I see you, I know you, I am you.

I remember when we announced we were expecting our baby boy. That’s when my new obsession with becoming the “perfect" mom began. With Google and pregnancy tracking apps as my parenting handbook, I was determined to get this whole mom thing right.

Fast forward a few years later and I realize there’s not a right way to do things when it comes to parenting.

Here’s the thing about motherhood, it’s challenging, unpredictable, messy and certain days and experiences will shake you to your core. You lose yourself, you find yourself and you learn to accept yourself.

You accept yourself as the mom who chose the epidural because you were terrified to feel the pain of childbirth.

You accept yourself as the mom who tried to breastfeed and fed formula instead.

You accept yourself as the mom who let your baby watch TV because it was the only way you could get yourself dressed to leave the house.

You accept yourself as the mom who cooked a healthy dinner for your toddler but gave in to feeding them Goldfish because you’ve learned to choose your battles wisely.

You accept yourself as the mom who has missed out on special occasions and time with old friends when you wanted to be there.

You accept yourself as the mom who still wants to lose those extra pregnancy pounds but it just hasn’t happened yet.

Maybe motherhood makes you lose your mind a little bit, but oh do you find your soul. Embrace and accept the mess, the exhaustion, the overwhelming and the hard days, because from what I hear — it goes by way too fast.

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