I want to start this post by thanking my thoughtful husband, Cody, who gifted me a photoshoot session with Nicole Baas for my first Mother’s Day.
Like I mentioned in a previous post, this stage of being a mama has been my favorite. Evie has developed her own personality and every new thing she does or noise she makes is exciting! I want to take a moment to explain what was going on through my mind from the beginning and where we are now as I haven’t written a personal piece about motherhood and a lot of friends + moms-to-be are curious.
To be honest, I was worried from the moment I found out I was pregnant that I would lose sight of who I was and that my design business + blog wouldn’t find their place in all the changes to come. Maybe it’s because I am one of the first of my friends to have a baby and I haven’t been around many babies to know what this new role was going to look like. Or maybe it’s because there is so much negativity in the media about working as a mom with the pressure of “doing it all”. Deep down, I think there were a lot of insecurities at the beginning.
I will say – Cody & I have been through a lot of BIG changes in the past 5 years and we have learned to adapt to our new surroundings. Change is not something that everyone can easily deal with and the fact we both have that quality makes everything in life so much better. After coming to that realization, my positive personality eventually came through. It was then when I realized how many other moms are working from home and making it happen and I knew I could do it too.
Now here I am, sitting next to this little girl we brought into the world 8 months ago. Never could I have imagined the happiness and motivation she has brought to our lives. I wake up every day so happy to see her little face when Cody brings her into our room. I have learned so much from her, more than I will ever know how to put into words, and I want to share a few of those things with you.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM BECOMING A MOM…
#1: patience. More than anything, I have learned to have more patience with everyone. When I am patient and calm when things are a little chaotic, everything else works out. Or when Evie will not stop crying and I need to get a million things done, I just remind myself (over and over) I will miss these moments with her one day and to cherish them. Even if it’s hard and I need to go take a few deep breaths in the other room. NO JOKE THIS JUST HAPPENED: I was in the middle of writing/editing this post with Evie on my lap and all of a sudden she leaned forward to knock my glass with apple cider vinegar + pineapple juice off the table. haha talk about patience!
#2: it really does take a village sometimes / learning to accept help. When I make it up our 3 floor walk up carrying Evie and groceries, I feel like a bad ass. But then I have to drop all of the groceries and figure out where to place Evie so she won’t cry while I put up the groceries and take Bella outside. You just have to learn you can’t do it ALL. There are times when I need someone to hold Evie while I make a bottle or get her bath set up, etc. In public, I have attempted to hold Evie while collapsing the stroller with bags in my hand. I look like a frantic, anxious person and then someone comes to my rescue. God bless every stranger that has held the door, moved for me in the subway, etc. My friend Jenny has been a lifesaver recently as Evie went through a couple hard weeks a couple of months ago. She has been a great set of extra hands when Cody works late and throughout the day!
#3: Cody is one heck of a dad (I knew he would be)! Seeing him in this new role is emotional and beautiful. He will get home from working a 10+ hour day or from traveling and will want to put her to sleep or will get up early just to spend a little more time with her. She already says “dadada” and he can make her laugh so hard…they have a special bond. 
#4: to be okay with being embarrassed in public (work in progress). If you don’t know me personally, I always get anxiety in public when eyes turn on me. Every time I step on the subway with a stroller I get nervous that I am in someone’s way or everyone is going to look at me with judging eyes. I am a pretty outgoing person and enjoy talking with strangers, but I tend to get shy when I am in crowds. I have had multiple instances where Evie has started to cry in a restaurant, my face instantly turns red and I run outside with her. I am slowly learning that you have to accept that your baby is going to cry in public sometimes and at the end of the day, it’s all going to be okay. I will never let my anxiety keep us from getting out in the city!
#5: a happy mom is the best kind of mom. I have to take care of myself before I can take care of Evie. So when I am not feeling like myself, it’s a good time for Cody or a sitter to take Evie…and I take a day to myself or with girlfriends. It’s also easy for moms to talk about all things baby when getting together which is fine, but I need a good balance of other things to talk about. That’s why I think it’s important to spend time with friends with and without little ones. Date nights with Cody have been very necessary as well! Balance is the magic word here. 
#6: (this one I am still learning) how to schedule our day so that I get the most done for my clients + blog AND Evie. There have been many moments (when she was younger) when I would prop her bottle up with a blanket so I could write a few more emails. I know “they” say not to do that…but re-read #5 y’all. 😉
Mornings are my favorite and most productive time of day. I know that I need to savor the morning so I can devote time to playing with Evie in the afternoon when I am the least productive. She also goes to bed at 7pm every night no problem (I know, we are very lucky) so I need to take that time to write blog posts and finish up any tasks I didn’t get to from the morning. 
Every day I learn something new and I am excited to share this journey with you all! I would love to know what you’ve learned from becoming a mom (there are moms of all kinds…and please know…I am in awe of each and every one of you).
You can see more photos from this shoot on Nicole Baas’ blog.