Other moms lie

As a first time mom I am starting a revolution. I tell the truth, I sing it loud and proud, although I try to do it with a sense of humor.

Before the birth of our son, all I heard about was how wonderful parenthood is, how having a child is the most amazing experience in the world. While I don't dispute that, it is also the most challenging thing you will ever do. I would throw myself in front of a bus for my little guy, but there are times I'd like to get on that bus and head straight to a spa for a week while leaving him home with his dad. I love my husband more than I ever thought possible, my heart swells with love when I see him playing with our little guy. Yet, I also think "who is this man and why did I marry him?", when he hands our son off to me to change yet another poopie diaper.

To those moms who said to me, and continue to say, that their newborn sleeps through the night, never cries, breastfeeds perfectly AND that their husbands are perfect helpers who pitch in without even being asked -- I say yeah, right. Either you live in some strange utopian universe where babies and husbands are perfect angels, or you are lying to me. I say, fess up.

You are not a bad mom if you don't produce enough milk and need to formula feed. You are not a bad mom if you wish you could just have that life back where you could get out of the house in 5 minutes instead of five hours. You are normal. You are everymom.

You are not a bad wife if you fantasize leaving your husband at home for a week all alone with the baby to see if he breaks down crying with joy upon your return, suddenly really understanding how overwhelmed you feel. You are not a bad wife if you miss "dating" your husband but, when you have the opportunity or a babysitter that allows you some alone time with your man, you'd rather just take a nap. You are normal. You are everymom.

All that being said....I am blessed to have a happy, healthy and well adjusted baby, even if he refuses to roll over yet like all the other mommies of babies his age say their kids do. (I think that means he's smarter than the other babies, why roll over when you can have mommy do it for you?) I am doubly blessed to have a husband who, despite long hours in the office, helps a lot around the house and with the baby when I ask him. (Even if he folds the laundry in a way that creates the maximum wrinkles possible..how does he do it?) However, at 4 months old, my son has yet to learn how to cook and bring me breakfast in bed. Based on what I hear from the other moms, their babies did that at 5 months old. I can smell the pancakes already.

* Disclaimer, this is a reprint of a blog I posted on another site when my son was 4 months old, he is now 6 months old :)