I always thought I’d be the mom that did everything right – my kid would sleep on a schedule, they’d eat vegetables, they’d behave in stores, etc., etc.

Then I had a kid and realized – I’m THAT mom, the one I always judged and said I’d never be like. But I decided today that I really don’t care.

My 15 month old is as stubborn as me and that’s a bad thing. He barely naps, we’ve made the habit of letting him sleep with us so now he wants nothing to do with his crib, he eats chicken nuggets and mac ‘n cheese, watches TV (at least it’s sports and news and not those trippy kid shows), and he throws tantrums like it’s his job.

But you know what, my son is amazing. He’s a very pleasant baby, always smiling and wanting to play, he loves other kids, and he’s insanely smart.

He lights up when hears rap music that Daddy likes, and dances like no baby I’ve seen when he hears Mommy’s dubstep music.

He is cooler than I could have ever imagined, way cooler than my husband and I, and he’s everything we could have ever dreamed.

At the beginning of your pregnancy, you think you have it all figured out. I swore I was too afraid to breastfeed, I wouldn’t get an epidural, blah blah blah.

When my water broke at 29 weeks and we didn’t even know if our baby would survive, all our plans got thrown out the window.

And after a miracle team stopped my labor and I spent the next five weeks on hospital bed rest, all I cared about was delivering a healthy baby boy and doing anything he needed.

I made it to the goal date of 34 weeks, was induced, and our 4 lb. 8 oz. preemie arrived on Easter Sunday. And you better believe I got that epidural.

He was a fighter from birth, and only spent three weeks in the NICU before we were able to bring him home. And breast milk was what my baby needed, and that’s what he got.

So I figure, I started off as a mom in a completely different way than I thought I would, so why worry about this little stuff now?

Every time I microwave processed food, or let him cuddle with me at 3 am, I remember that I’m proud to be THAT mom. Because, I’m just proud to be HIS MOM. Children are gifts and no matter if they nap two hours a day or know how to read at three, who cares?

Love your kids for each day and for each phase. I remember looking through the glass of the incubator at my little one hooked up with wires and IVs, thinking – I just want to hold him and keep him safe.

And that’s the same thought I’ll have for the rest of his life. I’ll support him no matter what, love him always, and try my hardest to be the best mom I can.

That’s what will make him the man I know he will become.