The love of a Mom. Nothing is more fierce, and nothing more exhausting!
As we look ahead to Mother’s Day, we wanted to hear from a mom who had plenty of experience at this “toughest job you’ll ever love.” Humorous, honest and helpful . . . her words can give hope and encouragement to other mother’s out there – whether their “baby” is in college, or yet to be born!
A crazy life
“Can I PLEASE just get five minutes of PEACE?!” Hmmm… I wonder how many times I’ve thought this to myself since becoming a mom. But I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.
My husband and I had five baby girls in under eight years. So we knew we were signing up for a crazy world. As we get ready to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, it is amazing to look back on the whole whirlwind. Our lives changed forever the moment we saw that first positive pregnancy test. I instantly felt I was needed like I’ve never felt needed before. I guess that was my very first experience as a mom. And so it went from there.
We began talking about having kids right when we started dating. Having been friends for three years already, we knew each other well, had a pretty good sense we were headed for marriage, and definitely shared a love of babies. I’d always loved kids and spent a lot of time babysitting, nannying, working daycare, and eventually, teaching preschool and elementary ages. Despite all my experience, and even though we desperately wanted a family, becoming first-time parents was HARD! That 6 lb, 3 oz little peanut rocked our world.
Finding support, community, and balance
New Daddy and I were the first of our close friends and siblings to have kids, and we were living long distance from all the grandparents. It took a while to find the day-to-day sanity support we really needed. As time went on and our family grew, I became better and better at reaching out to other moms. This made all the difference in the world for me, especially being at home full time. I learned there are so many universal mom experiences, and I learned to laugh at these kid “truths.” For example, three year olds try your patience hands-down like nobody else. Five year olds say hilarious things. And, well, thirteen year old girls are totally nuts. Years later I still get a unique kind of reassurance from my friendships with other moms. It’s made me realize even the most fiercely independent people need to lean on others.
Any parent can tell you having kids is a challenging, exhausting, and humbling job.
But for every challenge, there is something amazing and wonderful to balance it.
That first eyes-locked sweet smile from your baby far outweighs your sleep deprivation. Those priceless quotes far outweigh any potty-training battle. And the excitement of starting high school far outweighs the frustration with your teenager’s heaps of dirty laundry.
A stronger marriage
It also goes without saying that parenting puts a new kind of stress on a marriage. My sweet husband and I have faced a lot – the heartbreak of a miscarriage, medical issues we never expected, anxiety I had to learn how to manage, financial puzzles to solve, and a house literally falling apart. But God helped us through and continues to guide the way. We are stronger as a couple. Period.
Treasure found and joy to come
Sometimes I’m relieved the years with so many little ones are over, but most days I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. The ride continues and these days we’re having a blast with road trips, college visits, an abundance of sports, and watching these teen/tween sisters become closer and closer – even in the midst of fights and drama. What a gift they will always be to each other. I know my own sister is my life! It’s fun to think about our family continuing to evolve and have new adventures, like moving each of the girls into a dorm over the next ten years. With all the “firsts” that lie ahead, I guess I’ll always feel like a new mom in some way. Wow – how did MY mom do it? Raising me definitely wasn’t a cake walk!
Here at Two Lines Pregnancy Clinic (formerly Advice & Aid Pregnancy Center), we are here to help with the unplanned.
But we are also here to provide support when you do plan and life still gets harder than you planned. Finding support in the hard times of life is crucial! We can help you find the love, support, and community you desperately need, whether you feel prepared for life or not.
Set up an appointment today and we will get you plugged in to a community of support that will last a lifetime!
