being a mom means...

What does being a mom really mean?

On the surface, it's endless snacks, too many trips to Target, bath times and bedtime stories. It's watching the same movie over and over again, googling everything, and eagerly waiting for bedtime only to miss them while they sleep. It's swapping funny stories about what ridiculous things our kids say or jokingly asking "Is it too early for a glass of wine?"

Underneath all of that, it's loving so deeply that life didn't seem to exist before they entered you world. It's like your life started over when your child's life began. Anything before them seems foreign - seems impossible.

Sure, sometimes you miss the ease of leaving the house without your diaper bag or grocery shopping alone or going on a date without calling a sitter or a grandparent. But at the end of the day, all of those things seem so small when you kiss your child good night.

It's wanting to be the best mom, while still trying to be you. You lose yourself sometimes because it feels selfish to want to be anything else but a parent to your child - and not just any parent, but a loving, patient, happy, fun, nurturing, smart, funny, energetic, strict (but not too strict), creative, imaginative, trustworthy parent. It's tiring to be someone's everything.

It's tiring, but it's worth it. The days when you feel run down or beaten up or hungry, your child says something or does something that puts you on top of the world. Maybe it's a simple "I love you" or taking two-and-a-half bites of dinner or a slobbery kiss - it's worth it.

It's also a reminder that you can't be all of the things and wear all of the hats all the time. You are enough to your child. That love you feel for them is what they feel for you. The simple things you do is amazing in their eyes, like making a PB&J or singing a silly song or playing peek-a-boo. Don't forget that.

So yeah...being a mom is messy, scary, funny, loving, tiring, testing, selfless, fun, worrisome, lonely, fulfilling, loud, happy, sad, hopeful, proud, life changing. It's the best.