7 things I've learned being a mom

I've only been a mom for 8 months. I'm still learning how to juggle taking care of my baby while living life, going to school and working. The past months have been eye-opening and a lot has changed about how I think and act. So, in honor of yesterday being Mother's Day, I wanted to share a few of the things I've learned:

1. Your meal/shower/dirty dishes can wait.

There are so many things that I, for some reason, stress about trying to get done. It's the vacuuming, folding the laundry, or the prepping of food for tomorrow. It's trying to take a shower because I haven't been able to fit one in for a few days (hi, dry shampoo). But really, all of that can wait. There have been too many times where I leave my happy girl, who just wants to play with me, to go finish cleaning up the apartment even though I could just do it while she's sleeping. Or the times when she get hangry just when I get done cooking a hot meal for myself. Babies don't keep. Taking the time to be present with her is helping me hold onto moments a bit longer. It's also about making sacrifices. There are so many sacrifices in motherhood.

2. Real unconditional love.

The way my baby's face lights up when I come to her crib in the morning says it all. She doesn't care what I look like or if I've been grumpy all day, she's always happy to see me. It's crazy the ways babies express love. At 8 months old I can tell that she tries to hug me or kiss me (eat my chin). And how she screams when I walk away--ok sometimes not cute but I can tell it's out of pure love and it makes me feel important. There's nothing like it.

3. Asking for help is good.

Being the independent person that I am, I do not like asking anyone for anything. However, having a child has changed this a bit. I know I can't always do everything by myself. I realized I needed help balancing my life and figuring things out.

4. How to cut tiny fingernails.

Seriously. They're so dang tiny yet so dang painful.

5. Get off the phone and TV.

Not only are screens not great for babies, it's taking away the time you spend together. My baby has already seen how we are on our phones a lot and because of this, she is constantly looking for our phones so she can have them. Yes, this might be because she likes to chew on them, but it is also because she knows how "important" they are because we constantly look at them. Cue the guilt. So I'm working on just putting them down.

6. Every situation is different.

People have opinions and they will tell you them whether you like it or not. It's usually the latter. But your baby is your baby and you know them best. I finally had to grasp that there isn't always a right way to do some things. Trial and error works best. Consulting other people may too.

7. I love being a mom.

I've never felt so confident about my life going in the correct path. After the first semester of college I was not confident in my choice and wanted to transfer. Even though I never changed my major I debated it 1,000 times. I still don't know what I want to do as a career. But being a mom feels right.