We come from different parts of the country and have different backgrounds and lifestyles. But the one thing that has bonded us, and has been the foundation of Daily Mom from day one, is motherhood. We would like to wish you a truly Happy Mother’s Day, and let you into our lives as we reflect on what this journey means to each one of us with some personal stories of motherhood.
Elena
I often ask myself what motherhood means for me. It seems like such a grand concept that there aren’t enough words to properly describe it. All the cliche sayings about motherhood just seem too simple, too trivial, too … cliche.
{Photo Credit: The Art of Making a Baby}
Taking our time to have our first child meant I had a lot of time to think about being a mother and what it would mean to me. Looking back at it now, I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. How it envelopes you whole, makes you a new human being, creates someone different from who you were before. Someone stronger, absolutely selfless, in thoughts of your child 99% of the time. That was the surprising part of motherhood for me – the complete and total immersion.
But what really defines it are the laughs we share together, the experiences we create, the firsts and the lasts.
Motherhood is teaching my daughter to ride a scooter by holding her hand. It’s painting together and then making animal tracks with our feet. It’s how we cook bird nests for Easter, or do pool jumps in the afternoon.
It is how proud she makes me and how she runs to me for a hug every time she succeeds at something. It’s how her face lights up when she gets back home from a few hours at the playground with daddy or when I come back from a business meeting – her eyes sparkle, her grin could not be wider, she dances side to side in anticipation of my hugs and kisses. It’s the uncontrollable giggles when she knows I am going to “get her”.
Motherhood for me is also about those quiet moments of bonding during breastfeeding, as we sit back with a blanket just being quiet. It’s when she is tired and asks me to carry her like a baby upstairs to her bedroom for naptime. It’s the sick days when she needs extra comfort from mommy. It’s also the patience that is required for dealing with a two year old. The understanding, trust and respect. It’s being able to handle anything that gets thrown at you with grace and gentle touch. It’s pushing yourself to the max of your goodness for the sake of your kids.
I am still working on that last part – but that’s also a part of motherhood– constantly improving and learning as a parent.
You can read more about my journey as a “mommy” on my blog, The Art of Making a Baby
Megan
{Photo Credit: The Memoirs of Megan}
Motherhood means challenging myself on a daily basis to become a better person for the sake of my children. It tests my patience, my flexibility and my creativity. It has changed me for the better in so many ways, and my kids continue to teach me so much, every single day. Some days are hard, especially with a headstrong two year old and an infant with colic/reflux. Some days are not picture-perfect, and end in me taking a long shower with a big glass of wine once my husband comes home. But when I “catch” my two year old saying “I yuv you, brudder” in her sweet toddler voice in the backseat of the car, and turn around to see them smiling at each other and holding hands, I know that being a Mom is the best “job” in the world.
I cherish my time with them as a stay at home mom, and look forward to watching them grow and evolve throughout the years. Watching their individual and very different personalities shine through at such a young age has been such an amazing journey for me, and I am one lucky Mommy.
To read more of my motherhood voyage , check out my blog: The Memoirs of Megan
Kristy
{Photo Credit: Mmworks Photography}
I waited a long time to become a mother. I went to school, became a professional, played sports, traveled, found my Mr. Right and then, eventually, our sweet Alexa arrived. That wasn’t my initial plan…in fact it’s almost backwards from what I had expected.
I learned a lot through the years as I waited for my MOM title. I learned that I would love my child unconditionally, that I would enjoy watching her learn, make music, play sports, and make friends. I was told that I would not sleep again, that my conversations would always revolve around her (even if they didn’t start that way), that my life would change forever, my priorities would change and that my friends without children may not understand any of this. I was told that motherhood is hard, that mom’s are not appreciated and their work is never done. Luckily, I was okay with all of this and I felt… prepared.
What nobody explained to me, and I don’t even know how anyone ever could have, is that from the first moment I saw her she would light up my every day, my every breath. That my heart would skip a beat every time I heard her sweet voice, my eyes would tear as I gazed into her big, blue eyes or saw her lips turn up into that beautiful smile. I was not prepared for this intense love that I would feel for my child, a love that would far outweigh all the sacrifices and difficulties of motherhood. She has taught me so much about myself over the last 2 years and 3 months!
I love being a mother more than anything and as my family gets ready for our new little package to arrive in a few months, I’m excited to see what more I will learn from both of my children!
Laura
{Photo Credit: The Whimsical Photographer}
What is motherhood to me? It’s a beautiful, chaotic journey; one that you can neither predict nor imagine before you are a mother. It’s fiercely loving an individual before you’ve even set eyes on them, and then finding that that love grows and grows beyond what you thought your heart was ever capable. It’s an unending process of discovery; you discovering your child, your child discovering you, and helping each other become what each needs. But motherhood goes beyond just that relationship with my child, it extends to my whole family. It’s a partnership with my husband, and a fervent desire to nurture not just my child but my husband, myself, and our family as a whole.
Becca
{Photo Credit: The Paro Post}
Motherhood has been my biggest blessing, by far. I always knew that I wanted to be a mom, but could not have known just how much motherhood would change me and shape me into the person I am today. The love I have for my children is like nothing I have ever experienced, even on days that they make me want to bang my head into a wall and hide in the bathroom where I can eat a handful of chocolate chips in peace. Motherhood is messy, beautiful, stressful and wonderful all at once!
Amanda
{Photo Credit: Amanda}
What is motherhood to me? The duties and job description change every few months but the feelings remain the same. Motherhood is a series of transformations. Every time my two year old son has ever entered a new stage in his life, we develop with him. We learn with him. We grow with him. We change with him. But my heart, every part of my heart will always be with my son. That will never change.
Motherhood is a crazy thing. I find myself giving everything that I have to my son. Yet, at the end of the day, I feel so thankful for him. He encourages me without even intending to and has fostered an unimaginable love between my husband and myself. Every day our world feels fuller than ever.
Danielle
{Photo Credit: With A Red Bird On My Shoulder}
I always knew I wanted to be a mom. And I even had this vision of what my kids would be like. Nothing could have prepared me for for this journey I embarked on a little over 2 years ago. No matter how many games of MASH you play with your girlfriends on the playground, how many different kids’ names you come up with in your head with your first love… and your second…nothing can truly prepare you for motherhood.
The moment my son was placed into my arms, I felt my world change. I looked that sweet, chipmunk-cheeked baby in the eyes and I knew, from that moment on, I was his forever. I was the one he would run to for comfort… I was the one he would look to for all the answers… I was his world. And he was mine. Nothing else mattered to me. Everything else was so trivial compared to his whimper… his smile… his coos.
When my daughter came into the world, it was so much less life-rocking… more simple, and just felt… right… natural. It was like “Here you are! We’ve been waiting for you… now, we are whole.”
My children bring out the best in me, but they also shine light on the worst in me, pushing me to be better… to be stronger… to be more fearless. They are the chaos that I need in my OCD driven life. They push me to the edge and then pull me back, showing me just how far I can go. I had dreams before they were born… dreams for myself… for my life… things I thought would lead me to ultimate happiness and bliss…They have become my ultimate happiness. Life as their mother has been my ultimate bliss. It’s something I never could have understood until they came into my life.
Rockie
{Photo Credit: Rockie Road}
What does motherhood mean to me? That is a question I think about daily. It is really hard to put in words all my thoughts and feelings on such a fascinating and difficult subject. Motherhood doesn’t define who I am, yet it has shaped who I am and who I am becoming as a woman on so many levels. Growing up, being a MOM was never on my list of “priorities.” I had “plans” for the future and didn’t want to be tied down. Now, all I can think is what a fool I was, because being a mom to my little one has been the best gift I have ever been given.
I read a quote recently that described in 2 or 3 sentences what I feel is motherhood, “They take everything. They will bring you to the furthest edge of your personality and abso-&*%king-lutely to your knees. They will also give you everything back. Not just all they take, but many of the things you lost before they came along as well.” (Cheryl Strayed, writing as an advice columnist in Tiny Beautiful Things) I couldn’t be happier to be a MOM to one little rambunctious little girl and another one on the way and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us.
Heather
{Photo Credit: Cookies For Breakfast}
Motherhood is: sloppy kisses, warm hugs, tiny hands. It’s imperfect yet perfect. It’s late nights and early mornings, but never short on love. It’s a bag of “bribery” marshmallows to get through a photo shoot. It’s real, it’s raw, and it challenges us to our core. Being a mom is the greatest blessing in my life, and I am so thankful, even on the hard days, to have my two most amazing, most wonderful children (TWO! I still can’t believe that!). I know every mother feels this about her children, but they really are incredible, and when I stop to think about it, I can’t believe they’re mine. I am the lucky one.
More of my thoughts on motherhood – the hilariously funny, the outrageously messy, and the downright sappy, on my blog, Cookies For Breakfast.
Ariel
{Photo Credit: Dreams To Do}
As a little girl I was obsessed with baby dolls. I have a specific memory of daydreaming about having a real baby and asking my mom when I could have one. At the time it seemed like too long to wait! Today, I’m blessed with a beautiful almost-5-year-old daughter, rambunctious 2-year-old son and I’m only a couple months away from welcoming our 2nd son into the world. Being a mom is not easy, but it is the one thing in this life that I am 100% certain I should be doing. Even if I never land my dream career, become a millionaire, or live to be 100, I’ve already accomplished my deepest hope and dream. I wouldn’t trade my kiddos for anything!
You can read more about my motherhood journey on my personal blog, Dreams To Do. Happy Mother’s Day!
Krista
{Photo Credit: The Quinntessential Mommy}
Being a mom means everything to me. I always knew I wanted children, but I never could have imagined the depth of my love for my daughter and my son, nor could I have known that being a mom would bring me such a deep sense of fulfillment. It is absolutely what I was meant to do.
Every day with my kids in an adventure. It’s not always easy having a headstrong three year old and an itchy infant (my son suffers from severe eczema). Some days are easy, and everyone is happy and sweet and sleeps well, and some days aren’t. Some days we don’t get out of our pjs and my daughter has an attitude and my son won’t nap because he can’t stop scratching long enough to get comfy. But even on those days, I love being a mom. The long days, the tough moments…they’re all worth it because they teach me so much–about myself, about my kids and about the world. My hope is that, as these two beautiful kids continue to grow, I grow with them and continue to feel as happy and fulfilled as I do right now.
Read more about Krista’s adventures in motherhood at The Quinntessential Mommy!
Ashley
{Photo Credit: St. John Photography}
Life hasn’t been the same since the first time I laid eyes on my daughter almost two years ago. I always knew that things would be different with a baby. I knew there would be long nights and trying days. I knew that she would bring me joy beyond measure. However, I never imagined that my heart was capable of loving so deep and so strong. I couldn’t have predicted that I would wake up before the crack of dawn with a smile on my face. Or that her tiny little voice would challenge me each day to be a better person. Motherhood is much more than I could ever put into words. I’m so glad I had 20+ years to explore who I was as an individual, but I was never complete until I became a mother.
You can read more about my motherhood journey on my personal blog, Ramblings and Photos by Ashley Sisk. Happy Mother’s Day!
Michelle
{Photo Credit: Simply Snapshots, LLC}
Motherhood is the most amazing, fulfilling, blessed, crazy, and insane adventure I have ever been on. There are ups and downs, highs and lows, smiles and frowns, laughter and tears. There is no more rewarding or stressful job. Ever. Anywhere. I cannot image a single day without my kids, and am oh-so-thankful to be called Mama. Motherhood is not for the weak; it is for the strong, honest and brave. Being a mom is the very best part of my life.
Read more about Michelle and her “three peas” in her blog Our Three Peas.
