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Challenge: Life Changes

The very honest truth about becoming a parent: Why it isn’t all baby bliss

Published on April 22, 2016

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From a very young age, I always knew I wanted to be a mother. Two years after I got married, we decided to have our first child. Little did we know our life was about to change. We have two kids now and I always say that the first one is the hardest because you simply have no idea what in the world you are doing. You have an entire little human to care for: a needy, messy, tiny, adorable human that’s all yours to raise and make a decent person out of someday.

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Digna Toledo Photography


My son Benjamin is what I like to call my “golden child.” He is sweet, kind and so polite. My friends joke that he is my favorite, but it isn’t that at all. I love both of my children equally - he just holds a special place in my heart because he made me a mother. And while becoming a mother has truly been a dream come true for me, the reality of parenthood sets in about a week after the birth of your first child. Maybe because I was in the hospital for 5 days after my emergency C-section, but it was about a week after Ben’s birth that reality hit - and it hit hard.

Very simply put: life as you knew it is over. This is the truth, no matter how much you try to cling on to your fun childless life. You are TIRED. Not “oh I’ve worked all day-9-to-5 tired.” I mean really tired, like you have slept maybe 3 hours total in the past day. Oh, and if you breastfeed, your boobs own you! You are pumping or feeding every 1-2 hours - no joke.

My worry-meter went through the roof as soon as my children were born. You think about everything: SIDS, fevers, vaccines, eczema, college and drivers licenses. OK, maybe not their license, but you get it. There are certain baby products like Johnson’s Baby that I trust because they are clinically proven to be gentle on my children’s skin, which keeps my mind at ease. Some people don’t talk about these worries and concerns, but trust me: you are not alone.

Motherhood is my pride and joy. It’s the best job I’ve ever had. The love I feel for my children could never be put into words. They’ve made me a better person and made me realize I am much stronger than I ever knew. So when a mom tells you it’s hard but it’s all worth it, they aren’t lying. Your child’s first words, their first steps… it’s a joy that can’t compare to anything else.

The hugs and kisses and the very first “I love you” - these are #littlewonders you cherish forever. So even though the beginning of motherhood gets pretty bumpy for most of us, the journey is a fun, loud, messy, rewarding - and most of all loving one.

I am a contributor for JOHNSON’S®, the sponsor of this community, and compensated for travel and attendance at events. Every idea and word written is my own.

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