A Year Ago

A Year Ago...

I was 3 months pregnant.
I was in the middle of my worst all-day sickness.
I was waiting anxiously for the day when we would have an ultrasound to know the baby was healthy.
I was still getting used to living in New Hampshire.
I was unpacking boxes in our new apartment.
I was laying around and sleeping all day.
I was letting the housework slip.
I was missing my family.


How is my life different now?

I have an almost 7 month old!
I haven't been sick all year.
I still worry about my son being healthy, but at least now I can see him.
I enjoy living in New Hampshire and it has become our home.
All our boxes are unpacked.
I wish I was laying around sleeping all day, or even at night.
I still let the housework slip, but I'm trying to do better.
I still miss my family, but I have so many friends and church family covering me with love.


It has been a crazy, amazing, year. I cannot believe how much has changed.  What an adventure!

#reallife

One of my favorite things that we do in our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Group is we post photos of our real life.  Even the worst of it.  So often the images we see on social media are people’s perfect self, their perfect life.  We control what we put on social media and we only want to put our best self out there.  We won’t post a selfie when we are having a bad hair day, we try not to show our house when it is not perfectly clean.  We only post pictures of our happy children.  But let’s be honest, that’s not real life.  This is real life:

Sometimes your child spits up on you while you are laying on the couch and then rubs his face in it.  Then, since there is no one at home to help you, you have to sit up, letting it all run down your shirt, in order to get you both cleaned up.  Gross!

Sometimes you just can't get to the laundry and when you finally do, it looks like this.

Sometimes you have to eat dinner on the floor in front of the TV because you can't eat at the table.

Sometimes the dishes don't get done, you can't take a shower, you can't get out of your pajamas.  Sometimes life is just too crazy to be perfect.  Sometimes you spend your whole day rocking your teething child.  Some days you just need to sit on the couch, eat a whole row of Oreos, and watch some TV and neglect the housework.  And that's okay!  It happens to everyone.  Our lives aren't perfect, they are REAL.

Haven't showered since yesterday, still in my PJ's, wearing a sweater that I've worn for the past 3 days, and a crying child who just won't take a nap.  This is my life, it's real, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. 

 
Comment with pictures of your #reallife!

Parenting involves a lot of but(t)s

Where has the time gone?!

I have sat down at this desk so many times over the past month to pay bills, look at pictures, and work, and only a handful of times have I thought, "I'd really like to blog."  When those times did hit, something would happen to pull me away and with my new mommy brain I would forget what I wanted to say.  

At this very moment Nathanael is taking a nap and I'm not able to fall asleep, so I guess I will blog.
So I guess the first thing to update you on is that I have a son (guess that means I have to stop writing in pink)!  He was born on January 21st, so this Sunday he will be five months old!  I cannot believe it.

One of the reasons that it has been so hard to sit down and write is because if I'm going to write about being a mom, then I want to be honest with you, and if I'm being honest with you, then I need you to know that being a parent is hard work.  It is harder than I ever imagined it would be.  Because of this when I sit down and write about what my life looks like right now, it seems to come off like a list of complaints, which is not what I want to communicate at all!  Therefore, I have decided that if I'm being honest, parenting involves a lot of but(t)s.

Yes, there is the obvious butt that you are all thinking about, and yes, that stinks, but I wanted to talk about some other buts with parenting.

Being a mom is a very hard job, BUT it's the best job I have ever had!
Nathanael demands a lot of attention BUT I'm glad that it's me that he wants.
My son doesn't like to go to sleep, even when he is exhausted, and this causes him to cry a lot, BUT when he does fall asleep it makes me so much more thankful that he is getting his rest.
It hurts my heart and makes me frustrated when Nathanael cries and is inconsolable, BUT one smile and I forget all of that.
I am exhausted, overwhelmed, sleep-deprived, drowning is housework, BUT Nathanael makes it all worth it.

What else is there to say?  Parenting is hard, challenging, frustrating, BUT it is also amazing, exciting, fulfilling, and brings me so much joy.  And I just need to remember that this is just the season.  He won't cry forever and he won't want to snuggle with me forever, so I just need to take the crying and the snuggles together because before long everything will be different.

I'm Not Qualified

I am a first time mom.  I am currently 19 weeks pregnant, and yes, I do already consider myself a mom.  I am in charge of the health and well-being of a teeny tiny baby, if that does not count as the beginning of motherhood than I do not know what does.

I wanted to start this blog about being a first time mom for a few reasons:

1. Writing things down gives me a chance to think and process
2. This is a good way to document everything that is going on
3. Maybe there are people out there like me and maybe we can learn from each other
If I were trying to apply for a job as "First-Time Mom" I probably wouldn't get an interview.  My cover letter would probably sound a little like this:

To Whom it May Concern,

I am so excited about the possibility of becoming a First-Time Mom.  It is something that I have always dreamed of becoming.  What I lack in experience I make up for in passion and dedication.

If you are looking at my resume you may notice that I have no qualifications or previous experience.  I hope that does not automatically put me out of the running.  I am a fast learner and I have a strong motivation to learn and be the best First-Time Mom I can be.

I am looking forward to discussing this opportunity with you further. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Lauren

What do you think?  Do I get the job?

Regardless of what you, me, or anyone else thinks, I have the job.  And I'm writing to share this journey with you.