Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, grand-moms, and the other assorted caregivers out there! Moms often want to just be left alone on Mother’s Day. As a kid I never understood this concept. Wouldn’t moms want to be covered in hugs and kisses on their special day? I’ve only been a mom for three months, but I GET IT already. Unfortunately, peace and quiet isn’t likely in the time of Coronavirus. However, these sleep headphones make a great gift for the mom in quarantine who just wants to catch a few extras Zzzzz’s. Mine, plus some earplugs, helped me to sleep in this morning and it was glorious. This is not a product plug, I just really like these headphones.
Fun fact: Mother’s Day in Ireland is actually in March! It takes place on the 4th Sunday in Lent and 3 weeks before Easter. It was on March 22nd this year.
Another Fun Fact: Father’s Day still falls on the 3rd Sunday in June. That’s not confusing at all.
This whole upcoming week is a little bittersweet for me. Since we’re in quarantine for my first Mother’s Day, options for the day’s activities are extremely limited. We planned to leave Thursday for a trip to The States so Nora could meet her family, and we could meet her new cousins, but we had to cancel our trip. Our anniversary is also next week but we can’t do much for that either unfortunately. This whole lock-down thing is even starting to get tough for me, an introvert and borderline agoraphobic.
Knowing I wouldn’t be able to go shopping, get a pedicure, or anything else I would have loved to do today, I just wanted to create the ideal day in quarantine: Tom takes over the majority of baby duties, and my list of activities goes something like this…
- Sleep in
- Go for a run
- Have some breakfast
- Write a blog post
- Finish my book
- Order Indian food for dinner
- A Banoffee Waffle for dessert
So far we’re right on schedule!
Although I haven’t been a mom for very long, I’ve learned some lessons that I’m sure many other moms have known all along.
My Top 5 Mom Life Lessons (So Far)
- Coffee and wine are lifelines. Before Nora, I used to avoid caffeine for the most part because it made me feel jittery. Now it’s a requirement so I can function in the morning. Wine in the evenings so I can relax. Wine moms make so much more sense to me now.
- Sleep is a precious resource. When I was pregnant many people told me, “Sleep while baby sleeps.” That has not typically been possible for me, so I go to bed early instead. This allows me to feel somewhat human when watching a baby all day.
- Adult time is a rare commodity. Plan ahead for it and spend it wisely. I go to bed early so I can get up early and have some time to myself before Tom goes to work (in the other room). I can go for a run, shower and have a quick breakfast in peace, or get a little extra sleep if I need it. This in combination with going to bed early helps me to feel refreshed and accomplished before I start my day with Nora. After Nora goes to bed for the night, I find that I have more of a desire to read than watch TV these days.
- Some relationships will fade away. Having less time means having to prioritize who I spend time catching up with. I only have time for those relationships that are healthy and supportive. Not everyone is worth my time anymore.
- Fears and anxieties change. I care much less about other people’s opinions now, but I’m anxious about Nora’s first plane ride, getting too close to people when we’re out, and making sure she’s getting enough to eat, enough sleep, and if she’s warm/cool enough. I also recently thought to myself, “I wonder how old she has to be to start being scarred by our parenting decisions.” As Tom said, I think we need to accept that we will scar her in some way, but all we can do is do our best. I want to raise Nora to be smart, confident, and resilient. If I can focus on that, I think we’ll be OK.
I hope all those moms out there have a wonderful day, no matter what you decide to do. Stay safe out there! Mind yourselves.
*Gifs courtesy of Giphy.
*Image courtesy of iStock photo.
😘❤️😘❤️😘
Yes…rest when baby sleeps.
Yes…anxiety and fears are evident because you have a special bundle to care for.
Yes…relationships and priorities change.
So that’s why mamma cards were in the store when I was there.
I am betting you and Tom are doing a brilliant job as parents. Just love her with all your heart, love and respect each other and teach her that she is a capable, intelligent child and teach her many skills.. The more skills we have the more freedom we have. I also believe we must teach tolerance and generosity of spirit.
Thanks, Aunt Bea! You’re so right. These are all things I want to teach Nora too! I hope you’re doing well and staying safe <3
I am sure you are doing everything you can for Nora. You also need to take care of yourself. When Matty and Julie were young I would leave the house by 5:00am and go to the gym, it was the best way to start my day. I would get home to shower and get the children dressed and ready for school or babysitter. Uncle Matt was a huge help during those years. When I left he would take over making sure they got to school.
Even though you go to bed early, you need to so that you can function for Nora.
You both will do fine and your children will appreciate all you do when they are old enough.
Happy Mother’s Day, Molly. I hope that sleep time was the best!
Love,
Aunt Denise💐💐💕