What I Didn’t Know
January 09, 2012
Posted By: Shaunescy
A friend asked me recently "What's one thing you've learned about being a mom that you didn't know before you had Scarlet?" It's a great question. I'm surprised I didn't answer something like "I didn't know how hard it would be to lose the 50 pounds pounds I gained during pregnancy." Or, "I didn't know how little sleep I could survive on until Scarlet arrived."
But I told my girlfriend that I didn't know how wonderful mommyhood would be. (It's something you can't possibly predict or anticipate.) I also told her I didn't know how FUN parenthood would be. Seeing the world with Scarlet is fun. It gives me an excuse to linger in the kid's room at the library and read children's books aloud to my (semi) interested audience. It gives me an excuse to say totally mundane things as if they were the coolest phrases in the world. ("Yes that is a purple box! Isn't that the prettiest box in the house!? Aren't those light bulbs so nifty? They're bright bright bright." And so on with the parent babble.)
Mommyhood gives me the opportunity to rejoice in the little things like "normal" poo, blowing raspberries and splashing in the tub. The world becomes an exciting place when I'm showing it off to Scarlet. I'm using my imagination more than ever, I'm saying the silliest things/making the silliest noises/faces. What I didn't know is just how joyful and fun mommyhood would be.
What have you learned about parenthood that you never fully anticipated?
