Life as a mom

It's hard to believe a month has already come and gone in my new life as a mom. It really seems like just yesterday (like a whole 9 1/2 months) that Peter and I were married and a baby was a distant future thought. haha. What a year!  Anyway, so far... being a mom is awesome. Some how its everything and nothing I expected it to be all at the same time.  Rory makes us laugh, makes us cry (sometimes because we're happy, and admittedly sometimes because mommy is tired) and really just has completely changed our lives for the better.  Its amazing how someone so small can have such a quick and profound effect on your values and priorities as a couple... not to mention a schedule, the ability to do things spontaneously, alcohol tolerance, bladder control, whats strewn across your living room floor and coffee table, the frequency of laundry loads, what you spend your time reading and googling, your ability to function on limited or no sleep and of course the subject of your smiles and chatter with just about everyone.

So... what do I feel I know today that I didn't before June 23rd?  Well, most importantly that we have been blessed with a wonderfully good baby. He is happy 80% of the time, the other 20% he spends smiling or telling us what he needs with a short cry... like food, a diaper change, a change in scenery, a cuddle, or some sleep.  That the love I felt for Rory in the delivery room doesn't compare to how I felt on day two, or day three, or day four, or at his one month etc etc.  Our love really does grow and get stronger everyday as Rory has become a member of our family.  What else do I know?  Well, no matter what anyone tells you none of it is easy, and its all harder than it looks (i.e. breast feeding, knowing whats right and whats wrong and when, who to listen to when you get conflicting professional opinions, and making choices that will impact a life that is not your own forever). What else?  Babys give your relationship a lot of uncharted rocky roads to travel so having a strong one before a baby arrives worked to our favor, being a new mom there is no one that has provided more comfort and reassurance and peace of mind than my own mom, that strangers and loved ones alike give far too much advice to new moms and regardless of how good, bad, important or useless the information is... if you're like me you will need to or want to, figure it out on your own anyway.  And finally that being a parent is handsdown the most rewarding thing I have ever done and that having a healthy baby is really all a parent can ask for.

We have had a busy month that was marked by a wonderful three week babymoon that Peter was off for and and an 8 (or 9) day visit from my mom, and our first major event (a Cobourg wedding) on the weekend. As July winds down, we are looking forward to our debut in Almonte on the 5th of August to meet the valley friends and family and for Adam & Kelly's wedding.!

Finally here is what is on my mind today; enjoying your life right now, today.  The one thing that is constantly on my mind is how far I am from my family and that I want Rory to grow up with the same values and experiences that Peter and I had in small towns vs this big city. Anyway, I got this today from a friend and and it was a good reminder for me that life is so short... that goals and lists of things you want to do will always be there and while it's important to be ambitious with goals and having a vision of what you want your future to look like is key, that it's also important to be present in the life you're living today. To enjoy the moments you're experiencing now.  So that is what I am doing today... enjoying these precious moments with my newborn that I know will be gone before I know it.

http://prettysavvy.ca/love-your-life-right-now/