Of course, every new mom should recognize and celebrate and bask in her victories. In a baby’s first week at home, there are moments to take pride in and appreciate, to be sure. I mean, the mere fact that a baby is home is reason enough to throw all the parties and shout from the rooftops until your voice goes horse. Actually, hold up, that could complicate things a bit since, according to my birthing class instructor, a mom’s voice is recognizable to a newborn, so I’d hate to get in the way of that developing bond. Let’s stop just short of shouting and way before your voice goes, please. That would work better for everyone. (Plus, chances are the baby is sleeping.)
However, what’s funny about these victories is that they often give us (or, um, they gave me) the impression that everything is under control. Perhaps that was the case for other moms and they had motherhood down like bosses and from the very beginning, but for me I, um, didn't. My feelings of complete dominance over my new life as a parent never lasted very long, and even now that I have a two-year-old, I’m still learning and growing and adapting to this whole mom thing.
Those first achievements, while crucial and important to my transition to motherhood and in building up my confidence as a mom, did not mean that there weren’t plenty more experiences ahead that totally knocked me down a few (dozen) high chair rungs. In the end, you simply take the good with the bad and remember to remain humble. When you see another mom struggling and you're feeling like you are mistake-free, just remember that another foible is, inevitably, right around the corner.