What Happens When a Type A Person Mellows Out

Well, let's be honest. I'm not completely mellow. I still get extremely hot and bothered when my patients aren't roomed on time. Or when I've addressed a patient's laundry list of issues, have other patients backed up, and have my hand on the doorknob only to hear "oh, one more thing...." I still freak out when I've gone too many days in a row without exercising (which happens a lot more now with the little one). I was so enraged by a bad massage I recently got that I nearly started to cry during (yes, face down, head in the cradle, fighting back tears). I'd like to blame that one on the hormones, though.

So, yes, in many ways I'm still the same ol' crazy me (I recently told my husband that I estimate that 70% of the time everything I say to him is right on, and the other 30% is pretty irrational). But not a day goes by now in mamaland when I don't think to myself, "Hmmm. That is not the way I used to do/think/say that." And the real kicker is that I can harken back to a time not too long ago when I used to (secretly) judge people (ok parents. ok moms.) who used to do/think/ say whatever it is that I just did. It is times like those when I step back, eat my humble pie, and realize how much I've changed in these past 5 months. And that this kind of change, the mellowing out, is absolutely essential to survival as a new mom.

A few examples:

I used to hear new parent friends say how they didn't go on a babyless date for nearly 8 months after the birth of the first child. I thought to myself "those people are crazy. We would never be like that." Well, here we are at 5+ months, and I just got up the nerve to figure out a babysitter so we can have our first date.

I became the parent on the airplane with the screaming baby (see previous post for more details).

I'm the Green Laker stroller walker mom that get in the way of joggers. Those clueless moms used to really get my goat in my past life when I ran.

I used to see kids having tantrums in public spaces and was sure this was a result of faulty parenting (ok, I don't have a toddler yet, but I'm already sure 98% of the time those tantrums could not have been prevented by a change in parenting style.).

So, it is that I'm more mellow? Or just different now as a mom? I'm not sure. I'd like to think that I've become more empathetic and patient and less judgmental in my new role. That is, unless you cut me off while driving or pay with a check in front of me in the grocery store....