5 Unexpected Lessons in 1 Year as a Mom

Becoming a mother has taught me so much about myself and about what it means to selflessly love another. There is still so much more I have to learn, and I hope to continue to have a students heart when it comes to being a parent. In honor of my daughters first birthday, I decided to write about 5 Unexpected Lessons in 1 Year as a Mom.

1. Being a mom is teaching me… I don’t need much.

Since having Ronia, it has become painfully obvious to me how very little I need to make it through the day. I used to carry a big purse filled with a plethora of items I thought I couldn’t living without, but now? If I leave the house without Ronia all I need it my little wallet, phone, and key. That’s it.

Maybe it’s the fact that when you have a baby you all of a sudden need to carry around a billion things just in case, so when you are all alone you want the opposite? I’m not sure, but being a mama is certainly grooming me for minimalism.

2. Being a mom is teaching me… how to be selfless.

I thought I was a pretty selfless and empathetic person, but being a new mama has taught me a whole different level of selflessness. There’s no one else I would lose this much sleep for other than Ronia. When you are a parent, you have to daily and continuously lay down everything you want for yourself in exchange for what is best for your child. Sometimes that means not getting time to use the bathroom. Sometimes that means setting aside some big dreams you just don’t have time to chase right now. Being a mama is teaching me a deeper and more profound level of sacrifice.

Honestly, it’s teaching me more about how to be more like Christ.

3. Being a mom is teaching me… what is actually important.

Another one of the Unexpected Lessons in 1 Year as a Mom is knowing what is actually important. You know, when I became a mother, the opinions of other people suddenly mattered much, much less. All my time was consumed by Ronia. Therefore, I had way less of it to spend wondering what people thought of me, or to even care for that matter.

Every day I desire to honor and glorify my Father in Heaven with my thoughts, words and deeds. If people are salty, because they feel I’m not dividing my time well or because I’m not involved enough or because I care too much about when Ronia naps…. oh well. It is not worth my energy to worry about how other people might react. Gods opinion of me is what matters most. And I have a sweet baby to take care of.

4. Being a mom is teaching me… to trust my gut.

Speaking of not caring what others think of me, being a mama is teaching me the power of trusting my gut. For example, when Ronia was a month old and had a kidney infection, I knew something was wrong. I knew before we went to the emergency room that my baby was sick. The pediatrician, various family members and even the on-call nurse at the hospital told me not to worry, but I knew. So we went to the hospital anyway, and I’m beyond glad I did.

Ronia would have had to stay in the hospital a lot longer than a week if I hadn’t been in tune with that still, small voice inside my heart. Or worse, she could have gone septic and who knows what would have happened then.

5. Being a mom is teaching me… my daughter is my mirror.

The final item in my list of 5 Unexpected Lessons in 1 Year as a Mom is learning my daughter is a mirror. Every sour part of myself is painfully obvious when I am with Ronia. She’s like a mirror in that way. I see myself clearer through her eyes. When I am impatient or cranky, she feels it. Being her mother makes me want to be a better person. My best self. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately…how I want to be my best self for her. I’ve always wanted that, of course, but lately even more so. Motherhood has brought out the best and worst in me. It has cut me open and exposed all my deepest wounds as well as my most profound joy.

Final Thoughts:

If you are a new mama, or soon to be, then congratulations! I’m so happy for you. And I want you to tell you something. Something honest from the most secret spot in my heart.

Being a mom is hard. It’s so incredibly hard. I was not prepared for how hard some days were going to be. I just wasn’t. I have dear friends who took to motherhood like a duck to water and had no trouble swimming. That wasn’t the case for me. However, for every moment that is hard, being a mom is also the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love Ronia so much it’s hard to describe. She’s the absolute best.

It’s worth it. All the long nights and pain are worth it. So, so worth it.

Thank you for reading about the 5 Unexpected Lessons in 1 Year as a Mom. For more about motherhood, check out these posts below:

5 Mamas I Love to Follow on Youtube and Why
6 Things I Learned in 6 Months as a New Mom
What Helped Me Prepare to be a First Time Mom
How to Make Mornings More Manageable As a Mom

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Love always,