Motherhood-Down and Dirty

How has motherhood changed me? Just look at a picture of me before I had children....

As you may or may not notice, I am very well groomed in that picture. I mean coiffed. My hear is permed and styled. I am wearing make up in that picture. That used to be an every day occurrence...now I consider it a 'fancy' day if I have enough time to put on a bra and pants that have a zipper.

In this picture, though I know you are all far too polite to notice, I am also 40lbs lighter. And who are we kidding, that's not baby weight...that's roughly the weight of my five year old. Truth be told, I have gained 25lbs since delivering The Bean. Turns out eating one meal a day at nine o'clock at night after the kids have gone to bed is the equivalent of metabolism suicide.

Lastly, though you can't tell from the picture, I can assure you that I smelled like vanilla and roses. That was my 'scent' back before I had children. Now my scent is the sour stench of spit up with just a hint of peanut butter, since I have no desire to change my clothes 600 times a day after each time that I am used as a human napkin.

Before I had children I was put together, I smelled nice, and I was thin-but that's obvious. The real secret here is that I wouldn't change the way things are now for all the money-or vanilla bubble baths-in the world. Motherhood has changed me on the inside as well.

Motherhood has given me more patience, enough to answer every "why?" with a smile as I watch my childrens' world expand and their minds open to new things.

Motherhood has made me more compassionate as I realize now that every person on this planet is someone's baby.

Motherhood has shown me how to be more flexible, since nothing ever works out the way you plan it but somehow always works out okay in the end.

Motherhood has made me brave. Brave enough to face my flaws, and brave enough to fix them. Brave enough to say I DON'T KNOW, but I will learn. Brave enough to raise three children five and under on three hours of sleep a night....and if I'm brave enough to do that, there is no stopping me.

I am Mommy. The reader of the bedtime stories. The kisser of boo boos. The recipient of crayon art, couch snuggles, and the pure unconditional adoring love of three amazing children. Motherhood has certainly made some messy changes, but it is still the best thing that has ever happened to me.

[This is written in response to this week's Writer's Workshop. Visit Mama Kat to see more and participate!]