The Three Best Parts of Motherhood That no one is Talking About
Photos taken by yours truly, SariRisbeyPhotography
If you’re currently growing a human, you’re probably tired of a lot of things. Hearing all of the “just wait”s and advice like “sleep when the baby sleeps”. I was so blown away by how many people still tell pregnant women to sleep when the baby sleeps. This is not new information haha!! To add to that, if you run a business, it’s also entirely impossible which adds a new level of frustration. The amount of unsolicited advice and negative speak of what your new life will be is unmatched during pregnancy.
If you’re currently in the depths of those first handful of months with your baby, you might be stressed, anxious, tired, foggy, and wondering when mom life gets fun. I feel you! It’s hard in the beginning and it’s tough to see the most amazing things that come with or will come with having a little.
I’m not here to say that motherhood is sunshine and rainbows, BUT… now that I’ve finished my first whole year of mom-life (woohoo!), I do want to shed some light on some incredibly joyful experiences that I got to have that no one is talking about. If you need a pick me up, keep reading!
“Motherhood is the exquisite inconvenience of being another person’s everything.”
This quote sums it up! To be your baby’s everything is exquisite but truthfully, it is also so freaking inconvenient 😂 This is the adjustment that is so hard to make when you become pregnant and have to share your body and it’s the adjustment that we make (even more so) after having the baby and not being able to prioritize our own basic needs!
I won’t say that joy can be found in the super hard moments, because maybe it can’t. Maybe those super hard moments are just for profanity, and maybe that’s okay hahaha! But joy is in all of the corners around those hard moments and it’s definitely in all of the ordinary moments.
One of my personal favourite parts of motherhood so far has been…
Watching My Parents Become Grandparents
I don’t know what it is about seeing my parents be grandparents to my baby that just melts my heart, but wow! If you can picture your heart being filled up with happiness, imagine it overflowing in these moments!
The excitement they had to meet my little one, the way they interact with him. The way they want to be so hands on and involved, and the way they show up for our mini. Harrison brings them so much joy and they reflect that same happiness right back to him! It really is magical to watch.
I have loved seeing my parents take care of and love Harrison and what’s super cool is that their relationship keeps growing just as fast as H is! They went from contact naps to rough and tumble play and games.
Another cool thing about watching my parents put on the grandparent hat is that I get a glimpse into how they were with me and how much joy probably existed between them and I when I was a baby as well.
I had never heard how special it is to experience your parents and baby bonding together, and still have never heard anyone else talk about this, but it’s one of the most heart-filling parts of motherhood I’ve experienced so far.
Slowing Down
Of course it’s inevitable that your life will change when you have a baby, but I didn’t really understand the magnitude of this. I honestly feel kind of silly looking back. I understood that my lifestyle would change, but I didn’t understand that my eeeeeeverything would change. My priorities, my relationships, my values. My everything. I was not ready for this and it straight up ROCKED me! I felt like I got hit by a huge wave in the ocean and couldn’t figure out which way was up for like 6 months LOL!
The biggest blessing came from becoming a mom and that has been slowing down! I’ve talked about slowing down for about a decade, but I’ve never been able to actually do it for whatever reason! Having Harrison took away the option and I had to slow down. I’ve learned that being home with my family is just about the best thing ever and, now that I have gotten back into the swing of regular life, I am able to truly put slowing down into action. I feel a sense of relief with my new priorities knowing that I am finally on the right track for a meaningful life full of the right things and I’m no longer just doing everything.
The first three photos in the above gallery were taken by Kalina Denault and edited by me
Finding My People
This part of motherhood was a situation of going through a rough time to get to the bright clearing, at least for me! It was hard. After having Harrison, I realized that some friendships might not last and I felt very disconnected from a lot of people who were in my circle. I had heard of other moms going through this, but I always thought that it was because they chose to be a mom and only a mom, and they left the rest of their life behind. I didn’t realize that the changes a mom goes through aren’t optional. It’s not a choice, it just happens, and it’s not easy!
The blessing is that I filled my circle up with so many people who are directly aligned with me now! I’ve made strong friendships and also become closer with family. I’ve become closer to friends that have held me up along the way and I’ve become a bit more distant with friends who have stepped back from me as a mom, and that’s perfectly okay! Not all of your pre-baby pals will be down to go for the journey with you. Finding the right people and having a solid and supportive circle around you isn’t something that’s easy for everyone, but jumping into parenthood has a natural way of de-cluttering your social life and I have to say, it’s a great feeling.
One Year Under Our Belt
Somehow, one year has gone by. It’s crazy how fast that happened. I don’t feel old enough or experienced as a mom enough to say that I have a one-year-old, but wow am I ever looking forward to what he’ll do next and all the hidden joys I’ll find during his next year. Hang in there moms!
