Before I was a mom...

I knew having children would change my life and my lifestyle. It is the cliche everyone tells you when you are expecting. And, despite having no idea what is to come, it is the one thing you are well aware of, that everything will be different. However, what I would never have known was HOW things were going to change. It never crossed my mind that a shower would become a luxury, and that going to the supermarket alone would be considered time for myself. I thought for sure if I had overnight babysitting I would want to spend the night partying, but have come to realize that sleep is the main priority on such nights. I had no idea that going shopping would almost always mean buying for my kids, never for myself and I did not fathom that watching TV would be something I would miss. I never anticipated that when asked about my life I would immediately update you on my kids, nor that my identity would become completely and totally entwined with theirs. You could have told me a million times and I would never have believed that it would be a marathon of phone tag before catching up with my closest friends, and that even the ease of email would somehow seem difficult. I can promise you I never thought I would enjoy watching Sesame Street, that I would be humming nursery rhymes, or my voice would raise a few octaves and half of my sentences would rhyme. I was in denial that the excess baby weight would never come off, and I am shocked that I find children's menu food rather appealing. I knew I would give up alcohol, coffee, and sushi when I was pregnant, but was completely unaware that my palate would totally change. I still haven't gotten my taste back for cooked fish, and continue to be totally tempted by a big bowl of pasta. No, I had no idea these were the changes I was in for in addition to the millions of much more obvious changes. But, there was a lot of things I did not know before I was a mom, and now that I am one all I know is, despite having one your whole life, you don't know what that word really means until you are one.