Patience is a Virtue, But Not Showering Sucks

I hear it again and again from my non-mommy friends, “You must have so much patience,” or “You’re so strong.” While I appreciate both those statements, let me assure you this is so not the case. I don’t feel like I’m loaded with patience or superhero strength, not yet anyway. And I certainly don’t consider myself Wonder Woman. Who am I kidding? Hell half the time I barely feel like a woman at all!

Being a new mommy and working full-time, I often struggle to manage a phone call, get myself fully dressed, and pack a diaper bag—all while making myself a sandwich.

But somehow I manage. I may miss a shower every now and again, but I manage.

Having a baby means you’ll have oodles of love for this new miniature person, but it also means you’ll need to make a few sacrifices too, that much I know. I’ve always loved to cook and bake, but recently eating out less and cooking much more is becoming my new routine. Gone are the Saturday date nights and Sunday afternoons spent lounging and going to matinees with my hubby. On the weekends, I know a hungry baby wanting to breastfeed will interrupt my day every 3 hours. This has become my weekend norm and I’m not by any means complaining. In between feedings, I treat myself to an issue of Ad Age, a cup of coffee, some time experimenting with a new recipe, or on a good day—a very good day, the occasional nap.

I do however miss hanging out with those non-mommy pals of mine. While we still have loads in common, there is so much that has already changed. Right now, I’m unaware of the new summer fashions, which movies are must-sees, or even what the top songs are on iTunes! Cosmo and Rolling Stone continue to pile up unread under the coffee table and I’m lucky if I get to catch the news in the morning before running out the door. Instead, my time is spent reading My First Disney Books, listening to Baby Einstein Lullabies and flipping through Parenting Magazine. Although these are trivial things, I do hope to slowly incorporate them into my life again, along with those friends of mine.

I must mention that I’m certainly not in this alone. My hubby can often be found buying Dreft to do the baby’s never-ending laundry, washing bottle after bottle, or lugging around the car seat if we’re attempting to actually leave the house. He too is habitually running on vapors—yet happy to do so.

One thing I am especially proud of is the fact that I’ve officially trained my baby to fall asleep at 8 p.m., wake for one feeding at 2 a.m. and then up for the day at 7 a.m. I’m thrilled with him and myself for establishing this routine at three months. This can only lead to us living a long and happy sleep-filled life. Now if I can only make time to do my hair everyday….

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Tagged as: missed shower, wonder woman, working mommy