My Favorite Things About Being A Mama

In honor of Mother’s Day coming up this Sunday, I thought I’d share my favorite things about being a mama. Being someone’s mama is such a gift. There is just nothing like it in the whole wide world!

I love it when they surprise you with off-the-wall vocabulary. For instance, recently, Emerson told me he was a cowboy and he has a lasso. A lasso???? Like where do they come up with these things. I never say the word lasso.
Experiencing the “firsts”. I still love the little milestones, even though I’ve experienced them already once. The sitting up, the crawling, the first ‘mama’, and the first pulling up. Those are still special.
How I used to preach all of these “I’d never do this” type of stuff, but fast forward a year or two and my kid definitely has had goldfish crackers and a side of popsicle for his dinner before. As long as you’re doing right most of the time, you’re winning mama. 😉
The rocker in Elliott’s room. I’ve rocked both of my babies in that thing and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get rid of it In my lifetime due to the memories I have associated with it!
Burying my nose in a freshly washed head of hair and breathing in the smell. The best!
When you realize that your kid is a “Mama’s Boy” through and through. I don’t hate it.
The way you can’t leave their room at night unless you say ‘I love you’ and they say it back in return.
How your life is controlled chaos all the time, with mama and daddy blocking and tackling, but you secretly love it.
How you dream up ‘how amazing it would be’ scenarios in your head for the future. Like “How amazing will it be when they start to PLAY and ENTERTAIN each other?!” (btw, we’ve been talking about that forever it seems and my two are just now starting to do this!)
Letting them stay up a little bit longer just to get a little extra lap cuddle time in.
Seeing them succeed. I love being their biggest cheerleader, especially when their faces light up because they know they made you proud.
Pure joy. The way Elliott lights up when her bother walks in a room. No one holds a candle to him, but I just love watching it.
Being a mama changes you. You become stronger than you ever imagined you could be. Those sleepless nights, when your child is sick or hurt, when you are exhausted beyond belief and feel like you are spread so dang thin that you might not make it through the day’s duties … guess what, you do, because you are strong.
Getting to experience and make traditions with your little tribe. I have so many wonderful childhood memories, so it’s super rewarding to be able to create our own set of traditions with our little family. I get to experience all of the happiest feelings of my childhood again, through my children’s eyes.
Listening to my children laugh.
All of the things you learn about yourself and about your capacity for loving someone else in a way you could never have imagined before becoming a mom.
Your mama tribe. There is nothing like it. Old life-long friends, new ones, stay-at-home mamas, workin’ mamas, friends you re-connect with later in life. I’m so thankful for my mama friends that I’m able to share experiences with.
Being a mama has made me less of a perfectionist. Yes I said it. I love all the pretty perfect things, but that isn’t real life all the time, and I’ve learned to lower my expectations a bit.
Being a mama gives you a greater appreciation for the other mamas in your life. Also, when you see that mama in Target struggling with her full cart, and handful of babies, you feel for her now.
How I’ve turned into such an avid Googler. You name it with kids, I’ve googled it.
The cheeks. The mischievous grins. The sticky hands even. All the parts.
When they make that one expression that looks just like your husband.
And on this same note … husbands get sexier when they own being a daddy. Doing all the daddy stuff.
I love being a mama because it just keeps getting better and better. Just when you don’t think your heart could love anymore, your kids do something that just has you in such awe, your heart grows to another size.