As I gear up to bid farewell to another trip around the sun, I thought it would be fun to share 24 things I have learned in the past year. Honestly this year has been full of so many incredible moments, like once in a lifetime moments, that I am not sure how a year could be better than this. Being pregnant, becoming a mom, and becoming a wife all in the span of a year means there is so much to reflect on and celebrate. So today, as I soak in the last day of 24, let me share with you the top 24 things, in no particular order, I’ve learned in the past 365 days of this crazy thing called life.
1. Starting a business with a blog is fucking HARD work
Starting a business in general is hard, but starting one that may have different opinions than people close to you is really fucking hard. Writing a blog, for someone who is not innately a copywriter, has been difficult but I have learned so much in the process. I’ve embraced the progress over perfection model, and continuing to learn as I go.
Get ready for a podcast though, because talking is definitely more my style and what I’m best at. Always have been a talker, so might as well put it to good use, right?
2. Do the things that make you happy
I’m talking about the little things here. For me it’s picking up pasture raised eggs, raw milk, and grass-fed beef from local farmers. If you love going to get coffee, then do it, because spending $5 on a coffee once a week is never going to amount to a down payment on a house, so do the things that make you happy and bring you joy.
3. Swapping out household items to create a lower toxic household may not create immediate results
Plastic containers to glass, normal to organic/grass-fed/raw/pasture raised food, better diapers and wipes, the swaps go on and on. It may not change how you feel or look overnight, but making better choices in your household is a long-term game.
4. Homemade anything is definitely better
Whether it’s dinner, snacks, drinks, even soap, there is nothing quite like the satisfaction of making things from scratch. Knowing exactly what goes into your food and body is priceless. This last year I’ve taken on making our own almond milk, granola, and of course continuing to make everyone’s birthday cakes. Homemade always wins.
5. I loved being pregnant, like truthfully loved it and kinda miss it
I adored growing our baby and feeling him kick inside me. Was it uncomfortable at times? Sure, but nothing beats the feeling of the bump and I sure miss it this summer.
6. Want to find your purpose? Have a baby, I’m serious.
I heard this on the Chasing Excellence podcast last week and it hits home so hard for me this year. In the last 7.5 months I’ve learned more about myself and what sets my heart on fire, than I have in the last 23 years. Turns out, working late hours and hitting the gym daily at 5am isn’t as important as being present with my family. Who would’ve thought?
7. Childbirth changes you and your partner
I know, I know everyone says child birth changes you, but it really does. I marvel in what my body is capable of after going through child birth. I learned a lot about myself in those very quick 8 hours. It also changes your partner too. Noah was the best partner during the process and literally did anything and everything without hesitation. He wasn’t all onboard for a home birth with all the uncertainty around it, but now he says he would never do it any other way. Birth is an experience that will transform you as an individual, but even more so as a couple.
8. Motherhood is the greatest joy, but also the most frustrating job I have ever done
I love being a mom more than ANYTHING I have ever done in my life, but it has also been the most frustrating job I have ever done. Not knowing what’s wrong or what he wants or how I can solve the problem is extremely frustrating at times, especially on lack of sleep. But honestly, motherhood has brought me more joy than I could’ve ever imagined.
9. Patience is a lot harder than I thought
When you’re running on 4 hours of sleep, haven’t showered in days, the house is a mess, there’s piles of laundry to be folded the smallest thing can drive you nuts. Like the way your husband says a word can be set you off. I’ve learned that taking a deep breath before responding can work wonders. It is a work in progress, but hey, we are all in this together
10. Coffee was made for rough nights
I loved coffee before I had a baby, but I have a deeper appreciation for coffee after a baby. Baby up all hours of the night? Coffee is definitely the answer in the morning. But not until I’ve had some food, because coffee on an empty stomach is a recipe for disaster. 😆
11. The love you feel for your spouse on wedding day and the days after is unreal
Getting married was like nothing I have ever experienced before, it felt like a fairytale. The love in my heart for Noah on our wedding day and the days after is something I have never felt before and gosh it was such a beautiful feeling. Now I understand what they mean when they say “honeymoon” stage.
12. There are so many details to a wedding, and you’ll probably still forget something on wedding day
There are so many little freaking details for a wedding it’s crazy to think about. But no matter how much planning you do, I assure you that you will forget something or something will not go to plan on wedding day, and honestly it will be ok. I forgot my slippers for getting ready, the music was messed up when our sons walked down the aisle and when we exited, and I have virtually no “getting ready” pictures with my girls. But you know what, it’s ok because 5 years from now I won’t remember any of that shit.
13. Weddings are fucking expensive
Like really expensive. Let’s be real, I’ll be paying off our wedding for like the next 3 years of our life. Was a great day? Absolutely. Did I enjoy it? Sure did. Do I regret any of it? Not one bit. But damn weddings are expensive
14. You can still be successful if you don’t wake up at 4am
Before having a baby I religiously woke up at 4am to start my day and go to the gym by 5. After becoming a mom, I felt like a failure for not being able to do this anymore. Letting go of that expectation was the best thing I ever did. Life as a mom got a whole lot better when I stopped pressuring myself to get things done before our baby woke up.
15. You don’t have to go to the gym every day for results
Piggybacking off the last one, I used to go to the gym 5-6 days a week before I had a baby. Once the baby arrived I beat myself up for not being able to get back to that schedule. But here’s the deal: the QUALITY of your workouts are more important than the QUANTITY. So now I go to the gym 3 times a week for anywhere from 1-1.5 hours, so 3-4.5 hours TOTAL a week. I focus on maximizing my time there. And you know what? I am still lifting similar weights to what I did pre-baby!
16. The love and respect you have for your mom changes once you become one
My mom and I have had our fair share of disagreements and butted heads more than I can count, but the love and appreciation I have for her grew tenfold the instant I became a mother. Our relationship has become stronger than ever in the last 7 months and I am so grateful for that.
17. Going with the flow is good for my soul
I tried to put Theodore on a schedule early on because schedules work best for me, and man was I an awful mom. I had so little patience when he wouldn’t “follow my schedule” or “do what he was supposed to do”. But once I let go and started going with his flow, embracing routines instead of rigid timeframes, I became the best mom I could be for him.
18. Seeing your parents become grandparents is a whole new level of joy
There is something absolutely magical about seeing your parents hold and interact with your baby. It fills you with indescribable happiness. Watching my parents with Theodore has become one of the greatest joys in my life. I can’t wait to see their relationship and bond grow over the years.
19. Your photos will drastically increase the moment you have a baby
I only had about 4000 photos from 2016-2022 on my phone. But ever since Theodore has been born I’ve DOUBLED the amount of photos on my phone in a matter of 7.5 months. So if you’re about to have a baby, make sure your phone has lots of storage available. Trust me, you’ll need it for the 20 photos and videos you will take each day.
20. Snacks are a girl’s best friend when breastfeeding
I’m a sucker for snacks, but breastfeeding has made them critical in my life these days. I eat 6-7 times a day just to keep up with the metabolic demands of breastfeeding, and honestly some days I am STILL hungry.
21. PSA: Getting anywhere with a baby takes at least 15 extra minutes
The first time I tried to take Theodore anywhere I was 30 minutes late. I am NEVER late anywhere so this drove me crazy. I now know I need to plan to leave 15 minutes earlier than what I actually need to, and I will maybe get out the door on time. 7.5 months in and still trying to figure out how moms get anywhere on time, please teach me your ways.
22. No matter how little sleep you’ve gotten, nothing compares to your baby’s smile in the morning
It is pure magic. There is no greater joy in my life than waking up and seeing my baby’s smile. Even after a night of waking up every hour on the hour, that smile is the greatest thing I have ever laid eyes on and it solves all problems.
23. Making different choices is ok, but people may think you’re “crazy”
Having a home birth, not vaccinating our child, choosing not to put him in daycare, not sleep training him, the list could go on and on with what we have chosen to do differently. Do our friends and family judge us or disagree with us? Probably, but that’s ok because he is not their baby to raise. We can sit on opposite sides of the fence and still be friends or family. Choosing a path less traveled is usually not popular, hence why it’s the path less traveled. When you decide to venture off the beaten path, people might question, judge, and disagree with you. But remember, you chose this path for a reason. At the end of the day, we all are doing what we think is best for ourselves and our families.
24. Secret Time: You can change your mind whenever you want
Seriously, it’s allowed! When I was pregnant, I swore up and down I would never let our baby sleep in our bed. Well a few sleepless nights, I realized that sometimes he just needs to be close to me. So occasionally co-sleeping is a thing when necessary for both of us to get a good night’s sleep. Remember, just because you firmly believe something today, doesn’t mean that you can’t change your mind down the road if it no longer works for you.
Let’s Wrap This Shit Up
Wow 24 has been quite a ride, honestly I don’t know if there will be a better year than this last one. I have learned so much about myself and life in the last 365 days and I’m thrilled to see what the next year has in store for me. Cheers to another year around the sun, countless memories waiting to be made, and a whole bunch of lessons yet to be learned.
With love,
