Reality Check

So, having a baby changes you.  Duh, right?

Yes, raising Logan is the hardest yet most rewarding thing I have ever done.  And waking up to her smiles makes the all of the struggles worth it.   And no, I don't always get a shower everyday.  And sometimes we eat cereal at night because I have not given dinner a thought.  And, sure, date nights have become few and far between and I am starting to lose touch of what the latest "it" restaurant is.  But even these were things that I semi-anticipated when we found out that we were having a baby.  Part of the territory if you will.  

It's all of the other things that I didn't quite anticipate.  The things that are giving me a true sense of what my new reality really is.  And the things that make me say to the other mother's out there: WHY didn't you tell me? I am going to lay it out there, because surely I can't be the only one in this boat.  Can I?

It's skipping just about every errand that does not involve a drive through window because you simply can not pull out or put in that car seat for fear that you might wake the baby who finally fell asleep

It's being a mile from home on a walk when she starts screaming because of being hungry or needing a diaper changed and knowing that you have that full mile ahead of you with no solution.

It's the fact that it now takes you three hours to fully get ready.  A shower one hour, make up the next, maybe hair dried and styled an hour after that.  When you're finally ready, you'll probably get thrown up on shortly after.

It's having a little one who is so tired that she can barely keep her eyes open when you are holding her but in the second you lay her down, you have magically thrown her into a fit.

It's praying that you don't have to get into a conversation about current events or the upcoming election because you have no earthly idea what's going on in the world outside your front door.

Then again, it's becoming totally obsessed with the show, 'Teen Mom' because you figure, "If they can do it (Amber specifically, ahem), then surely I can too!"

It's waiting in the doctor's office for your yearly exam in a paper gown when baby decides to wake up in hysterics.  It's trying to hold one gown shut in the back and the other closed in the front all while swinging the car seat in mid air.  Meanwhile laughing to yourself at how you thought you didn't need a babysitter.

It's waking up in the middle of the night to feed baby and falling asleep yourself mid-feed.

It's discovering that the mute button on a conference call was surely created by a stay at home working mom.

It's hoping that leggings stay in style forever and knowing that winter hats will finally be in season.

It really is looking at the clock and being tempted that indeed it's five o'clock somewhere but resisting to pour that glass of wine until your own reads 5:00pm - or at least 4:59!


It's the fact that it has taken you since 7:00 this morning to complete this blog post!

I hear it only gets easier with time.  Logan is now 2 months and 4 days (er, but who's counting) and while I love her to pieces, my little princess peanut pumpkin pie has certainly given me one heavy dose of a reality check.

"Who?  Me?"  She asks.