I got "nothing" done today, and I'm proud of it

Today I read a blog post titled, "New mamas get nothing done (And other untruths)" and it left me feeling really empowered. It was about how new mothers feel like they get "nothing" done because of how busy they are taking care of their baby all day. I don't know how many times I've felt like that. Justin sometimes comes home from class and finds me and Chad still in our pajamas, breakfast dishes on the table, a pile of dirty diapers in the corner, mountains of crumbs beneath the high chair, and toys all over the floor. He's usually too nice to say anything derogatory, but he does have a look sometimes that seems to ask, "What on earth have you been doing?"

The truth is, some days I really don't get anything productive done in terms of worldly value. I don't get my articles written for my freelancing jobs and I don't grade a single paper. But that doesn't mean I did "nothing." Take today, for instance. The following are some things I accomplished:

1. - Fed my baby a well-rounded breakfast of bananas, toast, and yogurt. Introducing him to good nutrition now could help him make good dietary decisions throughout his life.
2. - Read 4 board books about topics ranging from the sounds farm animals make to learning where your belly button is. They may not be classical literature, but the good experiences he has with reading now will influence his attitude towards reading in the future.
3. - Gave Chad a bath. He's not a huge fan of the water but he does like playing with bath toys. Bathing him is a fun mother-son experience I know I won't be able to have forever.
4. - Took selfies of the two of us with my phone. How fun will these memories be to look back on years into the future?
5. - Nursed and rocked my son. Breastfeeding has been hard, but so worth it. I know this effort I'm putting in now could benefit Chad's health for the rest of his life.
6. - Helped him fall asleep. He isn't great at falling asleep on his own yet, but he's learning. It would be lots easier on me to just rock or nurse him to sleep for every nap, but instead I've been making the effort to establish a routine, spend time helping him get drowsy, and then putting him down awake but sleepy. He usually cries for a couple minutes until he falls asleep, and I sit in my bedroom and listen, praying he'll fall asleep quickly while silent tears slide down my own face.
7. - Banged pots and pans together in the kitchen. It's Chad's favorite thing when I get down on the floor next to him and we explore what kinds of sounds we can make with plastic spoons and cups and pans. I'm not sure what benefit he's getting out of it, unless he grows up to be a drummer, but I know it helps us bond.
8. - Climbed up and down the stairs 3 times. He's getting really good at the climbing-down-backwards thing, but I'm still not comfortable giving him free access to the stairs. So I walk or crawl behind him as he goes up and down multiple times. Surely such exercise is helping strengthen his muscles and improving his motor skills and coordination.
9. - Let Chad play with his dinner. He made a horrible mess of his tray, his clothes, the floor, and his face, but he learned about textures and actually ate a few vegetables for once. That in itself was a minor miracle.
10. - Played peekaboo for 20 minutes. Chad never ceases to be entertained by this simple game, but I hope somehow it's reinforcing the idea that I won't ever truly leave him. I'm his mom now and forever and will never be far away.

That's just the tip of the iceburg of what "nothing" I got accomplished today. We also visited our next door neighbor because Chad tends to be a little happier when he gets to explore somewhere new, Chad recorded a video with my phone and I didn't realize it until after he'd recorded several of my funnier faces, we looked out the window at the snow, listened to music, danced around the living room, and went through daddy's suitcase he'd left open in the living room.

I haven't written a single article or responded to student emails. I only half loaded the dishwasher and did my makeup but not my hair. I've wanted to finish my book I'm reading for weeks and I'm not even halfway through with it yet. And yet, after reading that blog post earlier today, I can't feel like it's been a waste. Chad has had fun, enjoyed his mommy's attention, and I've made the most of one more of his fleeting days of babyhood. There will be more stressful days ahead, but the author of that article was right. You never regret the time you spend holding your baby. And I don't regret a single second of today.