In the past few months, I feel like I’ve reached a new level in settling in to this mom thing. The first year or so for any new parent is, at least in my experience, kind of spent looking around with a wide-eyed, terrified look, wondering if your life is ever going to be the same. Which, of course, it’s not, but you begin to see that as a good thing, and not a hard truth that your youth is over. Which it still kinda is. But you eventually stop longing for Saturdays spent sleeping in and instead start forgetting what your life was like before someone was calling you mom 3,245 times a day. Approximately. In the aforementioned previous months there were three distinct moments when I realized I am hopelessly, completely, unequivocally a mom now.

1. While watching Toy Story with Cora, I actually noticed Molly (Andy’s baby sister) is in the FRONT SEAT of their van in a FORWARD-FACING car seat, and had a mini heart attack. Then I realized either a) Toy Story was made before car seat laws or b) the animators were perhaps preoccupied with MAKING A MOVIE to check if the baby was properly seated in the car. Also, it’s just a movie. Mommy instincts apparently can’t distinguish between reality and cinema magic.

2) I felt the need to clean up while at a college apartment. I went to WKU homecoming a few weeks ago and relived the “glory days” by spending one Cora-free day and night tailgating, going out, and crashing at our current volleyball team’s apartment. In the morning, before heading to the football game, I found myself chatting with the mom and grandma of one of the girls, and then I glanced down and my hands were FOLDING A BLANKET. I barely made my bed in college and there I was, impulsively cleaning, organizing, and holding myself back from looking for a baby to carry the whole time. In an apartment I don’t live in, may I remind you.

3) In the process of writing this article I kid you not, I have forgotten what number 3 was. Seriously. Which I guess is still a sign I’m a mom because I don’t know which way is up half the time. I’m too preoccupied with potty training, tea parties, and keeping up with Doc McStuffins episodes to remember a list without writing it down. I will come back and update if I remember though, provided I don’t then forget the password to the whole dang blog.

It kind of proves my point though, that motherhood is just all-consuming in the most challenging, humbling, and fantastic way. No area of your life is safe, not even watching a simple Disney movie or enjoying a weekend with college friends. Or, apparently, your entire short term memory. 🙂

XO.
A

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