19, 2012

Being Mommy

Last weekend was Mother's day, and it was the 3rd one I've participated in as a mother, according to my count. I was pregnant during what I consider my "first" mother's day, but Sean made sure to make that day special for me, and it was the only one I spent with him that was focused on our babies, so of course it has to count!


For me, being Mommy means picking up the house 10 bajillion times each day as toys slowly (and sometimes not so slowly) take over. And don't even get me started on how many times I bust out the broom and/or vacuum each day.


Being Mommy means lots and lots of saying, "no!" when all I want to do is tell them "yes" and give them everything they want.


Being Mommy means constantly having snot, blood, milk, and/or mud on at least one article of clothing on my body at all times (but never grape juice...we just don't go there).


Being Mommy means never getting to do anything I want to do because the needs of my children and my family come first...and there are a lot of them. 


Being Mommy means waking up to crying babies instead of birds chirping in the morning and being it means falling asleep with a blanket pulled up over my ears hoping it will block out the crying coming from the monitor, but being absolutely sure it won't (because let's face it, I just can't sleep when the girls are crying, and not because it's too noisy). 


Being Mommy means guessing what they want to eat for lunch or dinner and being right with one child while being dead wrong with the other.


Being Mommy also means that as I'm eating my dinner 20 minutes after the girls have finished theirs, I lose half of my plate to those just-fed babes who decide they're hungry again.


Being Mommy means great upper body strength!


Being Mommy means growing eyes on all sides of my head, not just the back, to make sure to be on the lookout for both of my super-mobile toddlers and still having to run suddenly into the bathroom after hearing a thud to pull Sophie out of the bathtub (it was empty) because she's apparently tall enough to do that...


Being Mommy means making choices for my kids that don't make me crazy at the same time--like deciding to stop breastfeeding when they were 5 months old because I detested it. I never felt like I was bonding with my children while it was going on, but instead I felt hollow, used, and like that was the only thing they needed from me, since they could get everything else a child needs from anyone else. Hard decision? Yes. Regret it? Absolutely not...although I do miss burning 1,000 calories each day sitting on my butt.


Being Mommy means reading Goodnight Moon over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over ...and then realizing I'm not even on the right page for the place in the story I'm reciting since I've closed my eyes and am turning pages blindly.


Being Mommy means letting Daddy stay in bed to try to sleep when the girls decide they want a drink every 15 minutes starting at 2:30 am until 5, because he has to go to work in the morning . 


Being Mommy means defending my job to everyone I know who isn't a stay-home-mom. 


Being Mommy means being the official boo-boo kisser, scream stopper, household child-proofer, poo-poo wiper, and outright bad-cop sometimes. 


There are probably about a million other little facets of my journey through motherhood that I could add to this list about what makes me a mommy to my little ones. This is the hardest job I've ever had, it's the most fun I've ever had, and although I often wish for reprieve, I truly want to be the one to do everything for them because I'm the mommy.


I think that all mothers know that loving your child is the best thing you can do for them, and you just have to try your hardest not to make too many mistakes by your kids. So for now and for always, being Mommy means that I will love my children and my family unconditionally. And I'm sure that when my girls are teenagers I'll get a full report of just how much I've ruined their lives. ;)













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