A Letter to Me Before You

Dear Megan, Circa 2008:

You recently got married and are loving the newlywed life, good for you! Preparing home cooked meals and enjoying them piping hot. Folding laundry for just you and your husband, and then you start thinking…hmm, do I really want kids right away, are you sure about that? Will you one day be ‘that mom’? The one who lets her kids play on their Ipads for hours so she can clean up the house. The one who gives her kids candy when shopping at Target to keep them quiet. And the one that goes through the fast food drive thru just so she doesn’t have to make lunch and deal with the mess.

So you thought you were tired before, well just wait my friend. Soon you will be going to bed the earliest you ever have in your entire life. And unless you’ve spent a day in their shoes, I highly suggest you stop making comments about other parent’s parenting. You have no idea what its like!

Then you think, ‘wow having one baby is so much work, it’s a huge adjustment’. But wait till you have your second baby and then, oh my God a third. Chaos is the norm, you will know nothing else.

You will become a worry worm. You will worry that your two-year doesn’t know his colors like the other kids on the playground. You will worry that your newborns blanket in the crib might always be over his/her face and check the monitor 10 times to make sure he/she is breathing. You will worry like it’s your part time job about everything and anything that your own mother nagged you about.

Here’s the reward, you think you know what love is? Well the love you will have for your children is the best feeling in the world. As much as these little humans will drive you crazy you will miss them as soon as you go out for a dinner date with your husband. And all you do is talk about them the entire evening.

Your life as a Mom has begun and you will never look back. Because honestly, being a mom is the best job in the world. But you will wonder how did I ever take hours to get ready in college to go out, when now all I need is 20 minutes. And you will learn to function on 3 hours of sleep like it’s the norm.

Take the time to remember these moments because every day fies by so fast, so be ready. Make the best of these memories, and try to enjoy it even during the chaotic times. Always remember to take deep breaths and have a nice glass of wine before bed. Sleep it off, a new day starts tomorrow. Oh and lastly, take lots of photos, LOL I know you will!