A Letter to Your Pregnant Self

Dear Large, Beautiful Pregnant Self,

Six months ago you were still impatiently waiting for the birth of your child. You sat there and wondered endlessly about what kind of mother you'd be and whether or not you'd even know what to do with a little baby. You pictured yourself coming home and not having a clue about what to do. No matter how many books you read and how many times you skimmed through What to Expect When You're Expecting, you still didn't know what to really expect. Having your first baby is you know...kind of a big deal...you're going to be responsible for keeping another little human alive. So yes that's a huge job, especially when you can barely remember where you usually put your car keys and cell phone.

Well here is what I want to tell you my sweet, beautiful pregnant self. You will come home and jump into mother mode and no matter how damn tired you still are from a long birth, you're going to jump into things head first and with a big ass smile on your face. You will know what to do with your child. You will even know (most of the time) why your baby is crying. 

You're going to read books and Google every thing you think of to help you understand all of this baby lingo and you're going to become a freaking baby genius. Oh you didn't expect to become a freaking baby genius? Well, apparently there are many of them out there. That's right, every mother becomes a freaking baby genius. Just ask all of the ones flooding you with advice and opinions. 

The key to this new found intelligence that you've acquired is to realize that you're a baby genius about your baby. You as the mother of your beautiful child, are the one and only who knows what is best for them. All of those other baby experts out there don't know squat. 

{Okay so some have good information to handout to you, but many will tell you to do or not do things that simply don't make sense to you}

You may be told to make your child cry until the wee hours of the night in their crib like some starving puppy outside a meat store or you may be told that you must de-worm your baby. You may be told to get over the fact that your kid will put everything into their mouth and you may be told that you're ruining your child's sleep habits by letting them stay in your room until they are two. 

So here is what you really need to know...

Becoming a mother is the best thing that you'll ever experience. It's like a unicorn jumping on a rainbow drinking a chocolate milkshake in paradise. It's a love that you've never experienced. You'll feel your heart do these crazy palpitations and flips every time your baby smiles at you. You'll get more accustomed to crap than you've ever imagined. And I mean the real crap - like the kind that you don't want on your hands at 3am but will indeed get on your hands at 3am (and maybe even on your face too). 

Becoming a mother gives you the ability to thrive on less sleep and still awake to feel like that unicorn jumping on a rainbow every time you see that baby of yours; even though that baby is the bandit stealing your sleep. And yes, becoming a mother will make you a baby expert. You'll know everything that you need to know to care for your child. Sure you may ask questions here and there and need help from others along the way, but for the most part you will always do what feels right in your heart.

Never let others "expert" advice make you feel like you're doing things wrong. Never second guess what you're heart is telling you is best for your child. And never do something that doesn't feel right. Never let someone, even a baby book written by a real expert, make you feel like you've failed.

So pregnant self, don't be scared about raising this new baby. You're going to rock it like you won't believe and you're always going to do what's best for your child. To heck with all of the baby experts out there and the "non" baby experts, they can only tell you so much. They are all jumping around on a different rainbow.

And you...

You're just about to begin your life and experience the best thing ever and no matter how gray the skies are, you'll always feel like that same unicorn jumping on a bright, sunny rainbow.

Sincerely,

A much thinner, glowing you