Messy Is Okay

After Allie was born a friend of ours came over for a visit and one of their first comments were about our home. How there wasn’t a space within it now that was not touched by us having a baby. And boy was that true then and even more true now that she is mobile. The home that was crafted with so much care has gone through a major makeover. You can’t throw a stick within our home and not hit something that belongs to our daughter. In the living room we’ve got toys and board books scattered all over the floor. Then you’ve got a bin of toys/distractions in our office/guest room. You’ve got her nursery. The guest bathroom with her tub, bath toys, and poop inspo wall. Don’t worry the pictures are printed in black and white while in sparkly frames, so it is very tasteful. Let’s move on to our bedroom, where there are rogue toys scattered everywhere. Then there's our closet where you can find a nose sucker and a ball within my hubby’s boots, because why not. Within the kitchen, if the multiple cabinet doors being left open isn’t enough of a giveaway, we’ve got mixing bowls, pots and pans, along with at least 3 pieces of a bottle displayed on the floor. Last but certainly not least is the dining room where there is a high chair and a floor that was clean, when it was cleaned.

There is not one aspect of our home that Allie has not touched and we would not change it for a minute. I am sure her impact within our home will change throughout the years as she grows. It already has changed so much in this last year. I will say it was much easier to keep her and her toys contained when all she could do was lay on her back or roll from side to side. Once Allie got mobile, so did everything else. 

Now my friend wasn’t making this comment in any negative way, at all. She was just commenting on how much of a change had taken place. And I am sure there have been people who have come to our home to visit the baby that may not agree with her impact touching every room within our home. That’s okay, it’s our home. To us Allie lives here with us and we don’t expect our impact within the home to be bound to one specific area or room so why should she. I love having Allie come with me anywhere I go within the house and honestly even if I didn’t, I don’t think I’d have much of a choice. That little girl loves to be with me and “helping me” with whatever I am doing. So I need to have things within each space that are safe for her to explore and play with, if even for a few minutes so I can fully use the bathroom. Running with my pants around my ankles because she has gotten silent and out of sight is an anxiety provoking experience that I don’t need within my day. I’ve got plenty of other options right now.

By having Allie be a part of all the spaces within our home, most of the time our home is cluttered and decorated by her stuff scattered everywhere. Another friend of mine has a great saying, “It was cleaned when I cleaned it.” I absolutely love this saying because that is my life right now. Almost everyday I vacuum our floor and Allie helps me put away her toys, but you probably would have no idea when you walked into my home. Allie is a little tornado that moves faster than you can blink, leaving a trail of toys wherever she goes. Being little her world is being developed through play and exploration, all of which is messy. I stressed when we first brought her home that every day I had to vacuum and mop the floors, along with getting all the dishes done, and keep everything as organized as possible. And do you know what that got me, a whole extra bonus of crazy and exhaustion, while being more preoccupied with the order of our home than the memories being made within it. I am doing better now, except for the dishes. I just love going to bed with a clean and empty sink, I don’t know why but I love it.  Otherwise I rest in knowing that our home is clean enough to be healthy and messy because it is lived in. I have also made peace that if someone doesn’t care for the way our home is kept, they don’t have to come over. We can always get together at your house or go for a walk. Momma’s you do what works best for you and your family. Keep your home healthy and safe but don’t stress over it looking perfect every moment of the day. No one and nothing is ever perfect, breathe, and enjoy making all those wonderful messy memories with your babies.