The Perfect Mom

Someone told me yesterday that I'm a great Mom and actually asked me if I ever do anything wrong! I chuckled a little bit, because I am far from perfect at this Mom business. Feel free to judge me as you read the following post.

I let my baby watch cartoons. I don't feed her organic food. I even gave her Froot Loops once, just to see her reaction. I use regular lotions and sunscreens on her (not the chemical free stuff). I sometimes wake her from her naps so that I don't have to miss out on fitness classes and playdates. I do whatever it takes to get her to sleep (which usually means the swing for naps and rocking at night). I nurse her in the middle of the night even though I know she's not hungry. I stick her in her jolly jumper when I need to get stuff done. I put headbands on her even though they sometimes leave a mark on her head. I get frustrated with her when she tries to roll off the change table. I tend to read her the shortest books on the bookshelf. I don't clean her high chair everyday, even though it's frequently caked in food after a meal. I don't follow all of the food guidelines and I give her some foods before I'm supposed to. I lose my temper sometimes. I don't run to her when she bumps her head. I say "You're okay" at least 10 times a day. I am lazy in the mornings and sometimes listen to her talk in the monitor, instead of going in to get her. I dress her up like a doll so that I can get cute pictures. I keep her up past her bedtime if I have somewhere that I need to go. I let her chew on the remote and other germ infested objects.

See? I make mistakes. I do things that I shouldn't. You may have cringed reading some of the above things. However, then there are the things that I do right...

I give her a thousand kisses a day. I tell her that I love her all the time even though she doesn't know what I mean. I lay on the floor and play games with her. I cheer for her when she does something new. I sing songs to her. I am constantly snuggling her. I read to her every day. I take hundreds of pictures each month, so that I can re-live every special moment that we shared together. I miss her when I'm away from her. I am so proud of her. I think that she is perfect in every way. I do everything I can to make her laugh. I tear up over the silliest things, like when she lunges at me with a kiss. I would do anything I could to ensure that she never gets hurt. I wish I could shield her from the bad things (and people) in life. I try to be a good role model for her. I teach her new things. I take her outside. I introduce her to new people. I dance with her in my arms. I think that she is the cutest baby in the world. I wonder how I ever lived without her. I love her unconditionally.

In the end, I may not be a perfect Mom, but I'm Grace's perfect Mom. We're kind of like soulmates or kindred spirits. We're a great team. I will continue to make mistakes over the years and I will do things that I shouldn't. However, I can guarantee that I will never stop loving my baby girl. When all is said and done, that's the most important thing, right?