5 Things that shocked me about becoming a mom

I wasn't one of those women who dreamed about becoming a mother. I knew I wanted to have kids, but it wasn't something that I couldn't wait to do right after I got married. In fact, my husband and I waited five long years before we had our first baby. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. It's no secret that many things about being a mom are totally different than you ever imagined pre-children. But now that I've been a mom for six and a half years, I can look back and say that there are a few things in particular that I never expected about being a mami.

Let me share 5 of these with you (and be forewarned, some of these totally contradict each other.. then again, it seems like parenting is full of contradictions, no?):

1. How extremely difficult it truly is: Your (real) friends who became moms before you will tell you and deep down inside you'll think you know it, but then you're hit with reality and you feel like nobody ever warned you! Parenting is the single most difficult responsibility I've ever undertaken. And my kids are only 3 and 6--so I still have a long way to go! ¡Auxilio!

2. How incredibly awesome it truly is: Again, those who became moms before me tried to tell me and I thought I understood it, but then I look at these wonderful tiny human beings that came out of me and I listen to their laughter and remember the first time I heard them say "Te amo, Mami" and I can't imagine what my life was like before they came into my life. How did I get so lucky again?

3. How much my kids get on my nerves sometimes: I know this is normal, but I never actually expected to look forward for their school breaks to be over so I can have some peace and quiet again. Also, there are times when they behave horribly that I honestly don't like them too much ... but this only lasts a few seconds and then I feel horrible I even felt that way to begin with.

4. How I can actually function with 4 hours of sleep: Now this one has been a complete surprise! Not getting enough sleep was one of the things I worried the most I'd lose once I became a mom. I've always LOVED sleeping and I'm a night owl, so that means I was used to sleeping in late, very late. Incredibly, I've learned to function on 6 or 7 hours of sleep and we've all survived, so I guess I don't need that much sleep after all... 

5. How much I miss them when I go away on a business trip: I used to do a lot of traveling for work pre-kids and I loved it. I decided not to do a lot of it after they were born, but whenever I do go on the occasional business trip, the first night in the hotel room all by myself is wondrous, but after that, I start missing their cute little faces and their crazy antics and I want to go back home fast. 

Image via Flor Blake Photography