Dear First Time Mom

Letter to a first time mom

Dear First Time Mom,

I was just like you 34 months ago. It seems like an entire lifetime ago but at the same time it feels so new and fresh in my memory.  I was so excited about the opportunities I would have with my new baby and how my year maternity leave would be the perfect melding of baby and life. I had a horrible labour but that didn’t stop me from getting up and starting my amazing adventure as a mom to Princess Peach. We enrolled in music class when she was 5 weeks old. She usually just slept through the class but I met friends and felt that was still getting something, hopefully anything from our classes.

As time went on our adventures didn’t stop. We would take the subway downtown and check out the sights and sounds of our great city. We would walk along downtown streets with no cares in the world. Just me and my girl drumming to the beat of our own drums. We didn’t have a schedule rather a routine. Some days we would just walk and walk. Other days we met friends and shopped. Some days we would be out of the house the entire day! Other days we just hung out with friends. Most of all we were together having an amazing time.

I always felt I was so busy and I was. From daily classes, to baby groups to playing in the park we were always on the go! I have no regrets about my amazing 13 months at home with my little princess. I only realized now, when I had two kids just how truly lucky I was. I was given the gift of time.

You see first time mom, you will never have another first maternity leave. No matter how much help you have there is another person who wants and needs your attention. There are errands to be done, meals to be made, laundry to be wash, dried, folded and put away during short unpredictable time frames. Some days I’m lucky if I sit down to eat a meal, or get to caught up on some emails.

There is very limited time to do things, anything for that matter. Classes if we sign up must be done during very short windows of time, making plans with friends is near to impossible as I only have 2 hours available in the morning. I have reverted to online shopping as getting to malls and other fun places is difficult. Who knew I would be the queen of online deal hunting at 12 am!

So First Time Mom, my advice to you is enjoy every single second. Don’t turn down an invite because you are tired, or you kid might need to nap. Sign up for every class that interests you. Stay busy! Do everything. Have no regrets. Tire yourself out because before you know it your time will be over and back to work you will go. You may then be blessed with another child and that gift of time will be gone. You will always get another maternity leave but never one quite like your first.

 

Comments

  1. Victoria Ess says:

    I love this letter. It’s so well-written and full of great advice.

  2. loucheryl says:

    Great letter to a first time mom! Enjoy every second because it goes by way too fast!

  3. thanks for the advice!

  4. Yuen C says:

    Love the advice, stay positive and enjoy life.

  5. Steph says:

    Reading this post makes my heart ache a little bit, but I love this. You’ve captured what it’s like so eloquently. Just like you, I was out with my baby girl every day from when she was 5 weeks old. We went to classes, shopped, walked, joined Momstown. We too were always on the go. She’s now 14 months old and I’m glad that I made the most of our time together. We even made it down to Florida for two weeks at the end of my maternity leave, tagging along with my husband for a business trip. And just like at home, we were out and about, doing everything and nothing at the same time. I loved it and feel so fortunate that we had so much special time together where it was just me and her.

  6. Lovely post! I agree 100% with this! The time goes so fast. You have to constantly remind yourself to cherish every moment you can. My “baby” is now five and headed off to Kindergarten, and I’m constantly wondering where the past five years have gone!

  7. Absolutely love this post! As a mother of two I can totally relate! Great advice, it’s crazy how fast time flys and things change!

  8. Aww. Being a first time mom is hard! You offer up some great advice! Mom Blogger’s Club hop 🙂

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