This past weekend was…weird. We had the inauguration of our 45th President and we had millions of people protesting. There were a lot of times when I wondered what year it was.
And let me be clear in stating, it’s not because I think President Trump is about to set up back 50 years.
I found myself really angry at certain points this weekend. Watching the Women’s March stirred up a part of me that I knew was there, but thought it was better kept hidden.
Because here’s the thing.
Abortion is that hot button for me.
It’s that one issue that I’m more likely to get red in the face trying to battle. I hate it. I h a t e it. I pray every day that it would eventually not be a think. Which side note, last year there was the lowest number of abortions ever. PRAISE JESUS.
Most times when I think about it, I can’t even believe it’s a real thing.
Killing (because yes that’s what happens) a tiny human before they even have a chance to see this big and beautiful world.
Here’s what kills me even more. The top two reasons for abortions is: can’t afford a baby, women don’t want the child.
WHAT IN THE ACTUAL….you can finish that sentace with whatever word you want.
How anyone wouldn’t want a tiny human is beyond me. BUT. It’s happening.
So I’ve been thinking a lot about my role in all this. Because yes, I have one. As a woman I want to start doing more. Sonny and I currently donate $30 to Save The Storks.
You can read more here, and here about this amazing organization.
I realize that we live in a country where we get to do more. We don’t have to just sit back and let the voices of those that are so loud, and often times obnoxious make the decisions. I also realize that I need to be quiet enough so that I can see more of the other side. As painful as that might be. Because the only way things are going to change, is to come together.
And to love on one another.
What this actual means for me, I have no idea. But I’m going to figure it out through a lot of prayer and listening.
This weekend is the March for Life in DC. Will it be covered by the news like the women’s march was? I doubt it but I’m praying it will.
I’ll be cheering everyone on there and wishing I could go.
Maybe I’ll march around my neighbor hood.
I’d march for my beautiful daughter.
I’d march for the women wondering what other options there are besides abortion.
I’d march for the tiny humans that God has created in His image before they were even formed in their mothers womb, to get a chance.
I’d march for a change in heart for any leaders who don’t believe a human in the womb has any rights.
I’d march for the generation of pro lifers that’s rising up.
I’d march for the babies. The beautiful baby girls and boys who deserve a chance.
If you haven’t seen What to Expect When you’re Expecting, you need to.
Let’s just get right to the point. I think we put an immense amount of pressure on new and more importantly, first time moms to breast feed. I remember when I was pregnant reading articles, Facebook posts, and comments left by other moms straight up shaming women who didn’t breast feed their kids.
Ya’ll. I can’t.
Breastfeeding is hard. Like really, freaking hard. I honestly don’t think there’s any way a woman can mentally prepare for all that. It’s just so much.
I was lucky enough to breast feed Em for six months. Now, let me give you all the facts. Home girl could eat. Around a month we started to give her formula at night, which I’m not even ashamed to admit made her sleep longer, which was the point. I exclusively breast fed her, no pumping for about four months. And I’ll be even more honest here and say I didn’t love it.
After four months, I started doing every other feeding with formula and finally started pumping. Why I didn’t pump as much before, I’m not sure. Maybe some where I honestly thought that it really was just “Breast is Best”.
I was tired. And also hungry all the time.
I had made the goal before Em was born to make it six months so it was really important to me to keep that. And I did. But leading up to it, I just knew she was done. It was that motherly intuition kicking in again.
I’m more than happy to relay to you that I have a happy and very healthy one year old right now. Formula and all.
I wish I could ban all those mean moms from the Internet. You know, the one’s that think you need to birth your kids at home and that breast feeding is the only way they can survive. They’re the kind that nurse their kids until their old enough to ask for it. Which I’m also not ashamed to say I think is weird.
I’m done with the idea that you’re not a true mother unless you have that bond with your baby.
False. You’re a mother the first time you hold that bundle of joy. Whether you birthed them at home, at a hospital, in the backseat of a car, or you didn’t even birth them yourself. You are a mother.
So you know best.
Which means if feeding your baby formula is what’s best, than do that.
I’m not ashamed to admit that while I loved (and at times miss) that first nursing session with my girl in the morning, I do not miss trying to cover myself up and do it at dinner. I do not miss trying to figure out where the next stop would be so I could climb in the back and nurse her. I’m not ashamed to admit that I didn’t totally over the moon love breast feeding.
Also not ashamed to admit that I’m mad I didn’t keep going just to loose the baby weight. Don’t judge me. You know what I’m talking about.
I have bonded with Emily far more doing other things than breast feeding.
There I said it.
Now here me here. For those of you mamas who can breast feed to that year mark, I am applauding you! As long as you aren’t the mean kind 😉
But I just think we all need to come together and support each other on this. Whether we do it or we don’t. Whether we choose to…or we don’t. Whatever the choice is that you’re making for your baby is the best.
I feel like every time I get on Instagram a mama friend, or blogger I follow is sharing a picture of their too cute babe with a caption about how they aren’t sleeping. Whether it’s teeth, or being a newborn, or just…dare I say, being a baby.
Here’s the thing though.
I’ve got a sleeping babe.
And have had a sleeping babe since she was a month old.
GOSH THAT FEELS GOOD TO SAY.
In all honesty, I’ve almost been afraid to say that online. Thinking I had some miracle sleeping child. Maybe I do. Maybe it’s just being really blessed. Or lucky. Or good juju. Whatever it is. I’m thankful.
I 100% do not claim to be a sleep expert. By any means. But. I’ve come up with a couple tips to get that babe sleeping. They might work, they may very well not work.
#1. Feed that baby.
Ok, I know this sounds stupid. But. At around a month old we started to give Em formula at night (I think it was like 4 oz). It was usually around midnight and she slept through the night for six hours. And continued to do so.
Here’s what needs to be said. Sometimes your breast milk isn’t enough.
GOSH. THAT feels good to say too.
Mine wasn’t and I knew that. Giving her formula filled her up for night time and ensured a good nights sleep. Now. If you’re milk is enough. Way to go mama! I’m jealous.
#2. Give the swaddling a rest.
News flash: some babies hate to be swaddled. Case in point, Emily. We got away with it for a couple weeks when she was a newborn, but unless we put her in a suit thing, she busted right out. My mom told me one time, “They’ve been cramped up for nine months, who wants to be squished all the time when they can finally move those limbs”. Point taken, mother. I do think that the first couple weeks works, but once Em became more aware of things it was a no go. So don’t think you have to swaddle your babe just because the book tells you too.
#3. Put baby on their belly.
I know. I know. I KNOW. This isn’t what they tell you to do. But this was our lifesaver. Once Em could move her head back and forth and up and down, which was about a month, we put her on her belly to sleep. The problem was that our little wiggle worm didn’t like to be swaddled, but then would wake herself up from moving her arms and legs.
I’ll be 100% honest with you and tell you it scared the crap out of me. And I lost a lot of sleep those first couple of days checking on her every ten minutes. But the first night we did it she slept for almost nine hours, and was a little over a month old.
Side note. You were probably put on your belly to sleep too. GASP.
#4. Get a noise machine.
I always remembered my sister had one for my niece and after reading (very little) about it, decided it was a good call. Babies are used to noise from being in the womb, so why stop that when they get out?
#5. Created a schedule as early as possible.
Some people seriously disagree with this one. Thinking that babies don’t know whats going on until 5-6 months old, so creating a schedule is useless.
Nay.
Babies are fully aware of night and day time. Yes, when Em was a new born she got her “night time bottle” at midnight, but eventually we worked that earlier and earlier and now we’re on a serious schedule. Which is sanity to me. If you get a solid 4 hours from your babe, make that four hours make sense. 2-6. 1-5. 3-7. Start early with a schedule, and stick to it!
#6. Create a nighttime routine.
This grew as Emily did. When she was a newborn, there wasn’t really the process of getting into jammies or a bath. But now that she’s older it’s just about the same thing every night. A bath, into jammies, and sometimes Sesame Street depending how long we have. We’ve created a really tight schedule with her so bed time is a hard 7 these days. And I don’t under any circumstances let that change. We plan our days around this 7:00 bedtime. If we go out to dinner, we go out earlier now. The littlest things can throw a baby off from a schedule. So I don’t even want to try and see what happens if we did.
#7. Make day time light and night time dark.
I feel like this might be a no brainer but I guess it’s not. During the day, when baby is awake, open the blinds. Use natural light. When it’s night time, turn some lights off. Create a setting that allows for sleep.
#8. Let them cry.
Again, I know. I KNOW. This isn’t popular. And quite honestly it sucks. Em does this for naps a lot. But. It’s worked for us. We’ve let her cry for a good 20 minutes before and out she goes. You’re the mama, you know a tired baby when you see one. Sometimes during the day for her naps, I just have to put her in her crib and walk out. Most of the time she talks to herself for a couple minutes, sometimes she cries. But she always falls asleep.
#9. Do what works for YOU.
Which may not be a single thing I’ve said. Or your mom says. Or that stupid baby book. I know women who have EIGHT MONTH OLDS that still don’t sleep more than 4 hours at a time. To that woman I say, I’m praying for you. Because I would loose my mind. If having that babe sleep with you works, go for it. If they keep waking up, maybe you should move them into their own bed…and room. If making sure the fan, noise machine, and clock ticking is what makes them sleep, go for it.
#10. NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING BABY. NO MATTER WHAT Again. I start this off by saying that I feel like this is a no brainer. But evidently it’s not. I was given advice more than once to wake Em up to feed her or change her because she slept so long at such a young age. NO FREAKING WAY, MAN. If your baby is hungry…they’ll wake up. Even at the hospital the first night the nurse didn’t wake her up to feed her. I promise your baby won’t starve. Cross my heart. When I hear women say they wake their babies up to feed them I want to shake them. STOP DOING THAT. Seriously. And if your baby sleeps so long through the night like Em does, start them in night time diapers earlier on.
I put that one in all bold because it’s so important.
Sleep is just as important for you as it is for them.
If you’re reading this and think I’m full of crap. I have absolutely no problem with that. If you think some of these might help, then yay!
But this worked for me. And this is the face I get every time this kid wakes up:
And if you have any other suggestions, let me know!
Here’s to sleeping children!
By far the hardest picture to get. Mommy tried it alone, and obviously had some trouble. Notice the finger prints at the top. But ya’ll. I just can’t with this kid.
A PINK TUTU BATHING SUIT?!
+Em is a pro Army crawler. I think she’d totally win one of those Iron man contest. Just the part where they crawl through the mud though. I’ve tried so hard to get those knees and arms up buuuuut, she’s kinda lazy. It’s so much fun to watch though. And she’s really quick these days too.
+We started swim lessons! This was something I was super adamant about. The girl who comes is so sweet, even though Em screams through about half of it. Which I’m told is better than most. And it’s not a scared yell, it’s a “Hi, I’m annoyed” yell. She’s learning how to float on her back and be comfortable in the water. Which she totally is.
+We’re slowly moving away from baby food and onto actual food. Frozen veggies are amazing and so easy. They already come cut up, so boom. Lunch. We usually have oatmeal or her favorite, a waffle in the morning. She loves watermelon, and every couple of days will eat some blueberries. But the girl loves her veggies. No complaints here. Corn, green beans, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, you name it she loves it.
+Em has four teeth. Two on the top and two on the bottom. The top ones are my favorite because they have a little gap in the middle. It’s the cutest thing ever.
+This girl can talk. Every time she gets going Sonny and I can’t stop laughing. I really think someone needs to invent something that translates baby talk so we can understand what they’re saying. Someone at NASA, I’m looking at you. We still haven’t said mama yet…and I’m still totally fine with it. I’m fine. Really, I’m fine.
+Eats her toes. Which is yes, both totally weird and hysterical all at the same time.
I honestly thought I was about five months behind on doing this, so props to me.
+She is such a weirdo. If you follow me on snapchat {megwestmoreland} then you know. But it makes me laugh, and I know exactly where she gets it from.
+”Dada” finally came out. It’s fine though. I carry you for nine months, push you out of my body, but you say dada first. It’s cool, no problem.
+Try as she might, the crawling thing hasn’t happened yet {ok technically as I write this she’s army crawling but this is month nine, so be patient}. She gets on her belly and flops around like a fish out of water.
+Any time Em is in her walker all I think about is that commercial from the 90’s with the baby in the walker. It’s racing around the house. Which is kinda what she does. Except she’s stuck in the dinning room, she’s got a lot of room.
+Her personality is shining through more and more, and I can tell this kid is going to be a bit of a diva. I laugh at her when I take something from her she shouldn’t have and she yells. Like, dang girl. Chill. She is my child.
+Elmo is her new bff. Sesame Street is the new go to around here and when ever Elmo comes on the screen she gets the biggest grin on her face. I’ll be out buying any thing and everything Elmo if you need me.
+Still sleeping like a champ, had a couple rough weeks. But let’s just hypothetically say mommy let her take a three hour nap one day and that’s what started it all. #imanidiot
+Em still only has two teeth and because I’m a first time mom, food freaks me out. But I’m trying. Baby food is no problem, but we’ve given her some “big people” food too. She loves watermelon, can tolerate strawberries, and loves anything mommy is eating. I’ve been giving her little bites of whatever I have sometimes, such as licking cheese of my finger from my Shake Shack cheese fries. #momwin
I can’t believe we’re closer and closer to one. Still asking, how do I make her stop growing?
I swore I’d never share an ultra sound picture of my child on the internet because I just had this weird feeling about it. Kind of like, I haven’t even met you, why does the world get to.
But lately, things are changing my mind.
Here I am at our eight week ultrasound (crying my eyes out), getting to meet our sweet baby girl for the first time (although we didn’t know who she was yet). I remember going into the ultrasound full of every emotion God created me with. I was so excited to finally see my little peanut, to see her squirm around on the screen. I was 100% nervous too. Was everything ok? And the thought every mother to be has, how many are in there!?
Seeing this little bean sized human moving around on the screen is a moment I’ll never forget. Which is why more women who are abortion minded need to see their little beans moving around too.
Insert Save The Storks.
Actually, let’s back up a little.
I met my friend Ashley blogging a couple years ago. She was funny, sarcastic, and loves Jesus. Three things I use to describe myself. She also had this passion behind her for everything she wrote about, and I loved that.
I got to meet Ashely in real life shortly after, and actually flew home from the Influence Conference right next to her. We talked so much during that hour and a half flight, and I remember being so grateful for this friendship.
A short while ago Ashley and her hubby (who I also got to meet, also a super cool dude) made the decision to stop their current lives, move to Colorado and have Jesse work for Save The Storks, a non-profit. Her story is incredible, and when you’re done here hop on over to her blog to read more.
Something stirred up in my heart when Ashley shared this news. Giving up a solid job and your whole life as you know it, to move to a completely different state? This organization had to be a big deal.
And it is.
Save The Storks partners with pregnancy resource centers all over the nation to provide them with powerful tools and training so they can more effectively reach and serve abortion-minded expectant mothers.
They’re changing the pro-life movement. And I’m honored to be a part of it.
Save The Storks have mobile medical buses that they use to get to women who are in need. They park near college campuses and abortion clinics, making it so easy for women to get to them. Save The Stork doesn’t expect women to come to them…they go to them.
Local pregnancy centers offer an incredible service for expectant mothers, but many women don’t even know they exist. Save The Storks partners with these centers and provide the resources they need to get closer to those who need their services. The Stork Bus minimizes the distance between pro-life professionals and women who most need them.
I’ve always been pro-life. Abortion has never sat with me well. Maybe it was growing up in the church, and believing with all my heart that God forms each one of us in our mothers womb. Maybe it’s because I’m a Republican. Maybe it’s because I just don’t get them. I don’t understand the fact that this is a thing. A woman can get pregnant and then just decide she doesn’t want the baby.
But having Emily just stirred up a piece of my heart I didn’t know existed. Carrying this tiny human for *almost* nine moths was a gift. One that I do not take for granted. I remember the first time I felt her kick and wiggle around in there, and now thinking that some women just don’t want that.
Here’s the thing. I want to change your mind if you’re pro-choice. I want women to realize that there are so many more options than having an abortion.
I’m not going to go into when life starts (at conception), or the argument of women’s rights (what about that baby girl?). What I am going to do, is state some facts.
84% of women who have had abortions, say that didn’t have all the information they needed before they chose an abortion.
4 out of 5 women who get on a Stork Bus choose life after seeing their tiny babe on an ultrasound.
Less than 1% of abortions happen because of rape or incest.
21% of women who get abortions say it’s because they aren’t financially ready.
16% of women who get abortions say it’s because their life would change too much.
I literally can’t with the second one.
Every 30 seconds a baby’s life is taken by abortion.
A human heart begins to beat at 6 weeks. *Correction by some sweet readers, it’s actual 3-4 weeks, about 18 days from conception. Which is even crazier!
At 8 weeks old, babies facial features become more pronounced, their ears, mouth, and nose are recognizable.
13% of abortions happen during week 8.
Save The Storks isn’t looking to defund anyone, or change any laws. They don’t picket or hold up hateful signs. Their trying to make these abortion numbers get to zero.
I get that if you’re pro-choice, you believe it’s because it’s your body, and this is a choice you get to make. My only question, is that have you thought about all the women who can’t have babies? Who have tried for years, only to see negative after negative sign. Who now only have adoption as an option. I get that giving up your body for nine months is a lot, been there done that. But what if one woman, could give another woman the one thing she wants more than anything in the world. Talk about girl power. Adoption rocks, and we need to have more people campaigning for babies and adoption.
Here’s the thing though. No matter what “choice” you make…there is no condemnation in Christ. He see’s you and He loves you. Sure, sometimes this debate get’s heated. I sure as heck can get rather feisty about it…but it’s because I’m so passionate about saving babies.
And so is Save The Storks. They’re out to love on women no matter what’s going on. They want to educate and pray for women who are in need. Because that’s what Jesus did.
Check out this video.
I would love love love if you joined Sonny and I in donating $30 a month to Save The Storks. To giving these beautiful women an option besides abortion. To love on them, to give them a place to feel safe in their time of need. This $30 a month for a year saves a woman and her baby from the heartache of abortion. You can also get this amazing shirt. Click here to donate.
Friends, I am begging you to join with me. I promise you that choosing life is so much better. I’ve got the cutest kid in the world, she brings me more joy than I ever thought possible…but what if I had made a different choice?
God is good ya’ll. We can change things. Lets love these women, and save these babies.
I’m sitting here watch you in your ExerSaucer (moms if you don’t have this, run don’t walk and go get it) and I can’t get over how grown up you are already.
Watching you figure out how things work, is both comical and amazing. You’re figuring out this world, one button at a time.
You’ve got quite the personality on you, and at seven months (how is THAT possible?!) I can’t wait to watch it grow even more. You’re a tiny human now. You’re moving and walking in that walker. It makes me both sad to the point of tears, but also so thankful I get to watch you grow.
You’re teething like crazy, so anything you get your little hands on goes right into your mouth. We’ve spent an absurd amount of money on teething toys but your favorites are the odd things I find that are safe for you. Like basing brushes, or containers, or bracelets. You do you, girl.
You love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. You smile when he comes on and you can’t get enough of that Hot Dog Dance.
I love that our days are slow and filled with lots of sitting on the floor and playing.
I can say without a doubt that this kid has more personality than most adults I meet.
She makes the funniest faces, which she’s famous for now, and has a laugh that will melt your heart.
+Em is sitting up like a champ. She did this the weekend she turned seven months which was a big deal. It’s been a milestone I’ve been waiting for. I just feel like she’s so grown up now. Plus, she loves to sit and play which gives mommy five minutes to clean the kitchen. Wins all around.
+The top teeth are coming, or wherever they come in next, that’s just what I assume. She chews on every thing you put in front of her. She’ll grab it and it goes right into her mouth. Baby proofing here we come.
+Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is still her jam. We don’t watch a lot of tv during the day, if any somedays, but this girl gets the biggest smile on her face when she hears the words, “Hey everybody! It’s me, Mickey Mouse!” Oh, and that Hot Dog Dance.
+She’s finally eating Puffs. Not just playing with them. It makes me laugh every time because it’s truly like watching a monkey figure out how to eat. This is what you become a parent for, right? To laugh at your kid? It’s the cutest thing to watch.
+Em found her feet. It’s the best.
+Em went to her first baseball game! The Brevard Manatees! #feartheseacow She didn’t get her late nap in so we didn’t make it long, but from what I can tell, she enjoy America’s favorite past time.
+She got her first pair of jean shorts. You’re welcome.
Like any true life mama, Em is officially seven months as I write this…but oh well.
I say this every day, but as the months go by each one is my favorite. She’s becoming such a little human, with a distint personality, and I fall more and more in love with her every day.
How she’s half a year old already, I have no idea.
+Em rolled over for the first time on her 6 month birthday! Oddly enough, it was from her belly to her back…not the normal back to belly most babies do. She’s just that talented. For a couple days after all she did was roll, roll, roll. She figured out her new talent and went to town. Such a big moment for us! Also, a “oh crap now I can’t leave her on the changing table” moment…a thought all parents go through, I swear.
+We took our first road trip to North Carolina to see Sonny’s family. The drive wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. I swore I wouldn’t be that parent that drove with my kid, because flying was so much easier and faster. But there I was. After hearing the perks, and suggestions to drive up during the night, so she could sleep, we did so on the way up. Gatta be honest and tell you that it was terrible. She’d sleep for a couple hours then wake up, then sleep then wake up. Not to mention mommy and daddy were total zombies the next day. So on the way back to drove during the day. Home run. It didn’t mess her night time schedule up at all.
+Em has two bottom teeth and that toothy grin is a heart melter. They came in about a week apart, but we don’t have any more yet. Teething sucks. The only thing I have found that helps with her pain is Tylenol, and the Teething Tablets. Which are a super temporary pain relief, which is why 9 times out of 10 I give her Tylenol. #ibelieveinmodernmedicine
+We’re on three meals a day. Fruit for breakfast, and then some sort of veggie combo for lunch and dinner. She loves squash, carrots, green beans, and pears. She eats anything we put in front of her though. Wasn’t super pumped about a chicken and brown rice dinner, but we’ll get there.
+Em is up to 18 pounds! Chunko Munko! The baby rolls are just as wonderful as I had thought they would be. I can’t get enough of her chunky thighs. She’s also 27 inches tall, at least that’s what I think the doctor said. No surprise that she’s tall, hello, look at her daddy.
+We’ve officially introduced her to March Madness and she loves it. The first Thursday the games were on I needed to get the house cleaned, so I put her in her chair in front of the tv and she watched almost a whole half of a game. One of our proudest moments as parents.
I wanted to do a photo shoot with her outside for her six months pictures, but things just always kept coming up. Life, am I right? So one day she was looking way too cute in an outfit, so I got my camera and we had a little photo shoot right in her room. She’s adorable. And chewing on her hands which is super appropriate cause that’s all she does now.
And I think that I learned a little lesson. Life is better when you just go with the flow instead of stressing about getting everything done so perfectly. This wasn’t in the outfit I bought her for her six months pictures, it wasn’t where I had planned…but it’s way better.
Since I can remember I wanted to be forty five different things when I “grew up”.
A veterinarian, a teacher, a preacher, a writer, a speaker, a journalist. You name it, I most likely majored in it in college.
I finally settled on a English/Creative Writing degree, which I proudly have from UCF, and proceeded to start a photography business.
You can laugh. I’m chuckling as I write this.
When I got pregnant things with my bushiness slowed down. Ok to be totally honest, they had started to about a month before I saw that little plus sign, and I was freaking out. I know now, that it was all the Lords plan. Because those first four months of pregnancy were spent in the bathroom, and I couldn’t have done any photo shoots if I tried.
So then I spent the next five months shooting very little, two weddings and a hand full of family sessions, and wondering how I’d do it once the baby got here.
How would I spend my weekends away? How many weddings per year would I do?
And then Emily Mae came along and flipped my world upside down.
I assume it’s much like the President of the United States feels when he sits in the Oval Office for the first time (forgive the reference, I’m watching a lot of The West Wing right now, and hello election season is here). But truly. He’s (some day SHE! but not yet…if you get my drift) got to have this feeling of “Yes, I did it. This is what I’m supposed to be doing”.
Or really anyone in any job they find that they love. Again, on the West Wing thing so that’s what came to my brain.
And it’s exactly how I feel with Emmy.
I was meant to do this mommy thing. This stay at home, make crafts, plan play dates. I’m all over it. I’m going to be “that mom” (which we’ll talk about at another time, the bad rap I think she gets). I’m not interested in going to a 9-5 job, not interested in having every weekend for a month packed with work stuff.
I’m interested in this tiny human of mine (and her future siblings). I’m interested in being with her each day, playing and teaching her. Raising her up in Christ, pointing her to Jesus in everything I do.
Now before I go on, I want to make it super clear that this mama isn’t the kind of mama for every mama out there. You still with me? For instance, my mom. Not a stay at home mom. But the best mom in the world. I never thought I missed out on something with her growing up because she wasn’t a stay at home mom. Quite frankly, I don’t see that in her personality and that’s totally ok. My mom is and was an incredible mother too us, even working a full time job. We never missed out or went without. I have friends now with babies the same age as Em who couldn’t wait to go back to work. You go, girl! You do you!
In case no one told you, every mom and child is different.
Being this stay at home mom is the job I’ve basically been waiting for my whole life. It fulfills me. It makes me happy. It gives me purpose.
I obviously couldn’t do it without Sonny, being the amazing supporter and provider for our family. Shout out to you, babe.
I wish I could go tell my eighteen year old self to cool my jets. That later in life I’d figure it all out, and that freaking out then about things wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
Being a mom has just clicked for me.
Not in a “I know everything” kind of way, but it’s all just come natural. When we brought her home from the hospital I remember being scared out of my mind.
I had heard the horror stories of what life with a new born was like.
But none of that happened for us (thank you, Jesus). My mom and mother in law stayed with us for a couple days and when they left I didn’t have this panic of “holy crap, now what do I do?”
I was fine. And totally confident that I could do this whole mothering thing.
It’s true when they tell you that your motherly instincts will kick in.
On most things.
Let’s face it. I still text my mom on the daily with questions.
But for the most part? I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and have this over whelming feeling almost daily (because not all days are rainbows and butterflies) that this is what I was created to do.
