Becoming A Mother has been the best experience of my life hands down. I love Liliana more than anything else in the World. Everyday isn't all about rainbows and sunshine though. If anyone ever told you that becoming a Mother would be easy, then they lied. Every struggle is completely worth it though.
First of all, expect to get peed on- whether you have a boy or girl it WILL happen. In fact, with Lily it has happened way more times than I'd like to admit. Luckily, it wasn't me who ended up getting pooped on (it was her Father). Bodily fluids used to disgust me... then I had Lily and they became a part of life.
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Becoming a Mother also means that people will leave your life. I had a few people in my life that were pretty close friends, once Lily was born they came by to see her and that was the last time I saw them. A couple of them invited us out, but when you have a newborn you can't really have a social life. Luckily, there are a few people who stick around and are perfectly fine to have game nights or movie nights in, just something where Lily can be sleeping while we are still able to be social. Of course it hurts when people leave your life, but then you realize that if they don't want to deal with your child, then you don't really want to deal with them. I think that this happens way more to younger parents. I think it was worse with me since I was the first of my college friends to have a baby. I know that as we begin to graduate and start our lives I'll gain tons of new Mommy friends and things will seem a lot better.
When you have a baby make sure you have extra clothes ALWAYS. I try to keep an outfit in my purse or diaper bag for Lily and at least a shirt in the car for myself. Babies are pretty gross when you think about it, and often times they will end up ruining their own clothes as well as yours. I know I would hate to have finish whatever I was doing covered in spit up (or worse!).
Expect to feel guilt whenever you make a mistake. I've almost lost track of her a few times while shopping with my Mom. (She had her each time!) After each time I felt awful that I almost lost her or briefly forgot about her. I accidentally
cut her with my fingernail and I was more upset about it than her. You have to remember that you are only human and things will happen. Don't be too hard on yourself!
Being a Mommy is a great experience, a hard, difficult experience, but I wouldn't want it any other way.
Relationships definitely do change when you have a baby, even as an older person. You get closer to some people and drift from others, since you're right-- a social life is not possible for awhile. But that's ok, and it sounds like you have a great perspective about it. And yes-- babies are kind of gross, when you think about it! But they're pretty darn beautiful at the same time. It's really touching to read about your life and lessons. Nice job, Mikayla.
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