Tag: motherhood

You see, before I had kids my plans were very rarely thwarted. I could wake up in the morning, make a plan and nearly will it into existence. My needs were nearly always the greatest director of my days. Now post kids, plans look a bit different these days.

But I think you’d be surprised there are ways to help and love a friend in need without taking all day to make a gourmet meal, or watching someone’s kids for a week straight.

Instead of seeing bags under my eyes, I see a mom who got to snuggle her babies when they were scared last night. Instead of seeing a body I dislike, I'm seeing a body that can accomplish what it needs to take care of her family everyday. I imagine this may be a constant battle, but mamas, it's a battle worth fighting.

Aren’t the 9 months of pregnancy just beautiful? Wait – there are actually TEN months of pregnancy?! Oh…well… aren’t the first 9 months of pregnancy just beautiful?

Are you not quite a Stay-At-Home Mom, not fully a Work-Outside-The-Home Mom, and yet also not technically a Work-At-Home Mom (mostly because you’re not home enough to get any of the work done)? If you’ve struggled to define your career status with one of the typical labels, you might be a Work-Anywhere-Possible Mom (WAPM).

Painful as it may be that I may not experience precious moments like these with another child, I am compelled to dwell not upon the bitterness of my motherhood passing me by. Rather, in realizing the brevity of motherhood, of life, I cannot help but surrender to the sweetness of each moment and give thanks for having experienced them at all.

Without warning, I felt the overwhelming need for a parenting mulligan - you know, a do-over, a fresh start, a second chance. Suddenly I questioned every single parenting decision that I've ever made. Normal, right?

In the very first second of meeting my baby girl, my heart dropped. The vision of what my daughter was going to look like wasn’t what I saw. The room became quiet, and everyone stopped.

Go Red For Women raises awareness of the danger that heart disease poses to women and helps empower women to make choices to reduce their personal risk. February is Heart Month, and we can all be a part of the solution for heart disease. By spreading awareness to the women you love, you are helping to save lives.

You might not be my first, but I promise I’ll love you just as much as I love your brother, and that I’ll feel exactly the same way I did when he was born: wondering how terribly boring and meaningless our lives must’ve been without you in it.