Baby showers. Hospital rooms. 24-hour deliveries. No sleep. Leaky nursing bra. Baby giggles. Blurry mind. Toothless smiles. Crawling under the crib in the middle of the night for the pacifier. Yellow poop up the back.
I can't believe this is my life.
Tantrums in grocery stores. Toddler tunes enough to drive a normal person crazy. First full sentences. Bonked heads. Refusals to nap. Go Dog Go. Happy bubble baths. Weird obsessions. Endless hugs.
I can’t believe this is my life.
Play dates. Obnoxious Nick Jr. Skinned knees. Brown play-dough. Playgrounds. Accidents in pants. Too many doctor visits. Smooshy kisses (right on the lips)! Melt-downs. “Parent’s, please stay with your child” birthday parties.
I can’t believe this is my life.
Homework. The car. The car. The car. Class parties. Sidelines and fields. Strange sounds coming from musical instruments. Mom school projects. Fibs. Surprise “I love you” notes. Whining. Lost jackets, mittens, and hats.
I can’t believe this is my life.
Cliques. Hormones. School performance pressure. Spontaneous hugs. Rolling eyes. Good talks in the car, facing forward. Did I say hormones? Budding independence. Dinners on the run. Concerts. Teams. Plays. Try-outs. Rejections. First paid gigs.
I can’t believe this is my life.
First kisses (and second and third). Team dinners. Slammed doors. Missed curfews. Drivers’ licenses. YIKES. Long unprompted talks. Proms. Less and less control. Senior nights. Heartbreaks. Texts not returned for what seems like hours and hours and hours. Real Christmas presents. Car accidents. College apps. Caps flying in the air.
I can’t believe this is my life.
Dorm shopping. Saying goodbye. Endless mom tears. Weeks between texts. WORRY. Weird campus visits. Saying hello. Curfews??? No. Home-cooked food. Yes. Summer job??? Possibly. Up till all weird hours. Yes. Dirty dishes. Yes. Family. Saying goodbye again. Less mom tears. More mom relief. REPEAT for four years.
I can’t believe this is my life.
First jobs. W2s. Uhauls. “Adulting.” Used car lots. Uhauls. Sincere and heart-felt “thank you moms.” Heated conversations about world events. Tearful hugs goodbye. Zoom family game nights. Did I mention Uhauls? Mother’s Day flowers from afar. Wedding planning. Real friendship. Grandpuppies. Precious and fleeting moments “ALL TOGETHER.” Yup. Uhauls.
I can’t believe this is my life.
Baby showers. Hospital rooms. 24-hour deliveries. Baby giggles. Toothless smiles. After-bath smells. Snuggles and kisses. Toddler tantrums. Excitement over Mommy’s old Fisher Price school bus. Go Dog Go. Sad “see you soons.” Facetime laughter. “I love you the most, Mema.” Happiest hugs hello.
I can’t believe this is my life.
BUT I COULDN’T BE MORE GRATEFUL THAT IT IS.
AND THERE IS STILL MORE TO COME.