How Being a Mom Has Helped Define Me

It's strange how becoming a mother can change many things about you; or perhaps becoming a mother just brings out the best in you. There are so many things about me that I feel like have always been there "under the surface" but having a baby has definitely brought them out.

I've always considered myself a healthy, slightly weird person. I've always desired to be more on the organic, natural spectrum of things from the way I eat to the things surrounding me. I've even for the longest wanted to have recycling bins at my home but never did it because really, who does that? However it's easy to want to do certain things or want to make certain changes in your life but never actually do them. Having a baby for me has been the push that I needed to really help define who I am and want to be as a person, a wife and a mother.

If you had asked me prior to having a child what kind of parent I thought I would be, I probably wouldn't have had an answer. If you had asked me whether I thought it was odd to breastfeed a baby for over a year or if it was a waste of time to make baby food, I once again wouldn't really have had an answer. Never once did I really think about the things I would do or want to do when I'd have a child. But once you see those two lines on that pregnancy stick everything changes. 

Having a baby has definitely changed me in more ways than imaginable. Aside from the physical changes of stretch marks and odd shaped breasts, there is so much more about me that has changed and can define me as a mother and even a person. I finally got that push that I always needed to want to do things a little differently; no matter how much weirder it makes me. 

Am I running out to purchase recycling bins? No, not yet but I still want them. Did seeing diaper after diaper pile up make me worried about the waste they had on the environment? Yep. Do I plan on making my baby's food myself? Yep. There's so many things that I plan on doing that may make me a little different than some, but then again, we all have things we do that is different than others. And thanks to blogging, I've learned that I just fall into a huge category of parents who just tend to go the natural way with things. 

I never knew that I had the strength to have a natural childbirth. I never knew I'd have the dedication or strength to give up my favorite food group (dairy) just so I could breastfeed. I never knew that I'd be searching the internet for safer teething toys. I never thought in a million years I'd ever want to cloth diaper, yet I still keep going back and looking for some to order. 

Now that I have a child to bring up in this world, I want to bring her up in a safe and healthy environment. I want to teach her how to enjoy the natural things in life and how to use our environment to the fullest and how to protect it as well. Although I'm not sure if I'll have a green thumb like my mom, I'd love to one day have my own vegetable garden for my Little Bug and I to get our fresh veggies from. And I know I can't protect her from all chemicals and carcinogens, but I can at least try and prevent the ones that I can help. And who knows, maybe I will switch to cloth diapers soon (although I am using environmentally, toxic free ones YAY).

I've learned so much so far about being a mother. I've learned that I am capable of a lot; that I am much more determined; that others' opinions don't matter; and that I have a lot of strength physically and mentally. Who knew that you could survive on less sleep and who knew you could love something so much and put their needs above your own? Being a mother doesn't define me completely since I am also a wife, a woman, a dancer and a writer. But being a mother is helping mold me into the woman that I want to be, the writer I hope to be and the person that I hope to be. Being a mother has opened my eyes to all sorts of possibilities; all sorts of new joys; all sorts of new fears and most all, a whole new type of unconditional love. 

What has changed about you

since becoming a mother?

With my new blog design, you will now notice that things are much more organized and 

there is a sleeker, more simple look. The Natural Parenting tab is a new feature that I hope 

you'll enjoy, but please note that I am not necessarily labeling myself or my blog as an exclusive

Attachment Parenting or Natural Parenting blog since I don't define myself as exclusive in any category nor do I think any way is right or wrong. I just happen to do many things associated with this style and yes, it interests the heck out of me. There will also be a new "green" weekly linkup that

I am hoping to generate some interest in! Be on the lookout for that soon. 

Thanks so much for reading, Sasha