I feel like since I had my baby ( 9 months ago) all I am now is "Cardinal's Mommy." Have any of you felt/feel that way? He consumes my every waking minute, and I miss feeling like a person. 

Me, me!  My little man turns one on the 29th!

Hmm.  Can't really say I know the feeling.  :(  I went back to work when Wes was six weeks old, and I think that really helped me to still feel like "me".  Work is my getaway place, where I can just be around other adults, vent if needed, laugh at each other's stories, etc.  I also have an amazing mom who takes Wes one night a week so my husband and I have some time just to the two of us, and she's been doing that since Wes was about two weeks old.

What do you do to get "me" time?  Even if it just a few hours in the evening, it is important to have some time to yourself.  I know some people have been really appalled that I let my mom take my infant overnight, but I trust her completely and it refreshes me.  When I see him again, I don't care if he is cranky and screaming, I'm just happy to see him.  It really gives me that recharge I need to tackle the rest of the week.

I'm a new mom to my baby boy! He turns 2 months old in 2 weeks (: 

my boyfriend isn't around to help me out with him a lot since he is away at school so I'm on baby duty 24/7 with no breaks & really no help. Every now and then my mom is able to help me out though which gives me a decent break lol the only thing that is helping me keep my frame of mind of me being my own person is working out when he naps & when I'm no tired lol that is the biggest stress relief for me & helps me have a clear mind & recharges me too so I'm able to take on this little munchkin & everything else I have to do! When my boyfriend is home to help me it's a nice little break to because there are more arms to carry him besides just mine! & I have my parents watch him when they can so we get a night out too to reconnect and be ourselves without him with us (: I'm trying my best to keep myself in check with me being me and not just a mom, but if there is anything else you do that helps stay "yourself" please let me know too! Haha

Sundays he goes over to my in-laws in the afternoons, and several evenings a week as well. But I usually use that time to make dinner and get house work done so it doesn't really feel like a break. I make graphics to help me recharge, it makes me feel accomplished, and now that I have a computer that works most of the time I get onto HP and talk/train. And writting makes me feel super recharged, (I'm working on a novel right now) it's just diffacult to find the time to write. And my baby is adorable, and everyone loves him, but he's SO needy. He completely fits "the high-maintence' baby discription on Dr. Sear's site, and he wakes up 4-10 times a night. Every night. Having a baby is way harder then I thought it would be, but it's really nice to talk to other people, it makes me feel a little less crazy. haha. 

meh, i had a nice long reply typed up but then it logged me out when i tried to post it :( i'll try to just do a quick run down of it

I'm a stay at home mom to 6 yr old and 10 1/2 month old girls. It is very demanding! You have to pretty much be super mom. Cleaning, cooking, bathing, plus i have 2 dogs and 2 cats and ( a husband ) to clean up after as well :-P Find a routine that works for you. Dont try to do to much or over think things (which i catch myself doing A LOT) They aren't little forever. A messy house just means the kids had a fun day of play with full tummys ;) i would be concerned with him waking so much through the night. Have you talked to your pediatrician about it? That in itself can be stressful. My little one was waking up about once a night but i would get her a bottle and put her right back in bed. And even though I was only up for about a half hour, it felt like i hadnt slept at all. She is finally sleeping all night for about a month now and its amazing! You are not a bad mommy for letting your mom watch him on occassion! You need free time. I look forward to grocery day because that is my time to get away from the kids for an hour or so lol. Usually, after I get the kids to bed, I'll take a nice relaxing shower and wind down from the day. Then either get on HP and fiddle around or watch some "adult" shows. One can only take so many episodes of Bubble Guppies and Peppa Pig XD It will get easier though. As they get older, they will get more independant and pretty soon you will have a little helper instead of little and helpless ;)