You Know You're a Mommy When...

Poop. I have never cared more about it than I have in the past nearly 8 months. Never in my life did I think I would find myself analyzing it. "What is this funky color?"...{checks google about baby poop.} "Should it be this solid, moist, (insert adjective here)??" Last week I got EXCITED y'all..EXCITED to see 3 blueberry "shells" in her poop. "Yay!! you actually got at least 3 blueberries in your tummy!!" "Good job!!" Then the next week...a WHOLE blueberry was in the diaper of poop. Yeah...like it had not even been smushed....I don't know if this is a mom thing or maybe I am just weird on an extra level but I went there y'all. I did it. I took a wipe...and I mashed the blueberry to confirm my thoughts that indeed the blueberry made it into her poop completely unscathed. "Squish!" It squirts out blueberry juice like a fresh little berry picked at the farm. What does that mean?! Did she even reap nutrients from this blueberry?! How did it come out whole?! The questions I ask myself these days. Also...I have never typed that word oh so many times. My apologies to the queasy stomachs. "Gross" things have never bothered me. Probably one reason I loved working in surgery. Anyway...

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You know you are a Mommy When...

Full poopy diapers and wet diapers happen and you get excited. Nourishment y'all! We are doing good, mamas!

You finally get to go out on a date night with your man so you pull out the razor to shave those legs, and feel like you are about to go off to the prom simply because you put on something other than track pants and a ball cap and maybe even a little lip stick. And wow...the hair actually gets to see a style besides the messy mom bun! All dolled up and ready to stay out late and soak in the moment only to be worn slap out exhausted, can't stop yawning no matter how much fun you're having by 9:30 p.m. falling asleep in the car ride home from the date.

You do everything you can in the car ride home with the little one to keep them awake because you are oh so close to home and then you can toss them in the crib for a nap!!! Because heaven knows they will fall asleep after a 40 minute drive only 5 minutes from home, then wake up like a screaming banshee and will NOT lay back down until some play time and food has gotten into their systems. And when I say do "Everything" you can to keep them awake...y'all...I will sing like a dying crow at the top of my lungs to keep her awake just 5 more minutes. But apparently I must have always sung this way because she finds it oddly comforting. Bless.

You go to drink your water....it's not water. It's the bottle of formula. Yup. And this is on a full night of sleep. OR...you go to make your protein shake for lunch and stop yourself within milliseconds of almost pouring formula into the shaker instead of the protein powder.

You will eat almost anything now. She has had her sloppy slobbery little mouth all over something. Salivating all over a piece of food. She doesn't finish it. Rather than waste it....why not eat it yourself? I have finished her grimy little cheese sticks, mushed up fruit, licked my finger covered in her yogurt. Don't ask me why. I don't know. I just do, ok? And I know I am not alone! Haha!!

A moment to actually shower and just stand there letting warm water hit your back is nearly equivalent to a day at the spa. "You mean I don't have to rush out and hurry as fast as I can?!!" AHHHH!!!

Boogers. Picking boogers with your bare fingers. Ellie had one today that was huge-mongous and in the parking lot of Hobby Lobby with Lauren, I ninja whipped that booger out of there. I even showed Lauren. I was proud to have retrieved that thing from her little snotty nose. It is so satisfying getting those out of her head because otherwise, when she inhales and exhales, they kick in and out of her nostril like a little door flap.

You can recite every song the toys sing on repeat. Their lyrics are literally life right now. I hear them in my sleep. I hear them at the gym. Those tunes may take years to leave my head.

You also sing everything in high pitched, joyful, exciting tune because seeing smiles and making everything magical is awesome. Even when you are out of breath by the end of the day.

You become a pro-wrestler almost instantly once they start crawling. Diaper changes are so interesting these days.

You become a master of schemes and deception and playing the mind to get things done. Yes. Even with a nearly 8 month old I am already having to trick her. Until she figures out my scheme then on to the next master plan.

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Ladies....you know you are a mommy when you can't wait for the clock to strike the hour of bedtime just so you can sit down and unwind....only to immediately miss their little face(s) and stare at them on the baby monitor just to look at those cheeks and fuzzy little head and hiny sticking up in the air.

You go shopping for yourself  to get new clothes on your few hours of "me" time, only to return home with new clothes or toys for the baby and nothing new for you.

You have never hurt more in your life physically or emotionally than when your baby is crying and sad, scared, or upset.

You feel love and passion at the mention of your baby coursing through you like an F5 tornado and you just explode in smiles and or comments of love about your cutie.

You are so much more proud of their accomplishments and the joy they have in their accomplishments than of anything you have ever worked for towards your own personal advancement in your life. Nothing I have ever accomplished....and I consider myself to be one who has by God's grace accomplished much....can even begin to try and compare to or top the thrills, excitement, and pride I fill with when Ellie accomplishes what she has worked hard towards. Crawling, feeding herself, nearly walking, rolling over, sitting up, starting to talk, learning how to play games with us......she is my greatest accomplishment, after all. How could anything ever make me more proud than when she is proud of herself?!

Ask me my dream job? I will always say, "Mommy!" Everything I do in life falls into the structure of first wanting to seek and please God and have Him with me in all things. Serving my husband, leaning on my husband, helping him, and relishing in our love that stems from being best friends and first being in love with Jesus. Teaching my daughter, helping her learn, grow, experience much joy, excitement and opportunities. Putting myself on the back burner for all these things so that they may thrive and thus we thrive as one family, together.

I am so so so thankful to be the woman of this household. What an honor. What a privilege. What a truly deep blessing and precious thing to know I am a mommy to Ellie, and wife to Eric, and child of God!