a new look.

This random memory came to me the other day. It was my best friend Taylor and I sitting in the hallway outside Impact youth group when a young mom walked by. I remember asking Taylor why it seemed like moms always look different and mommyish after they have kids. Dont get me wrong, this mom was still beautiful-there was just something different and older looking about her. I clearly recall telling Taylor that I thought we could stay "the same" even when we have kids. Ha!

Well, here I am. Ten years later and Ive turned into that mom that "looks different". Even a year ago, I would never have thought it could happen. But it did. SO....for all my twenty something, yet to have kids, friends out there--- I came up with a list of reasons (excuses) why moms get that mommy look. Im sure there are a million factors that play into this, but here are a few I could come up with :)

---babies like to put their messy, sticky fingers in your hair and pull really really hard. Solution-get a mom bob.

---limited time alone and away from baby means a highlight is always overdue.

---clothing budget for self gets spent on new baby clothes

---cute shirts with lace, beads, or ruffles get pulled on and looks ratty after only a few wears. gotta start thinkin practical.

---Modesty becomes more important...when you're constantly bending over and playing/crawling on the floor with baby, who wants to worry about what may or may not be showing?! This in turn makes waist bands on jeans higher, shirts longer, and v- necks non existent. *I should admit this has been the hardest one. I have yet to find a cute pair of citizen jeans that fit a mommy lifestyle. But I know, I know. The only thing worse than tapered, long butt mom jeans is a mom who bends over to change her baby's diaper and doesnt know her backside is hanging out.

---This one is a stretch, but those 3 or 4 extra pounds that just dont seem to go away can be blamed on breastfeeding and our body's need to keep a few extra calories around:) Once nursing is over though, I think I might have to find a gym with childcare :)

---A baby can only last so long in a stroller at the mall without becoming an embarrassment. Therefore, shopping consists of buying something fast and trying it on at home. I actually saw proof of this tonight as I tried to shop with Jackson. After only a half hour he started making grunting noises and about a minute later I knew exactly why. Gross Jackson. So gross.

So why you might ask. Why am I willing to throw the blanket of my youth away in exchange for mom hair, jeans, and boring crew neck tee's? Because it's those same sticky fingers that reach up in the air, longing to be held and taken care of. Without me, he's helpless. And somehow that makes me love him all the more. Perhaps that is how God looks at us. Messy, sticky, helpless, but totally able to be wiped off.