Motherhood Changes Things

I just realized that this will be my first Mother's Day with Ellie outside of my belly.

My first Mother's Day as a mom of two...girls.

I refer to my life before having kids as "when I was single". Of course, Big Daddy and I had been married for nearly 6 years when we welcomed our little Muffin, so I was hardly single! (Muffin's now less of a Muffin and more of a Maggie) I is more of a plural now that I'm a mom. If I say that I'll come, I'll probably be holding a little girl's hand or wearing a baby. (Ellie is no longer Baby Ellie, she's Big Ellie because she's growing so fast)

I remember my last few years before Motherhood...barely.

• I would sleep until I woke up unless I had meetings or appointments with clients.
• Because I was alone most evenings I would often do paperwork at home.
• I always had my cell phone with me. Always.
• I bought new clothes almost every week.
• Big Daddy went to the gym at least three nights a week and went for a run and to the gym on Saturdays.
• I was a size 6. A size 6.

Everything changed when I got pregnant with Maggie.

I had lots of complaints early on (as in immediately after I became pregnant). I was being treated for urinary tract infections and felt worse than I ever had before. I was only sleeping a few hours at night so I started going to work late, leaving early and spending lots of time on the couch cuddled up with a heating pad. I decided that there was something horribly wrong with me and that the doctor's would eventually figure out what it was.

A few weeks passed and I found out that I was pregnant. It was two weeks after my 28th birthday and I always said that I wanted to be finished having babies by the time I was 30. My real estate partner was the first person that I told, other than Big Daddy and my OB/GYN office. Since the doctor thought that the pregnancy may not be viable, I tried to cherish every minute. Two weeks later, we saw our little "Peanut" and heard her heartbeat. Two days after that, we told my family.

I went back to working "normal" hours and did everything like normal until January of 2006. I made the decision to take Thursdays off work since that was the day of my midwife appointments. I also left early...a lot. I took naps and rested and tried to enjoy being pregnant.

Fast forward to now.

• I wake up when someone cries, whines or calls my name because their stuffed animal fell out of the bed...usually more than one time a night.
• I always have a big diaper bag, a baby on my hip or a little girl holding my hand.
• I start to panic if I realize that the sling, stroller or the Baby K'Tan are not in the car.
• I only buy new clothes for me when I really need them.
• I'm not a size 6, but I know the easiest way to lose 20 pounds is to take Ellie out of the sling!
• I know all sorts of things about the Disney Princess movies that I'd never seen before now.
• I had never heard of Vasa Previa.
  

Of course, these aren't the only things that have changed! The changes are to numerous to list. Life is better, but so much busier.