Cheers to Five Years as a Mom

By @LindsayPinchuk, Bump Club and Beyond Founder + CEO

And just like that, my first baby is no longer a baby. I have a five-year-old.

In what feels like the blink of an eye, the baby girl I brought home in the pink handmade knit hat from the hospital five years ago is a walking, talking, giggling, smart, funny, sassy, sometimes-shy, often outgoing, caring and loving, five going on fifteen-year-old.

I remember October 12, 2010 like it was yesterday, and will always remember the moment I first laid eyes on her. I became a mom and my life was forever changed. The unknowns of my pregnancy turned into the unknowns of motherhood. Every day brings a new feeling of awe, a new challenge to overcome — -even now. No matter how tired I was, or still am, one thing caught me by surprise on that night five years ago. I never, ever thought that I could feel the love I feel for her, for anyone. I never, ever thought that a little tiny being, or a toddling toddler, or sometimes smart-ass five-year-old kid, would ever fill my heart the way she has.

She made me a mom, and I’m fortunate that she’s mine.

As I write this on the eve of her birthday, it’s not just my daughter I celebrate tomorrow. Tomorrow also marks my fifth anniversary as a mom: a role I never quite understood until it applied to me. Some days I can’t believe I’ve made it this far. Let’s be honest, as sentimental as I am today, it hasn’t been all flowers, unicorns and rainbows. Being a mom is HARD.

It seems funny now to think how nervous I was to breastfeed and bathe her. She was so tiny, so fragile. Little did I know in those early days it was simply my job to feed her, love her, and protect her. But at the time it was uncharted and difficult territory. She may not be physically as fragile now, but her mind and heart are probably more delicate than her body was five years ago. Certain things have gotten easier, but new tests have replaced the old. I suspect that this is never going to change.

Today I was talking with a first-time pregnant friend and I told her how lucky she was that she had a birth day in her future. I explained that there were simply no words to describe that day, but that it was the best day ever. The moment you become a mom is one you will never forget — -one, five, ten, fifteen, a hundred years from now, I know that it will be with me always.

Tonight as we were getting ready for bed, she was going through the excitement of her day and her birthday party. She already seemed older, more mature. I made sure to get one last hug from my four and a half year old before she went to bed, an extra squeeze I will treasure always.

The days may seem long, but the years are short and tomorrow I will wake up with a five-year old in my midst. But tonight, as I write this and get ready to fill her bedroom with balloons, I do my own little dance, pat my back, and raise my glass to myself and to my life as her mom. I never thought I could be so lucky.

Happy 5th Birthday Baby Girl. Thank you for making me a mom, thank you for making me yours.

@LindsayPinchuk is the CEO and Founder of Bump Club and Beyond. She started Bump Club and Beyond (@bumpclubchicago) nearly six years ago when she was pregnant with her first daughter (pictured here.) Bump Club and Beyond now hosts events in twenty cities across the country. BCB’s mission is to connect moms and moms-to-be with the best information, resources, products, experts and each other, both online and through dozens of premier events. Lindsay lives in Chicago with her amazing husband, two incredible daughters and their super dog, Cooper. Check out their website or follow Lindsay and the other incredible contributors on their BCBits Blog.