When I got pregnant, I swore to myself I'd never be that mom with the mom hair cut, you know that short style-less mess that looks like garbage (but it's so easy! vom), in yoga pants, mom jeans... or worse flannel pajama pants... in public,in a dirty shirt covered in spit up who talked incessantly about her kid. I didn't want my husband to think that me putting on chapstick was "putting on make up".
I didn't want to lose myself while raising my child. I didn't want to be the person who only talks about her kid/stuff relating to children. I wanted to still be able to talk about the Kardashians and other important issues.
I wanted to remain that cool, hot chick my husband met and fell in love with. I didn't want to fall into being a lame mom. I wanted to continue to be me, not just Mommy. After all I am only 23. I've still got the majority of my 20's ahead of me, and it would a long time of mom haircuts and relaxed fit jeans if I started that now.
So, I decided I'd be a cool mom. You know the kind of mom who isn't just "mommy" she looks put together, can talk about anything, and isn't embarrassing to teenage children.
Well, most people during their child's nap time or quiet play will do things like facebook, or call people, I shower and put on makeup. Even if I'm not going anywhere (basically I never go anywhere) But it makes me feel more human than just staying in my pajamas. A bonus is that my husband thinks I do it for him. I do it for me.
I also refuse to feel guilty for buying myself things. I need new clothes more than my child needs the new Baby Gap winter line. She looks cute in anything, and she grows like a weed, so we buy her cute things on sale, and I buy me cute things (also on sale usually). While my clothes will last me a few years, hers will not. So it's an investment to buy new clothes for yourself. The mommy police aren't going to get you for spending money on yourself, but the fashion police might get you for wearing SpongeBob pajama pants in public (but they are so comfortable!)
And that is another mommyzilla trap. Comfort over looking like an adult. I don't know why, but it's like when you have a baby you are like oh 6ish months of elastic waists makes me never want to wear real pants again. So mommyzilla wears yoga pants as real pants. And not to yoga. No one takes you seriously when you are out in public dressed for bed. I'm all for comfortable pants lounging around the house, when you are going to bed, or watching TV.
You turn your TV onto kid's shows all day? I leave my TV on E! or Lifetime. Sometimes the news. I figure the APA or whoever says no TV til 2 anyway, so why turn on kid's TV before then. She can watch Grey's with me until then. And if I watch E! news I find out important things like Kim Kardashian is getting a divorce.
When hanging out with my friends, who these days are mostly moms, I try to steer the conversation away from our kids, Because honestly, no one cares about what your kid is doing as much as you do, and it's kind of boring. I'd rather hear about how you almost rammed some chick with your grocery cart. Or how you saw neighbors boning because they left their blinds open. When I'm with other adults I don't want to compare babies, I want to talk like an adult.
Facebook is also a good source of information for current events. I find out lots of things on there it's how I found out Osama was killed, we were pulling out of Iraq, Jessica Simpson is pregnant. etc. So facebook is awesome. On facebook I often update random things about my child, so it's baby central, but once in a while I throw something awesome in the mix like "Vagina Glitter" so people don't forget I used to be really really cool.
Because honestly, sometimes I forget I used to be cool when I'm making up songs about my kid's boogers. Then I realize, being cool to my kid is what counts, and she thinks it's cool for me to dangle her bink cord out of my mouth or when I take her snot sucker and pretend to use it on myself. But I'd like to think I'm staying cool under pressure of trying to be the best mom I can be.
Thanks for taking over for the day, Krista! Be sure to check out Krista's hilarious blog, ArmyWife-Style.
