I have often wondered which school of thought taught young girls “you can have it all”.  Simply put that is a myth! BUT it sure didn’t stop me from trying.

The month of September kicked my butt and in the process humbled me. I came back from maternity leave when Cora was 7 weeks old. It was also week one of the NFL season. I love covering the NFL and was excited to go back to work. I knew the schedule was going to be tough. Three games in eleven days. Two of those games on the road in prime time (which meant arriving home at 4am after the game).  And to wrap up the month, a road trip to Jacksonville. This is an exhausting schedule without kids, let alone a two-year-old and a 7 week old. 

I envisioned jumping right back to work with ease and why not? I always dreamed of being superwoman. First off I missed all of training camp so I had a lot of catching up and studying to do. Then there was the fact my clothes did not fit me. I gained 50 pounds with Cora and still needed/need to lose 15 pounds to fit into my clothes. It’s really fun when you are on television and need to find clothes that fit and look good *(sarcasm).  And how about still breast feeding. Which meant lugging a pump, pumping in the middle of the night, during halftime in a bathroom stall, getting ice from the team doctors and lugging 40 oz. of milk back – now THAT’S a good time *(more sarcasm).  Lets’ add finding childcare, keeping up with Coakley’s school and gym classes (which my very active boy needs), and on top of all of this my not so easy 2-hour commute. Oh and lets not forget the lack of sleep and did I mention the extreme guilt I was feeling?  So, NO there was NO ease in my easing back.

I realized quickly that 2 kids = 2xs the work (not sure how people do it with more – my mom had five – bless her heart!) I needed help and I needed to ask for help. Thank goodness for Scott, my mom, and my nanny. Without those three I would have thrown in the towel and moved to Greece (I still might move to Greece but not anytime soon).

I also learned that something is always going to give. I can’t always be perfect at my job, be a wonderful mom or a great friend. I can’t always have an idealistic figure, flawless kids (is that even possible?), and keep an impeccable house.  It’s just not possible. Despite what you see on social media – I am a hot damn mess. This past month there were tears, a lot of them, I questioned everything and lost my “sunny disposition” more times than I would like to admit. Right now, I’m just trying to stay afloat and be “good” at most things throughout my day. 

And for me being a good mom is at the top of the list, you don’t get a second chance at raising kids.   

So, for all you mothers out there, whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, you don’t have to pretend you have it all (together).  Instead just DO what YOU have to do to keep it together. And if things get really bad watch the movie “Bad Moms”, eat Twix bars and ice cream and remember the gift of tomorrow.