7 Things I took for Granted Before Having a Kid

After being down with a horrible head cold and sinus infection, I got to thinking about all the little things I took for granted while childless. The past couple of days have been miserable with both baby and I being sick.

I woke up Thursday feeling like a freight train hit me or I was seriously hungover, but then again I don’t know what it feels like to be hungover because I have never been hungover. Friday it was even worse. Major headache and throbbing in my sinuses. I could barely breathe. I thought it would be okay to run, so I went ahead and ran 8 miles, then finished the weekend with a 5K race and a 16 miler. Stupid maybe or maybe highly dedicated….? I can’t decide.

With all that being said, I realized that having a sick baby when mamma is sick means there’s no rest for the weary. I am exhausted and would love to wake up feeling like a million bucks, but it hasn’t happened yet. When mamma’s sick life goes on, it turns out, when you have a kid at home.

Frowny Face Baby R

So back to my main topic, I digress. There is so much I realized I never thought twice about before baby was born, and now I wish I could just have some of those youthful moments back.

7 Things I Took For Granted Before Having a Kid

1. Sick Days – Mom’s do not get sick days….EVER!! I was never one to call in sick, and would always show up for work even if I was sick, unless I was highly contagious. Even when I probably shouldn’t have been at work I was. Now, I really wish I could take a sick day, because it sucks being sick when there’s another human being I have to care for. Hubby’s help is great, but he works, and baby just wants mamma. I am exhausted and sick and just really want a sick day. Being a mom means there’s no sick days.

2. Showers – Yes, I do shower, but sometimes I sit in my sweat for hours before I get to shower. And no it’s not because I want to, it because I have a infant who is hungry, fussy or just wants mamma to hold her or doesn’t want to seem to go down for her morning nap. Baby R is a great baby, but there are times I wish I could get into a hot shower after my cold morning run and feel clean. Instead I sit in dried, cold sweat shivering under a sweatshirt, while I feed, entertain, or calm a fussy baby. Some days that shower doesn’t come until 1 p.m., after a 6 a.m. run and strength session. Gross.

3. Breakfast – I have always been a breakfast eater….it is the “most important meal of the day.” Some mornings I do not have the pleasure of eating breakfast for hours after waking up and running. Again, because I am tending to a baby who gets to eat first. Some mornings breakfast is basically an early lunch for me.

4. Doing my makeup – Let me be honest and say that if I don’t have anywhere to go, or if it’s just to run errands, I don’t do my makeup. I am not into wasting even those 5 precious minutes to get dolled up, I rather have breakfast. Ask my hubby. When I have to work or go to church, those are about the only times my face is adorned in pretty colors and mascara, so about 2-3 days a week. And on those occasional nights we get to go out, that is my hubby and I, which doesn’t happen very often any more.

5. Quiet Time in the Word – I need my quiet time. As an introvert, this is where I get my energy, being alone. Marriage already made for some adjustment with this, but then came Baby R, and my alone time with God was even more minimized. I have my runs, but I value being in my Word, and it was a struggle making time for this. By the time Baby is in bed for the night, the dishes done, laundry put away, and a million other tasks completed, I am exhausted and  always opt out of reading my Bible. I took for granted those nights in college or even while I was married I could just have an hour to myself to be in His presence.

6.Spontaneity – I am not one for being spontaneous, because I like to have a plan for a plan, but it was always fun being spontaneous with the hubby. Being able to just jump in the car and go for a hike, or pop in a movie and make popcorn and cuddle up for the evening. Unless we hire a babysitter who can just head on over on a moments notice or have my mom, or my sister to watch Baby R, spontaneity just ain’t happening. I miss those days with Marc where it was just us.

7. Reading Good Books – I love to read. I never realized how much harder it would be to enjoy a good book with a baby at home. My Bible comes before reading for pleasure, so this is down and down on the list of priorities. Curling up with a good book is hard to do. When baby is napping, I am blogging, cleaning the house, doing laundry, or preparing dinner, so just reading to read ain’t happening.

I never realized all the little things you would miss as a new mom. I knew there was going to be sacrifice, but I never thought that the small things would be such a treasure to a mom. Now when I shower, I love it and sometimes I stay in just a bit longer so I can enjoy every last bit of warm water.

When I do get a free 10 minutes to eat breakfast, I savor every last bite and I actually take the entire 10 minutes to finish. When Marc and I do get a free moment (a planned free moment), we try to just be with each other. I try not to think of Baby R. 😉 Those moments I do spend in His presence are treasured.

I love being a mom, but it’s more work than I think any of us moms dared to imagine. I love how rewarding it is, but I have my moments of just wanting a hot shower 😉

Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit

What do you miss most that you don’t enjoy as frequently now that you have kids? What did you take for granted before having kids?