I AM A MOTHER - A mother's day gift

“I used to be” …ahh, the proverbial caveat…I used to be a professional! I used to be a teacher. I used to be in shape. I used to be the kind of person who got dressed in the morning. I used to be articulate. I used to be a friend that spent time with friends. I used to be…not a mom! My “mom-ness” is only five months old, and don’t get me wrong, I am excited for the scores of years ahead. But, I am also amazed at how my life has changed. I am NOT how I used to be in anyway, shape or form (especially shape and form ☺).

But, this is what I am….

I am a MARATHONER. Only, my marathon took place in the Good Samaritan Hospital and lasted 31 hours! I am pretty sure many marathoners would die if they had to run for thirty-one hours. Further more, while most marathoners go home with a sack of fun promotional t-shirts and shwag for a long awaited rest…I came home from my marathon with a newborn and some witch-hazel pads for some nasty…sores!

I am TRI-LINGUAL. Not only do I have a command of the English and Spanish languages. I now speak “baby”! Usually, I know what each cry means, what little movements of my baby’s little body mean and I know what he needs even when he doesn’t! To top that off, I have become proficient in “baby” in less than two months with out taking a single class.

I am AGILE. Anyone who really knows me, knows I would never describe my self as agile. Cat-like reflexes…never had ‘em! But, I can now catch a stream of pee with a towel, wash cloth, burp rag or whatever is in sight in less than a nano second. I have mom-like reflexes – far superior to any cat.

I am WELL-READ! In the past year I have easily read over twenty books regarding all things baby related: pregnancy, labor, breast-feeding, infant-care, cloth diapering, potty-training, vaccines and even some general parenting books. Not to mention a few fictional pieces such as Les Miserables, The Poisonwood Bible, Treasure Island and The Portrait of Dorian Grey (I don’t recommend the later though the rest were fantastic.) The point is- I feel that I have spent more time educating myself on this little one than I did on learning anything in college.

I am HAPPY! Here is where I may get a bit gushy, but it must be said. With all the “used to” ‘s I was never as happy as I am now. Never. Life used to be a lot more about me. It was about what I wanted, what I was doing, I, I , I. Now it is about us – my family. And I am happy because I am NOT who I used to be: I AM A MOM!