Things I Wish They'd Told Me

This is a re-post of something I originally wrote in April 2010, but I couldn't resist sharing it today in honor of Mother's Day...

What are 10 things you wish you would have known before you became a mother?


Oh, wow...I was only 22 when I became a mom, so there were a lot of things I didn't know!

1. Motherhood is 90% guilt!

Those words from my former boss have helped me so much! As a working mom - well, really as a mom, period - guilt is part of the game. Just knowing that I'm not the only one who feels guilty about stuff helps relieve a little of the guilt.

2. No matter what you do, someone is going to criticize you for it.

Case in point...our pediatrician wanted us to wait until our oldest son was four months old to start giving him infant cereal. By the time he was two months old, he weighed 14 pounds. I called him my sumo baby...he had so many rolls of baby fat he resembled the Michelin Man. One day a church member came up to me, asking if he'd started cereal. I explained our pediatrican's views, and she replied - with a straight face - "You're going to starve that child if you don't start him on cereal." Really? Someone's always going to disagree with your decisions...you just have to do what's best for your family and let the critics say what they will...sometimes you'll even get a good laugh about it!

3. Sleep deprivation is brutal - but it won't last forever.

Those first three months were tough, especially for a nursing mom. No one else can take care of those midnight feedings! I fell asleep in our big oversized living room chair, cradling a baby in my arms, more nights than I want to admit.

4. Watching your husband as a father will make you see him in a whole new light and love him even more.

My husband is an amazing dad! Watching him with our boys, seeing his absolute adoration of them, just makes me fall more in love with him. I am so blessed!

5. You will be amazed at how much you can do one-handed while cradling a baby on your hip.

Type, cook, do laundry, clean, write notes, shop for groceries...the list goes on. A mom's multi-tasking skills are amazing!

6. One small child multiplies your laundry by at least 10 times it's normal amount.

Clothes changes are numerous...and it's amazing how much stuff such a tiny little person needs.

7. Hang on to every moment, because it goes by too fast.

Ok, so they did tell me that...but I didn't realize how true it was. Even when you try to hang on to every moment, it still flies by. Those moments are so precious and so fleeting.

8. You are stronger and tougher than you know.

Childbirth alone proves that...so do all the bumps and bruises, the broken bones and stiches, the fingers getting slammed in the car door...

9. You really can love someone so much it hurts.

Need I say more?

10. Being a mother gives you the greatest understanding you'll ever have of God's love for us.

As much as I love my kids, as much as I would do anything for them, including die for them - how tiny is that love compared to God's love for us? Wow...it's breathtaking.