1.) Motherhood will be the best thing and the hardest thing you'll ever enter into. Recently I read a blog that said something along these lines "you will suck at this mom gig and be awesome at it all at the same time" and I cannot express how true I have found that to be. So much of having your first child is a guessing game. You are clueless. And you do your best to try to figure out how to help your little one. Sometimes, you will nail it! And other times you will feel entirely helpless while your child cries all day long and you pull out your hair, put your head in your hands and cry right along with him. You will have some of the best days of your life while you watch your baby learn and grow. His first smile will take your breath away, his first laugh will bring you more joy than you've ever known possible. Motherhood is the best, most beautiful journey I've ever been on. On the other hand, you will also have the worst days; where you're simply at the end of yourself and you have nothing left to give but you have no choice but to keep on giving because he needs you. It's a beautiful mess :)
2.) Being a mom changes EVERYTHING. If you are anything like me pre-baby, you think that life will obviously change a little once you bring that little bundle home but overall things will stay the same. WRONG! It changes everything. Absolutely everything. Having a baby changes your sleep, your daily schedule, what you can and cannot do, when (and IF) you get to shower... ect. Your life now revolves around another person whether or not you want to admit it. Becoming a mom will change your perspective on life, your attitude, your actions, your priorities. It will change you in so many more ways than you'll ever expect, but it's all for the better.
3.) Don't over indulge in baby books and google searches. The best thing you can do for yourself and for your child is to STOP reading all the books and methods that other people swear by. The only thing you need to read is your baby. He is trying to communicate with you. Put down your phone, computer and books, and LISTEN to him. You may get it wrong 100 times before you finally figure it out but you will come out of it not just learning a method, but instead you'll learn more about your child, his personality and his specific needs. We live in the age of instantly available information where everyone has an opinion or a perfect 5 step method to solve all of your parenting troubles. The internet is a funny place. You can find "facts" in an article and then just as easily turn around and find another article that completely contradicts the first with its own set of "facts". And as a brand new mom who feels totally clueless, it's so hard not to get sucked in to all of it. Now I'm not saying that a small, healthy amount of research isn't necessary sometimes. But in my experience thus far, getting caught up in all the information did nothing but distract me from learning my baby.
4.) Raising a child takes a village. That is an old saying that suggests that raising children takes more than just a mom or a dad. It takes a community of people. And I would definitely have to agree. The more love my child can receive the better, not to mention we as moms need all the support and encouragement we can get! If you don't have a good extended family, search out a good community of people to surround you and your little family. Whether it's church or other young families. Don't try to do it all alone. For your sake and the sake of your little one.
5.) Being a mom is a GIFT. Finally, probably the most important thing I have learned is that my son is nothing short of a God ordained, undeserved, extension of His grace and blessings on my life. And that my new role as a mother is not a new "job" or an extra duty on my list. It is a gift, a privilege, one that I certainly don't deserve. But for whatever reason, the Lord has chosen me to be a mother to a beautiful boy who will grow up to do great things. On the hard days when I find myself being overwhelmed and frustrated with Grayson, I try my best to be mindful of how great a gift he is to me. That reminder always seems to straighten me out and give me more grace and patience.
In the days to come, I know there will be so much more to learn and discover and I look forward to that opportunity. In my few months of being a mom, there is rarely a day that goes by that I am not challenged to be better or in which I don't learn a new life lesson. And when I think about it, I'm so thankful that the Lord has designed it that way, because my son deserves my best, and I can always be better.
