"How Hard Could It Be?"

"I think I'll be the mom who proves it can ALL be done," said me when I was hilarious.

"How hard can it be to just get in the shower?" said me when I smelled like roses.

"I'd like my kids to wear fashion-conscious clothes without graphics on the front," said me before the goal was just being clothed in public.

"The baby nursery is all decorated and ready for him to arrive," said me when I completed projects. #firstbabyproblems

"Obviously being a stay at home mom can't be easy, but there are women that actually work... so stop your whining," said me before children destroyed my whole house all day, blew their noses on my hair, wiped poop on things, asked Why eighty-five-bajillion times, needed 29 diaper changes a minute, 6 baths, 12 new outfits, 3 full bed changes, and definitely a solid hands and knees scrubbing of the kitchen 4 times a day. (Not starting this war! Working moms, I deeply respect your struggle. #momlivesmatter)

"When my baby sleeps through the night..." said me three years ago. Call out the concealer! God bless you cosmetics.

"I've been watching my carb intake for about 2 seconds and I'm down five pounds," said me... that bitch. Ugh.

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This was originally going to go in a totally different direction... but it's pretty great how many ideas I had about parenting before doing it. One of my favorite quotes: "Before I had kids I had 6 theories about parenting. Now I have 6 kids and no theories."

To you out there with no kids, I'm not saying don't have ideas! Girl, you get those plans! You decorate that bedroom! Cast your vision! But hold it loosely. And when it gets totally wrecked by real life (cause it's gonna happen, somewhere sometime) smile, shake your head, and look for the humor. Don't let the destruction of your vision equal the destruction of your identity as a mom.

You are more than how your kids look and act. You are more than nicely decorated bedrooms and all natural toys. You are more than your family's meal plan. You are more than control top yoga pants and baggy Ts. You are more than the state of your house, your creativity, your execution of epic birthday parties. You are more than your commitment to breastfeeding. You are more than the method you used to get your baby out of your body. You are more than the failures, the successes, the struggles.

When it goes wrong (when, not if) let the ideas you hold most dear float away, and bring the baby you hold most dear a little closer to your heart. This little person represents the end of 'your life' and the beginning of 'our life'. It's how we were always meant to live... the modern world just fooled us for a second into thinking individualism was actually a thing.

"I think I'll now go sip my coffee in peace and prepare for the day," said me when my silly boys weren't sitting on my face asking for yogurt and scrambled eggs.

KawaMama Out!