I Love Being a Mom, But There Are 4 Things I Miss About My Pre-Baby Life

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I don’t regret becoming a mother. Though the early days were hard and the nights long, one look at my sweet baby’s face is all I need to remind me why I chose the path of motherhood. It’s far from being sunshine and rainbows all the time, but the rewards outweigh the difficulties by a mile.

That being said, there are a few things I still miss about my pre-baby life and plenty of things I wish I had spent more time doing and appreciating.

For any expecting moms out there, I strongly encourage you to make a baby bucket list of things you want to do before baby arrives. And no, “stocking up on sleep” certainly isn’t one of them.

The first thing I wish I did more of? Nothing.

I mean that literally. I wish I took the time to just sit on my couch all day and stare blankly at the TV. People told me to relax before baby came, but no one told me how much I'd miss staring off into space. I’ve always been a busy person and happily commit myself to going out with friends or family. Now, there is literally something every weekend, and I miss the days of aimless lounging.

The second thing, admittedly, directly contradicts the first: I wish I also took more spontaneous day trips.

True spontaneity is lost when a child comes around because there is no just picking up and going — it’s picking up and packing for at least 45 minutes. I wish I knew how much I should have savored those random little joys.

I wish I went to the movies more often.

Going to the movies doesn’t mean just picking a time and going anymore — it means finding a babysitter, praying the movie doesn’t run late so you can get back in time, and generally losing a lot of money by the end of the evening.

I wish I indulged more in my hobbies.

I love painting and drawing and crafting, and although nothing about motherhood necessarily prevents me from doing those things, I’m too effing tired to be creative.

Although you do give up a lot in becoming a mother, you end up gaining so much more — but savor the months of being childless too, because life is definitely going to change.