Harder and Easier

One of my favorite bloggers, Kelly, recently did a post about motherhood. Specifically, it was about what has been easier than she expected and what has turned out to be more difficult. For posterity's sake, I thought I'd do the same....

I'll start with the positives--What has been easier than I imagined it would be:

• Getting my body back just a couple weeks after having Brax. Breastfeeding was the BEST calorie burner EVER! However, I did gain some weight back when I stopped (I was 7 lbs heavier at the beginning of this pregnancy than I was before Brax.) I hope it as effective the next time around...



• Transitions--like going from breast to bottle, bottle to sippy, crib to bed, taking away the binky. I have to admit though, this is not due to anything I did "right," I think I just got an easy kid.



• Having enough money. I really worried about this before we had Brax--on paper, it just didn't look like there was anyway we'd be able to pay for all the costs that come along with a child-daycare, diapers, formula, medical expenses, saving, clothing, toys, etc., AND still have some left to "enjoy" ourselves. But somehow, it all works out. Not without some sacrifice, but I am thankful that I can say we have never missed a meal or not been able to pay bills since Brax was born!!!


• Being a working mom. The ONLY reason I can say that this is easier than I anticipated is because of the particular office I work in and the fact that my aunt cares for Brax in our home. When I came back from maternity leave I started at my current dental office, and the dentist has been so great to work for. For the first 3 months, I took Brax to a daycare which was less than ideal, but then Aunt Laura started watching him, and she has been a God-send. I NEVER worry about his well-being (unless it's that she's spoiling him too much!)



• Becoming a "boy mom." Before Brax was born, I often wondered what in the world I was going to do with him. I've never really played organized sports, watching them puts me to sleep, and I don't like dirt, sand, bugs, mud, or dogs. I like coloring, playing dolls, baking cookies and painting fingernails. But low and behold, all those things I thought I hated have become just slightly more enjoyable for one reason-because my son likes them. And I like seeing him happy. So I do them. It's actually been pretty dang fun.
  

Things that have been harder:

• Balancing my role as a mom AND a wife. I am very much an all-or-nothing person, and there have been times that Brax got my all and Mike got next to nothing. I have to remind myself that in just 16 short years, Brax leave me to conquer the world on his own, and that it requires some effort on my part to make sure my husband doesn't join him!!!! Along those same lines, it was quite an adjustment for us to get the whole "teamwork" thing down. We were both very independent people prior to having children-I did my thing, he did his. I'd say it took a solid 6 months (and many heart-to-hearts) before we figured out that parenting is SO MUCH EASIER when you work together.



• Resuming my exercise habit. Again, my all-or-nothingness has greatly affected this. I am in the mindset that if I'm not running at least 20 miles a week AND lifting 5 days week, then why bother? I used to be addicted to working out, now the idea of getting up at 4:30 AM to run or go to the gym sounds absurd. It really makes me sad to think that at one point, I could run 26.2 miles without stopping for so much as a drink of Gatorade, and now my heart pounds out of my chest if I have to make 2 consecutive trips up and down the stairs with a toddler on my hip. Pathetic. I tell myself, "If there were just 3 more hours in the day....," but I know full well what a lame excuse that is.



• Slowing down the hands of time. I had no idea that having a child made time speed up exponentially. Try as I might, I cannot make it stop. In a futile effort to combat this, I take wayyyyyy too many pictures.

As you can see, the "easiers" outweigh the "harders." Or maybe we just forget the hard stuff??