Happy Mother's Day!

My second week on the job.

First and foremost, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Secondly, I just published two new books for new moms, so be sure to check them out here or click on their cover images to your left.

Thirdly, it's my first Mother's Day, and so I thought it would be worth reflecting on the lessons I've learned over the past year.

Being a parent is actually the hardest job in the world. You spend a ridiculous amount of time, energy, and resources into someone without knowing if you'll get any return on your investment. There is little thanks, no guarantee they'll turn out "okay," and it's impossible to get a full night's sleep ever again. It's a 24/7, 110% effort required kind of gig. If this job was pitched to you, you'd turn it down. Really.

Being a mother is weird. If you're a good one, you can't help but think about your baby. Even if you're consciously trying to think about other stuff, baby is always in the back of your mind. Always.

Becoming a mother completely changes your perspective on the world. Suddenly everything is weighed on this scale: helpful or hurtful to baby. You're more responsible. Things are more urgent. People screwing up their lives make you want to nag them (maybe they need more mothering!). Also, you empathize with good TV and movie moms - always.

When you're away from baby (even for an hour), and return, you feel guilty for ever having left. Maybe you missed something important! Baby needs you!

Whatever you do impacts your child. Even your food choices, exercise regime, clothing, passion, aspirations, and hobbies affect them. How you choose to talk to them impacts what baggage they'll have as adults. Your relationships shape how theirs will be (Codependent? Abusive flaming mess? Pleasantville functional? You kind of decide.).

Children grow up fast. In a heartbeat they're making their own decisions. Even if you do everything right, they're their own people. They will decide to mess up some times, and other times they'll decide to be even more amazing than you ever imagined.

Everyone has advice about parenting to share. It's actually good to hear them out (especially friends and family). They have experience. It's worth listening to them. Sometimes their advice will be really helpful and other times just smile nod and do what you need to do. Still, listen to them. It's worth hearing how their parenting stories played out. It will help yours.

No one is perfect. Moms make mistakes. The thing is, we're biologically programmed to focus on our babies. Even when we make mistakes, we'll make up for them when we're good moms. Everything we do is for our babies. Really. Even drinking the occasional glass of wine or watching a shoot em up movie (a girl needs to escape every now and then!) is for our babies.

So, if you are a mom, let someone else take care of you today. If you're the partner of one, or have one - do something special for her today. She totally deserves it.

P.S. Because there are surprises in store for people today, I won't be blogging about them until AFTER the fact (myself included! Woot woot!). I'll give you a head's up on those tomorrow...or whenever Kiddo let's me blog again.