“I thought I looked fat and ugly from pregnancy and I couldn’t stand looking at the picture. It made me cringe. It was hidden in the depths of a photo album never given a place of honor. Just stuffed in there with random loose photos.”
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“Mom’s out there of young children- The job you are doing is hard. Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn’t know what they are talking about. Take care of you. It’s okay to take a nap, a shower, a meal, or to get out of the house without your baby. Our parents survived it, and so did you. So don’t listen to the people who say that you can’t. You can. And your baby will be as perfect as ever.”
“To me, it doesn’t matter if it’s a natural birth, a C-Section, or an adoption. Getting beautiful children born into the world and raised is beautiful, worthy, and one of the hardest things you will ever do.” Read more…
I have two children. I have written elsewhere about how I have moved through my grief of only having two children. I wanted more, but that wasn’t what happened. What has caught me by surprise is my daughter’s grief over not having any more siblings. Read more…
I recently contemplated going back to work after a break of 10 years and have sent out a few resumes. Someone who was helping me with my search recently asked, “What would your perfect job be?” That stumped me for a minute. What was my perfect job? And then it hit me. I’ve had my perfect job for the last 11 years. I just never realized it.
All my life I’ve wanted to be a Mom. I have two kids and would have liked a few more but that wasn’t the cards I was dealt. I’ve been extremely blessed that most of the time since my children were born I’ve been able to be a stay-at-home Mom.
But my Motherhood has not come easy, or without lots of trials as Motherhood often does. There have been times when we’ve had to make life-changing decisions about one of our children. My husband has deployed to Iraq and has spent a lot of our married life apart from us due to the military or other work. There are all the sleepless nights (and I like my sleep!), endless messes, endless headaches, never a private moment once your first child leaves your womb. That is what Motherhood is.
But Motherhood is also those sweet tender moments cuddling that sweet babe. Kissing those kissable cheeks. Watching them as they experience the wonder of the world is magical. Watching them become more and more independent as the years go on makes you simultaneously want to celebrate their accomplishments and their needing you less, and make you want to cry.
The job I have had for the last 11 years has been the hardest job I’ve ever held. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My kids are my world.
It’s time to start a new chapter in my life, likely it still won’t be working outside the home due to the issues we experience with our son and autism. But it’s time to shift focus a little. I will forever be grateful that I have had this opportunity to be just, “An Ordinary Mom”.
Before you leave check out the book review of the book Unbound and check out a chance to receive a free copy.
My kids don’t have Baby Books. (Gasp!) How could I not do this integral part of Motherhood? (I definitely should have as I have a child with Special Needs and every form I fill out wants to know when he walked, talked, or climbed.)
I had zero interest in my Baby Book information and didn’t think my kids would either. But just in case… Facebook is my kids Baby Book. I figured that I was already posting all the cute pictures and cute things they had done (or not so cute things, like the time I went into another room for just a minute and they had shaving cream all over their hair and each other…). 
Why should I make things harder for myself? There are companies out there that will take my Facebook account and print it all out in book form for me.
Facebook is also my kid’s Scrapbooks…All those art projects that no one has room for? All those school performances that we sat through that no one would choose to sit through unless they were related to the child? They are nicely preserved for any family member to see at any time on my Facebook account. Bonus! As soon as my children get Facebook accounts of their own, I can tag all the embarrassing pictures of them so their friends can see them too. This Mama has plans!
Facebook is also my Journal and Family Photo Album. All those fun family events, quotes, and stories I love or thought were hilarious are all nicely preserved there. My opinions on Politics, Education, Childrearing, and all other important subjects are there for better or worse for my posterity to view. Although it is not my Diary- That kind of venting and information is reserved for Private Messaging to my nearest and dearest friends. Thank you nearest and dearest friends!
I haven’t written and actually sent out a Christmas letter in…….? many years. Facebook is my Christmas letter. So I hope family and friends you are following me on Facebook as that is where you will find out about what we are or are not up to. And I’m not one of those people who will only post picture-perfect kids or vacations. I’m just as likely to preserve a terrible day or a terrible haircut so you can rest assured you are always getting the real us.
Why does it happen this way? I’m a Mom. I have a million things to do when I get up every day. Chronicling my life and that of my children/family happens on the fly. Whenever I feel like taking a picture (which honestly isn’t nearly enough, or crystal clear for that matter), spouting off my latest opinions, making sure I have pictures to remember that trip of a lifetime. If it doesn’t make it to Facebook… It never happened as far as history is concerned in my case. This is how I make sure that my posterity will know who I am, what I’ve done, what I’ve thought and felt. And I’m not going to feel guilty about it. Yes, my child doesn’t have a beautifully embossed baby book, and I might have to fudge some of those answers on the Child Development Questions. But what my kids do know is that I’m right here for them when they need me, I’m doing my best to keep us all alive and functioning, and I love them fiercely.
You can also view a video version of this post on YouTube.
Kids learn that working is important. They learn the value of money. Kids get to practice their parenting skills to begin to figure out what works. This all benefits the community at large.
