Madison’s Momma on her run for “Mommy of the Year”

Internet?  Meet Joanna. 

Oh, you know and love her already?  Fantastic.  But just in case anyone doesn’t already know her, allow me to make introductions. She is a fun, witty, kind and strong momma from Texas who I “met” through Twitter and blogging and who always makes me smile.  If you don’t already know about her blog, go directly to Raising Madison and check it out.  You’ll see why she’s easily one of my favorite reads and the best part, she’s a great gal that I’m happy to call a friend.  (Unless she thinks that’s creepy, then I’ll just go back to being an adoring fan.) 

About a week ago, I realized that I was going to a have a “work is kicking my ass week” followed by a much needed “headed to the beach” week and keeping up with my corner of the internet was going to be a challenge.  So I asked Joanna if she would be willing to write for me while I was otherwise occupied.  Luckily for you, she agreed. 

Without further ado…. 

I love Krista’s blog so when she asked me to guest post I was super excited but completely at a loss for an appropriate topic. She mentioned writing about a moment when I realized I wasn’t mommy of the year and I knew that was the one I had to pick. Let’s be honest, I’ve had a LOT of those moments. 

I sat down to write and began this post no less than 10 times. Every time it was so heavy and talking about how we all make mistakes, blah blah blah, we can’t always be the “perfect mom”, boring boring boring.

Here’s the thing. There has been no defining moment where I thought “man, I do not have it all together.” Because honestly? I think that almost daily. I could go on and on about how at Madison’s first doctor’s appointment it didn’t even cross my mind to bring the diaper bag that I had spent the last month of my pregnancy perfectly organizing or how I left her sitting in her bouncy chair after I heard her poop because she was being quiet only to find my 2 week old child rubbing poop all over her face just seconds later. But I won’t.

I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret I’ve learned. You get to start over every single day! I know I know… you’re blown away that I shared this TOTALLY NEW information with you. But really, I think this is something that needs to be touched on.

In the midst of the shittiest day there is a light at the end of the tunnel (and no, I’m not talking about bedtime although bedtime is sometimes referred to as “happy time” in our house). That light is a new day. And before you think I’ve gone all soft & touchy feel on you with all of my “things will be better tomorrow” bullshit I’ll share something else with you. Tomorrow may not be any better either. It may even suck worse. But after tomorrow? There’s another new day. Are we seeing a trend here? 

We get a fresh slate every day.  And despite how much of a pain in the ass babies can be in the beginning, they don’t hold grudges. So yeah, maybe yesterday in your sleep deprived haze you told your 4 week old to “shut up and stop freaking crying or mommy is going to start drinking.” But today? Today she is smiling for the first time, went down for 4 naps and didn’t projectile vomit on you. Or maybe she did, but the day after next? It goes better.

I can say with confidence that every day I do at LEAST one thing that would classify me as “not mommy of the year.” But I don’t dwell on it and I start each day with my clean slate & try to be a better mom.  It’s a struggle and if I had to grade myself at the end of the each day I’d probably find myself to be a solid B student, but once in a while I knock it out of the park with an A+ and on rare occasions I fail miserably and hope that tomorrow is a better day.

It almost always is.