Probably one of the hardest things we are asked to do in life is accept change.

Sometimes, I think Motherhood is all about that. Our ability as human beings to accept and handle change.

As a female it begins the moment two pink lines appear. Suddenly, you have changed. Life has changed. No more drinking wine. No sushi. No deli meat. Forget a hot dog. No Cinco de Mayo festivities. Who needs sleep? Loved those jeans? Yep. They no longer fit. Invest in belly bands. You will pee. A lot. All of a sudden stretch marks appear. No, you can’t see your toes. You can no longer breathe. Water breaks. Pain like ever before. You will be amazed the female body is made to do that. Nothing is the same. Your body has forever changed.

Once baby arrives. Goodbye sleep. Hello, soar nipples. No, you still won’t fit in those jeans, not quite yet.  Yes, you will worry when your baby hiccups. Invest, in the most un-glamorous personal hygiene products, ever. Your boobs will hurt, so bad. Yes, Google will be your best friend and worse enemy. No, you won’t know what you did with your time before baby. You will cry at everything. I repeat, everything. Like a FedEx or Little Caesar’s Pizza commercial. You will check on your sleeping baby 12 times a night. You will call your Mother, all the time. It will take forever to go anywhere. Yes, your baby’s smell the absolute best. Oh, would you look at the time? Yes, you will lose track of time just staring at your baby. You will turn down visitors and outings. Yes, you will cringe when a stranger tries to touch, nope, look, yes, look at your baby. Your routine has forever changed.

As baby grows and you start to believe you are getting the hang of this new gig. Bam! Hello, teething. No, you won’t know what to do. Yes, you will still Google everything. No, you still won’t be sleeping. Sometimes you and your husband will go all evening without talking. Sleep regression does exist. Fevers suck. Everything you said you would never do when you had kids, you will do. Breast feeding will get easier. Maternity leave ends. You will feel heartbreak like never before when you leave your baby for the first time. Breastfeeding becomes harder than before. You will want to quit. You will cry. You will love. Your focus has forever changed.

Your little one is a year! You blinked your eyes and time flew by. You got this. Hello, temper tantrums. Nope, you lost it again. You will get frustrated. You will actually discipline your baby. Wait! She / he is no longer your baby but now a toddler. And, that will make you cry. Yes, toddlers like independence and getting into cupboards and opening up the trash and hiding car keys. You will spend most days looking for your car keys. You will wish you were still breastfeeding or bottle feeding (it was easier). Yes, there will be a hard fall and you will feel fear like never before. They will make you worry. You will crawl on all fours looking for chocking hazards. You will cut up a hot dog into 100 pieces. They will cause some gray hairs. No, you still won’t be sleeping. You will learn how to accomplish your tasks while entertaining another human. Yes, they finally feel like humans. Yes, you will have a new best buddy. You will have a new best friend. Your home and relationship has forever changed.

I am not past this stage in the journey yet, but I can imagine that each step is harder than the last. Nothing about motherhood or parenting is easy. Your little baby turns into a toddler, a toddler turns into a kid, a kid into a teenager and then an adult too. New challenges are presented. New obstacles must be concurred. New worries exist. Each phase is a journey.

Motherhood is all about change. You change. Your spouse changes. Relationships with family and friends change. Your child changes. Motherhood and parenting is about managing that change. Living each day and riding the emotions.

There are days of joy. Days of lost patience. Days of fear. Days of bliss. Moments of “I cannot do this!” Moments of “I want nothing more.” You will fail. You will succeed. You will have your heart broken and you will feel your heart explode.

Yes, having a baby will mean your body changes, your routine changes, your focus changes, your home changes, but greater than it all, your heart changes. Your very core changes for the better.

I know for me, Motherhood was the best thing that happened to me. It has been my proudest achievement to be Lo’s Mom. It has been the hardest and most rewarding experience.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”

It will challenge you. It will change you. I bet, you are better for it!

Happy Mother’s Day, fellow Momma’s! I toast to you and change.