Bless your heart!

Pre baby - 5 weeks pregnant!  We just found out!!!

I feel like a new person having celebrated a whole year at home.  We've made it through our first round of holidays and are looping through the second.  Time flies with such vigor, it's hard to even think back one whole year!

I can't even tell you what we did for the fourth of July last year.  And this year, celebrations have been in full swing!  

One thing I'm starting to celebrate as a mother is my sanity.  There are days that I have to stop and say a prayer for other mothers and their sanity.   

I've watched on the sidelines for years as a parade of over achieving mothers blaze a trail.  I was happy in that sideline position mainly because I saw the combative and competitive side of motherhood that is more horror story than something that gives me the warm and fuzzies.  

New mom - clueless!

But now, I'm right in the middle and some days I feel beat up by the organic and nipple natzis, the one uppers and do it yourself-ers.  I try to duck and hide from lots of it because I'm not competitive by nature.  If I could pump breast milk while growing organic vegetables and hand stitching my child's clothes simultaneously, I'd be a freakshow and be the best multi-tasker ever!!!  But, since I don't even see two of the three happening simultaneously, I'm going to accept my limitations and move on.  After all, I'm a human being and not super mom!  I'm not trying to be super mom.

I think the most disturbing trend I've witnessed is the constant expression of unhappiness, how hard patenting is and why I don't have a clue with only one child.  Is it that bad?  I'm writing this on my phone with two feet stretched into my face while king diaper sleeps happily! (Yes, his feet) And no!  It's not that bad!  I'm happy King Diaper is sleeping.  He is not crying.  Life is good!  If being a parent is that bad, we wouldn't have made it here.  I agree that it's hard.  But everyday we start over.  And, all is right with the world!

But mostly I just wonder why more women can't just share what they have learned as a parent to lend a helping hand or discuss their children happily without the need to be loudest and meanest at the table?  What I have learned as a mother is not proprietary.  I didn't invent motherhood and I need all the help I can get.  Trust me.  I ask questions often!

Surviving motherhood and mealtime!

Finally, the worst of the mothers are the exclusives.  I encountered this continually as I wanted a child dearly.  The constant talk of children so exclusively that I couldn't possibly contribute to the conversation.  It was the most hurtful and cruel thing that one could imagine, and I'm determined to avoid that path in life.

I have one friend, who will remain nameless, that was never 'an exclusive' ever!  Even now as she and I are both mothers, she keeps her mom talk to a minimum and offers well put advice only when requested or in the appropriate situation.  It is a gift!  One day I'm going to tell her what a hero she is!

Motherhood is hard enough without being picked apart by all the other mommies in the car pool line.  I'm determined to enjoy being a mother, and if that means switching lanes and speeding up a few times to get a tailgating mom breathing down my back off of my bumper - so be it!  Life is just too short.

So remember, don't let yourself be sucked into the mommy boxing match!  Bless those mothers hearts.  Life is hard, kids or not.  I do think parenthood can bring out the best or worst in people.  Choose wisely.  I'm choosing not to be stuck out in the dugout with Negative Nancy.

Have a great week and enjoy all that it has to offer!