May 5, 2016

All Worth It

Mother's Day is this weekend {yay moms!!!}.  For as long as I can remember I've wanted to be a mom.  I can remember being as young as 8-years-old, sitting on my best friends living room floor, going through the JCP catalog picking out all the "stuff" for my "baby".  I would circle what crib set I would buy, what stroller I thought was the cutest, outfits, highchairs, carseats, you name it.  I couldn't wait to become a mom.

I became a mom five and a half years ago and my world was forever changed {cliche mom saying}.  All I wanted to do was be with my baby and be a mom.  My dream of becoming a stay at home mom happened almost exactly four years ago.  It hasn't been all that I thought it would be but it is worth it.  There have been days where I've thought, "maybe I should go back to work, this 'ish is too hard".  I have cried, I have felt defeated, I have yelled, I have acted exactly how I tell my kids not to act.  This is by far the hardest "job" I have ever had.  We have our challenging days {lost of them, actually} but they are barely a blip on the radar compared to our amazing days.  The good outshines the bad every time and I know this is where I am supposed to be.

Every morning when I pack Kendall's lunch I have a "OMG I'm a real mom" moment.  Every time.  Same is true for when I say "yes" to becoming a co-leader of Girl Scouts {more on that later}.  If you're a mom you know what I'm talking about.  Those defining moments in time where you know it is worth it and this is IT.  This is what you've been waiting for your whole life.  Or maybe that's just me.

I know some people think the dream of being a stay-at-home-mom sounds predictable, unfulfilling, mundane, rinse & repeat- it's not for everyone, I know that.  But this is what I wanted.  I wanted the sleepless nights, the days of not showering, the trips to the pediatrician, the loud and annoying toys, the days where the crying seems endless.  But I also wanted to be the first face they saw when they woke up, the one to come to all the school parties, the one who gave a mid-day snuggle, and the one that listens when they come home from school and had a "bad day". Those things make it worth it to me.

I didn't have a stay-at-home-mom when I was younger.  Both of my parents worked and my babysitter was our next door neighbor.  I love and appreciate my parents and wouldn't change a thing about my childhood.  I am thankful they both worked to provide me with everything I needed {and wanted at times}.  I never went without anything.  I never felt any less loved or less wanted or less cared for because I had two working parents.  I didn't think my mom was any less of a mom because she worked outside of the home eight hours a day.  For our family it was worth it for my mom and dad to work and I know that to be true of many families today.

Moms come in all shapes and sizes.  We all have our own way of doing things.  Some of us co-sleep, some of us cloth diaper, some of us are baby-wearers, some of us believe in spanking some of us bottle-feed, and some of us home-school but we all have one thing in common; we are all moms.  We all have our things that are worth doing for our kids.  We are all doing the best we can and the best we know how.  

So, whatever type of mom you are, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.  You're doing it and you are doing one hell of a job.  YOU deserve to be celebrated however you choose whether that means spending the day with your kids or having a completely kid-free day.  You do YOU, mom.




2 comments:

  1. Even on our worst of days, I wouldn't trade being a Momma for anything.

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  2. Happy Mother's Day Shannon!!! This was a great post.

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