Reality of a stay at Home Mom

First, let me tell you about my expectations of being a stay at home mom. When we made the decision for me to stay home with our little one, I was ecstatic! I knew it would be hard, I knew sacrifices would have to be made, but think about all the positives. For instance, I would clean every day. Yep, floors mopped, tables dusted, kitchen wiped down, and things put away every single day. On top of that, I would have dinner ready shortly after my husband walked through the door in the evenings and a homemade dinner at that! I would shower, do my hair and ready myself everyday. I would have time to cuddle my baby, play and teach her new things. We would have play dates all the time and go on walks when the weather is nice. I could just imagine us sitting on a blanket in the yard playing on a nice spring day. I would run all of our errands and make sure we had nothing to do but relax on the weekends. Sounds perfect, right?

Yes it does! But, that's not reality. That's a complete dream. If you live like that and are able to keep up with it all and remain joyful through it all, then major mom props to you!
Instead, I've learned to live in a home with that "lived in" look. Things aren't always put away and tables aren't dusted every day. I may have dinner ready most days of the week. That's thanks to my dear husband for doing 99% of the grocery shopping and a freezer full of freezer meals that we prep every month or so. Dishes may be left in the sink to be tackled the next morning and floors may be left unswept. I've learned to master a 5 minute shower or I choose to shower in the evenings after the little one is in bed. My hair is rarely fixed and if we don't leave the house, yoga pants or sweats is my outfit of choice. I may not get many errands run throughout the week and weekends may be spent doing some cleaning, but I wouldn't change a thing. Yes, some days I wish there were more hours in the day, and that I had time to do everything I imagined myself doing, but it was so unrealistic.
I've found joy in our day to day simple life. I am able to snuggle my baby, we play and giggle throughout the day. She's able to nap in the warmth and comfort of my arms. We do have an occasional play date and go on walks when the weather is nice. However, there are days where she isn't the happiest baby, days where she refuses to nap and days where I feel like I've exhausted myself trying to make her happy. Those days are tough! As a stay at home mom, sometimes I find myself yearning for a little adult interaction, someone to talk to...someone who talks back to me. Just today I joked about inviting the Jehovah's Witness in to have an adult to chat with or maybe I'll befriend the mailman. These past several months, I've learned how so very important it is to get out, make friends and set up walks or play dates. So, I'm thankful and grateful for all of my mommy friends, whether you're a working mom or stay at home mom, know that you have a special place in my heart. We are all in this together.