Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Judge McJudgie

Just a brief thought/post for today. I was thinking about what is one of the biggest things in my life to change from becoming a mother thus far - besides the whole lack of sleep thing. And even though I would have considered myself a pretty non-judgmental person before, I truly and sincerely have little judgment of anyone for anything anymore. I remember one of the mothers at my blessingway saying something to this effect: that you realize that in order to survive 'you gotta do what you gotta do'.

There are certainly many things I have already done that I never would have figured I would do. Ranging from letting Wilson watch television already (so that I could feed myself) to taking co-sleep naps with my son (I seriously have become that person!) to sleeping next to him while he plays in his jumperoo (seriously sad) to having a parent award moment at a local restaurant when Mike and I sat him in a high chair and didn't put the little divider between his legs, so he essentially almost slid out onto the floor. It's so easy to look at someone and think - what the heck are you doing? Pull it together, woman! But, as a parent, there are so many demands on you: limited sleep, energy, finances, sanity... Especially in this first year AND with a child with a difficult or active temperament, life becomes about survival.

So, I'm hanging on to sanity, loving my child and my husband, laughing at the good moments - and the crazy ones too, surviving through the tough ones and thanking the universe for the friends and family that have been helping us navigate this huge life change. And I'm thankful that next time I see a child screaming in the store and the mom hands him a candy bar, I won't be judging her; I'll be thinking, "You gotta do what you gotta do." Stay sane, sister.