Twenty Things I Would've Told Myself Before Having Kids

"Dear Jessie,

Its me, your future self. 

I see you with that big, round belly, getting the nursery all ready for the long-awaited arrival of your sweet baby girl. And boy oh boy, are you going to absolutely adore her! 

I know it seems hard to believe, but that sweet baby girl isn't much of a baby anymore. You've been watching her learn and grow for the past two years, and you've learned and grown quite a bit, too.

Although you’ve been given a lot of great advice and wisdom on parenting and motherhood, it turned out there were still some things you just had to figure out for yourself. Things that not only made you a better mom, but also helped set you free as a daughter of God.

I want to give you a sneak preview of twenty of those lessons today.

Take them to heart.

Knowing them doesn't make motherhood perfect, but it has stretched you, shaped you, encouraged you, and equipped you in big ways.

By the way, all those little things you’re so worried about? Don’t sweat it. Because it turns out you're a pretty terrific mama and you're raising terrific kids, too!

. . . . . . . 

1. Despite how tired and desperate you will feel at times, you will eventually miss rocking that baby to sleep.

2. People will survive the boundaries you set. It’s okay to say no.

3. You won’t always want to be a mom. That doesn’t make you ungrateful; it makes you normal.

4. It’s not just okay to ask for help; it’s vital.

5. There will be days where you'll feel alone and that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.

6. Trying to do all the things and be all the things doesn’t make you Supermom; it only wears you down.

7. People don’t need to know, understand, or affirm your every parenting decisions because odds are they're feeling unsure or insecure about their own decisions too.

8. You will loathe how much of your passions will be put on the back burner, but you will slowly find time to pursue them again.

9. The kitchen counters can wait.

10. You’ll reach a point where you'll think that your sex life is over, but you will find your way back to each other and enjoy sex and romance again.

11. You will lose your ability to have that ideal "quiet time" with the Lord, but you'll discover new ways to connect with him instead.

12. Your body won’t just "bounce back", and the amount of grace you can extend towards your body will end up being directly correlated with your contentment in life.

13. Sometimes all you will need is a good cry or a thirty minute nap to reset your day.

14. You can Google a million things, but at the end of the day it’s up to you to find what works best for your family.

15. Motherhood won’t win you any accolades, so don’t do it for the world; do it for the Lord.

16. Your kids won't realize your mistakes half the time, so learn from those things as best as you can and then let them go.

17. You will NEVER be the perfect mom, and you will NEVER have the perfect kid.

18. One bad day is just that — ONE bad day.

19. The things you’re feeling in the heat of a moment won’t be the end of you. You’ll wake up feeling differently tomorrow.

20. You're weaker than you ever knew and also stronger than you ever thought you could be.

. . . 

I know all of this might seem a little overwhelming, but I promise you will make it through and you are not doing it alone! You are a warrior mama, loved and sustained by the Lord, and he's going to be right in the thick of it with you.

Love, me