My Favorite Part about Being a Mother

Newborn Photo Shoot

There are many things about being a mother that I hate, and many more that I love. 

I hate it when shots are due, or when a new tooth is coming out, or when there is a mystery rash that doesn't clear up with just some diaper cream (although I've finally discovered the cure! Aquaphor + baby powder heals the skin so that the Desitin is able to stick and work). I hate not knowing why she's all of a sudden waking up in the middle of the night, not being able to settle back down until she's played for a little bit.

When she takes her naps...

 I love it when my daughter says "mama", even though she mostly says it when she's crying (I love that she comes to me when she's hurting). I love it when she comes up to me in the middle of her playtime, not to be picked up or to get something, but just to say hi before she runs away. I love watching the miracle of her growth and development, even though it baffles me how any mother could support abortions after seeing their own children develop both inside and outside the womb. I love it when she's so proud of herself for learning something new, whether that's moving her head from side to side, flipping over from back to front, crawling, or now, walking.

...She crashes pretty hard

But all these things are not what I love most about being a mother. What I love most is when my active daughter, who refuses to voluntarily sit still for longer than 5 minutes (and only if I'm reading a book to her), gets tired and knows that it's time for bed. Because I look forward to bedtime and nap time, not because I'll get a minute to myself to get some things done, but because it's the only 5 minutes I get where she's cuddling with me, with a smile on her face as she's falling asleep. It's the only time I can remember that warning given to me so often during my 9 months of pregnancy, "Cherish these days, because they will pass by soon". I sit and rock my little peanut, who seems somehow gigantic, knowing that one day she won't need me to cuddle her before bedtime, loving the time we have together without regretting the future before it's already here.

What are your favorite parts of parenthood?

A year after the first picture