I Love The Mess

Before we had Hudson, and I wasn’t working, I had a ridiculous amount of down time to myself. I had very few chores to get done during the day, and my only real responsibility was to edit our vlogs three or four times a week. I would get so bored that I couldn’t do anything (which sounds dumb but is true), which is why I have very little to show for the six months I wasn’t working. Other than Hudson, of course. I have a novel that I could have been working on, crafts I could have completed, or other hobbies I could have pursued, but I just couldn’t, because I was too bored all day. So dumb.

One thing I love about having Hudson here, besides all the obvious things, is that there is almost always something around the house that needs to be done. The bottles need washed, clothes need put away, the books in the nursery need to be put back on the shelves… And I mean really, nothing has to be done, but because I like to keep the house clean, there is usually something I can take care of while Hudson is napping. Between taking care of him, getting myself ready for the day, vlogging & blogging, and keeping the house clean, I usually have about 30 minutes where I can sit down to eat lunch and not have to do anything else. To a lot of people this probably sounds terrible, but I love it. Being busy helps keep my energy levels up and makes me feel productive, which, in the end, makes me feel like a better mom.

I never thought that having a baby at home would make me feel so accomplished. Believe me, some days I barely have time to shower and have to stay in my pajamas all day, but on the good days, I go to bed feeling so awesome. There is no time for boredom, and I get (most) everything checked off my to-do list. On the days that Hudson doesn’t nap, I keep my to-do short, maybe add one or two things that simply allow me to feel human. But those days that he takes two four-hour naps, man, I feel like I crush the mom game.

As a mom, I think it’s important that we set reasonable expectations for ourselves. Some days we can get a lot done, some days we can’t, and that’s okay! Taking care of the baby is the priority, and if you don’t have time to do the dishes or fold the laundry, the good news (I guess) is that they will be there tomorrow. Time with kids goes way too fast, it’s not worth it to stress about chores instead of living in the moment. Either way, whether the mess gets taken care of or stays for a few days, I love it. The mess means that I am doing the thing I love the most: being Hudson’s mom.