I'm sure we've all heard this phrase, right? It's so cliche to hear, but the words stand true. Motherhood is HARD. So hard, actually. Some days I can't even fathom how HARD it really is, because I'm just going through the motions. I lay my head down at the end of the day and think "how in the actual heck did I do everything I did today?". How did I get woken up 12 times in the middle of the night, get up for the day at the ripe time of 5:45am, change diapers, work, make meals, do laundry, clean up mess after mess, entertain a toddler, AND spend quality time with my husband. But the most simple answer is: you just DO. I don't know how. Sure, I have tips & tricks on how to manage time & do things efficiently, but I do not have the answer to how moms are able to do these things every.single.day. And the crazy part is, that is only MY day. There are many moms that do even MORE. Real life superhero's. That's what moms are.

But, I digress, because this post is supposed to be helpful to first-time moms and I feel like I may have just word vomitted about how hard being a mom is, and not touching on the REWARDING bit.

The reality is: every part of Motherhood is rewarding. I mean we get excited when our baby's poop is just the right color/consistency. We cry at every "first" that slips by. We can't help but laugh when they laugh (even if they've just done something bad), we get a kick out of watching their personality bloom, we wait patiently as they learn to find their voice, and we watch in complete awe as they learn to navigate their feelings and tug at our heartstrings when they say "I love you mommy" for the first time. It's a sense of rewarding that you truly can't understand until you're a mom. Because this little human is yours. They are a complete reflection of the morals and hope you have (tried) to instill in them. And I'm sure I speak for a lot of moms when I say, most days I feel like I have failed at this; instilling good in my daughter. Some days my patience runs thin, my temper is short, my attention is pulled in too many directions, and that ever so dooming mom-guilt kicks in. And in those moments I realize that those feelings I feel towards her, the feelings of perfection; the "you could never do any wrong in my eyes", are the same feelings she has for me. I am her safe space. And even at my worst, I am her best. If that's not rewarding, I don't know what is.

Lastly, my number one piece of advice for soon-to-be mamas: Enjoy your food. Like REALLY enjoy it. Take your time eating. Savor the flavors. Because once your little bestie arrives, you will either, 1. not have time to eat, or 2. said child will be stealing your food, and trust me it's never your husbands, it's always YOURS. That's it, that's the advice.