Mom Guilt

Mom guilt... most moms have felt this at some point. That horrible pain you feel when you maybe don't spend enough time with your child/children or don't take advantage of every moment you have with them. I never thought as a semi stay-at-home mom I would feel this so often. I work part time and mainly from home when I do. I have been so blessed to be able to do this and I am so lucky that when I do go to the office, it is full of my family members. However, recently in the evenings I begin to reflect back on my day and what all was accomplished and how I spent my time...and too often I feel guilty. There are certain things that I feel the need to do everyday that do take time away from Hadley. Normally when I am doing these things/chores, she is playing on the floor or watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, her favorite show. A couple of months back she was not mobile so she would typically just lay there and I wouldn't have to worry about her getting into things if I was in another room of the house. Now, she is almost crawling but she is rolling and scooting all over the floor! It's such an exciting time with her, she is growing up so fast. Because she has been getting into things I am usually checking on her every minute, literally, she makes me a nervous wreck. Every time I check on her she seems to be doing the most adorable things and it pains me at times to walk away and go back to what I was doing. Some of my favorite moments with her are just sitting on the floor with her and watching her. She is so smart and is constantly learning new things every day, I just don't want to miss out on a thing. The times we spent together when she was a newborn were so special. I took advantage of every minute I had with her, whether she was awake or sleeping. Some of my favorite moments with her was just rocking her while she slept. I hardly ever put her down for naps. Now, it seems like I am so excited for nap time because it means I get a little break when I don't have to necessarily worry about her. Does this make me a bad mom?... absolutely not. My worry is that I will look back and feel an immense amount of guilt that I didn't take advantage of more moments with her. Was having a clean house every day worth it, could the laundry have waited a little longer, did I need to take time to do my hair and make-up, did I need to watch another episode of Gilmore Girls...I ask myself these questions everyday. I don't really have an answer either, not yet at least. I always knew I wanted to be a mom, it was something I craved for years. To have that kind of bond with someone is so special, it is best feeling in the world to be a mom. Every morning when she first sees me, she smiles from ear to ear and every morning it melts my heart. I'm not sure if I'll ever stop feeling the mom guilt, but my hope is at the end of the day to feel that I tried my best to spend every moment I had with her and make the most of it. So whether you're a working momma or a stay-at-home momma make the most of the time you have with your kiddo and try not to feel that mom guilt. We're all out here doing the best we can and we all do it differently and thats okay because thats what makes everyone special in their own way.