Showing posts with label Motherhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motherhood. Show all posts
1/20/17

Why I'm Marching.


Today, as the inauguration of the 45th president was happening live in Washington D.C. I sat at a dining room table ironing vinyl letters to the front of a cotton t-shirt. The girls and I are marching in the Women's March tomorrow afternoon in Atlanta. We'll be wearing shirts that we made.

When I became a mother I always knew I wanted to be the kind that had long conversations with my child. I enjoy being generous with how I inform her. Only now, she is 2 and catching the meaning of things faster than I can frame my explanations. I struggle to know which conversations we are ready for.

I see my role in parenting as a steward. As the person who illustrates what a choice looks like. The adult who makes moral responsibility appear on a blank page. I am the one who can draw kindness and make it real, for my daughter who eagerly waits to see what she can make out from the strokes I am placing in front of her eyes.

As her mother I am the steward of her right and wrong.

From the comforts of our home, where the tv chirps the rhymes of Daniel Tiger to the beat of a dishwasher being unloaded, and the chaos of our day is trying to get the toddler to eat her fish sticks instead of cramming them into the pocket size hole in her booster seat, the 3 bedroom world she knows well is control by us; it has minnow size rights and wrongs. It's out there that my explanations feel inadequate. Out there, where the questions get a little harder to answer as her eyes grow wider. In this very real world, I feel cheated of words for how to respond when she asks me about the man on the park bench, and if he is sad.

But that doesn't mean I stop talking. I'm convinced this bold and uncertain world is ever in need of our motherly conversations.

When I heard about the Million Women March happening in D.C. I was moved and excited, because I believe this march is a conversation that needs to be heard. Because when hundreds of thousands of women, men and children plan to show up in their cities to unite and voice their concerns, you better believe I'm going to pay attention. Because our explanations can only serve us if we are truly willing to listen. Because I'm not going to pretend I know your story. Because my best explanations include everyone. So yeah, I'm marching. And though I couldn't physically make it to Washington, uniting in my own city of Atlanta with my neighbors and friends feels pretty darn awesome too.

I watch my 2 year old collect new understandings at an exponential pace. This makes me realize that I too must continue to engage intentionally with the things that are hardest to understand about our world. I have to show up and at least try.

Because what scares me more than a difficult question, is the silence of misunderstanding. As a country, we can't afford to have that happen.

I'm looking forward to the day when Florence reaches the age that we talk about history. We'll talk about the Women's March that happened on January 21, 2017, and, as her mother, I can say I was there.

10/4/16

Tracking My Cycle with Clue



Between the ages of 18-24, I didn't have a regular menstrual cycle. That's 6 years of my life, my womanhood, that I lived without a clue as to what was happening with my own body.

After seeing a nutritionist and getting some help with a long-term eating disorder, my body resumed its normal cycles, and I finally had a period again. After being clueless for so long, I now have this deep appreciation for my period. Many women probably laugh to hear me say, my period is sacred. But, the truth is, for me my period signifies that my body is on track, it's a reminder to myself that I have come a long way from the unhealthy girl I was for years. And, of course, my period will always be connected to my journey to having Florence.

A few months back, I discovered Clue, a company in Berlin that makes tracking your period and ovulation accurate, fast and friendly. And guess what?! They have an app and, ladies, it's free. I think I love my period even more, now.

I used to track my cycle by making little black "x"'s in the corners of my planner days. Clue helps me track all the things that come along with my periods like pain, mood, fluid, and sexual activity. There's even an option to enter good hair vs. bad hair days because we all know that is a real thing, am I right?! One of my friends who is a creative entrepreneur uses the app to track her motivation/productivity on a daily basis to help her identify patterns that affect her workflow.

The best thing about using the Clue app: it empowers me by providing a simple way for me to track my own period and see a complete picture of how my cycle affects me. 

What I Love about Clue:
-user friendly
-simple icon-based design
-tracks emotional side effects, as well as, physical ones
-it's free!




Do you track your period?


8/8/16

Finding Your Personal Style Post Motherhood



Last week my favorite podcast, Being Boss, did an interview with Tiffany Ima on finding your style. Hearing her advice was an answered prayer. I found solutions for so many of my style issues and I could not wait to write this post. 

After motherhood, I was at a total loss when it came to my own sense of style. As someone who finds a lot of joy and confidence in expressing myself through fashion, this was confusing for me.  My closet hadn't changed at all before and after having Florence and my shape hadn't changed dramatically either. So I couldn't really explain why I just felt awkward in my old clothes.

Until I realized, after being pregnant and now a parent, how I feel about myself has fundamentally shifted, and I decided my style needs to as well. 

For years I've been a consistent closet purger. I like to be able to see everything in my closet. I find that if I can narrow down to the few things I always want to wear then getting dressed is way more simple and I'm more willing to try new combinations because the choices are not overwhelming.

I have a tendency to immediately then start buying new things to fill up all the space I just created. Instead of taking the time to consider what I actually want to add to my wardrobe, I just refill it with things that seem like a good idea, or that I like the idea of and in a few months my closet is all congested again. 

So this time, I followed Tiffany Ima's advice and after doing my closet cleanse I came up with a few words to describe my new style and created a Pinterest board. The three words I chose are: sexy, comfortable/relaxed, and of course, minimalist

 I love this because now I have a goal for my style and I have some guidelines for when I'm shopping that will help me be happy in the long term. No more quick fixes with closet fillers. I actually want to take my time and slowly build my new, mom confident wardrobe.

Do you share my style problems? What are your solutions? I'd love to hear how you've embraced your post motherhood style.




8/2/16

18 Months // Growing Pains







I laid in bed the other night thinking about Florence, as I do so many nights. I still had the bedtime song we sing playing in my head, "Elmo sings you a song, a kiss on the cheek...". I thought about the food she didn't eat for dinner, bits of pasta and chicken scattered around her placemat, a mess I lazily leave to clean up in the morning. I remember how today she said the word "mermaid", clear as day, my heart violently applauding her from down the hallway. 

With my head on the pillow, it hit me that I know all these things, only I do. 

I started to think how if something happened to me, where would all these special and specific pieces of knowledge go? If one morning I just didn't wake up? Of course, there is Papa, but it's me that is home everyday. It's me that sings our favorite songs and decides when we go or stay. Me that knows that "oosh" means shoes and "eesh" means cheese. I am the key to the box of her most intimate moments. For now, at least, I know all of it.

So I wrote out a list titled "Florence 18 Months, Everything You Need to Know". I used every remaining page in my notebook.  
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Today we visited the home where Flori will be starting daycare in a few weeks. Just two days a week. Really, just one full day and one half day. Really, just 12 hrs. This is a step that feels gigantic for me. One that I've been inching towards everyday since I first held her. For her, it's like moving up in shoe sizes. She'll do it and it's only me that can see the old, smaller pairs sitting on the shelf. 

I realize it's less that she needs me, it's more that I am scared to miss out on knowing every detail.

But I know too, that I can do this. I will be okay. I do believe there are gifts hidden in these changes ahead of us, in getting a few hours to work quietly in my studio. The mental clarity I'll have a chance at with those few afternoons to myself will pay off. It's a step we both will grow into. These are the growing pains that I knew would one day come. I just didn't remember how much they can ache.  

4/25/16

DIY Play Scape


Hey friends, last week I made this play scape for Florence's animals and a few of you asked me to put it up on the blog so you could be inspired to make your own. One of my favorites of all of Flori's toys are her sets of animal figurines. Out of desperation, I bought a little pail of these mini ones at the airport a few weeks ago on our way back from Utah! We recently went to the zoo with my sister and nieces and seeing the animals there got me thinking I want to make a little "zoo" for Flori's animals. 

So I went digging through my craft supplies to see what I could conjure up. I just used a flat piece of card board (an insert from something) and cut pieces of felt out for the "terrain". I also had some of these green grassy balls and craft moss (you can get at Hobby Lobby or Michaels). I found some craft pebbles too, which are Florence's favorite thing to try and pull off. 

Arrange all your pieces to make your own play scape and then use a hot glue gun to secure it all in place. It's a fun and cheap little project to play with! Share pics with me on IG of how yours turns out!

happy zoo building :)






1/10/16

A Brief on Motherhood, One Year In


This year. 

This year has been: 365 taped-together miracles. Of nurturing. Of unexplainable beauty. Attachment. Untethered love. Immense sacrifice. Quietening guilt. Catastrophic joy. A year of being lost and, eventually, found. One year after Florence's birth, I am beginning to recognize myself again. 

Motherhood has changed me with the gravity of its demands, emotionally and physically. My heart is saturated with joy and glee - the best of loving a tiny person. My peace, my sense of self, and my mental health are dangling off the other end of the scale, in the desperate hope of something that resembles balance - the constraints of loving a tiny person.   

I have had to let go.

The past year is a pile of days that cannot be tidied, only bundled into a messy lump I dare not to pick up for a while, afraid that I'll set them all loose, scattering my life into mayhem once again. Some days ring so loudly in my ears, I want to set them to rest for good. Others remain smooth and whole like pebbles in my palm. I carry those days around with me, polishing my favorites. When I do look back, though I rarely do at this stage, I find relief to be stronger than nostalgia. Though, I'm convinced time will eventually flip that. It feels healthy that we're here, standing over two feet tall, with hair and teeth that need brushing (Florence) and a mom (me) that has a chance to brush her own.

We are one. And right now, that is everything.

8/24/15

Monday Inspiration // Natural Wipes


Last week I watched the video that's gone viral about the Huggies wipes. It was the final push to get me to finally try making my own baby wipes. Ever since I saw this post, I've been inspired to try it out. I'm very weary of long ingredient lists, especially when it's going near my little girl. I had already purchased a large box of Huggies wipes that I kept thinking, once I get through these I'll make my own. But each time I'd pull them out to use, I'd have a little bit of regret. I knew how much happier I'd feel using my own gentle ingredients on her body. I'm thrilled with the result and even get a little excited each time we get to use them! They smell like sweet mint.

1 Roll of paper towels (Viva brand is recommended)
1 3/4 Cup boiled water, cooled but still warm
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Witch Hazel
1 Tbsp Castile Soap (I used Dr. Bronners Peppermint)
3 drops Tea Tree Oil
3 drops Lavender Oil

Cut (with scissors or knife) roll of towels in half. Depending on container shape, you can either keep them in the roll shape or fold them accordion style-my container wasn't tall enough to keep them in the roll so I folded mine. If you keep them in the roll, just remove the cardboard roll from the center and pull your first wipe from the center to start.  

In a separate bowl, mix together all the ingredients (I used a wire whisk). Pour the liquid mixture over the paper towels in their container, drenching towels evenly. 

Put on the lid and let them soak for 10 minutes then flip them upside down to absorb extra liquid. 

*The measurements in this recipe are for one half of the roll of paper towels. So just repeat to use the second half.    





I'm trying to think of the best way to carry around a stack of these homemade wipes in my diaper bag. I may just use a ziplock or a smaller tupperware. Any ideas?




  

7/21/15

Closeness





It occurred to me, this is the closest I will ever get to another human being. Right here, heart beat to heart beat. 

When Florence was younger and tinier and lighter, I wore a Baby Bjorn. It enabled the dishwasher to get unloaded. It was a part of our first dancing experience together. I'd bounce bravely down the grocery store aisles while subtlety flaunting my hands-free baby wearing situation. But the truth is-it's always sort of hurt my shoulders. My neck feels strained after the first 10 minutes. I've loved the idea of wearing it, of carry her right on me, but I've never been fully comfortable. It always felt a bit cumbersome. So I kind of gave up carrying her around on my chest. We became custom to the stroller for our daily excursions. And I never looked back at the baby wearing route.

Until now.

She's 6 months old. She's a whole 15 pounds. I love every ounce of that joyful little body. I love holding her on my hip and feeling her legs straighten in excitement when we move to music. Her hands will flap wildly sometimes making knots of my shoulder length hair. She often reaches up with both hands to hold the corners of my mouth, we'll get still and just look at one another as if to say there you are.


***

Before she was born, I had decided we'd have her sleep in her crib from the very first night onward. I wanted to establish her bedroom as a special place where mommy and baby nurse and play and then eventually, we get quiet and baby sleeps. I thought it was doing her a favor to teach her independence, to teach her how to enjoy her own space. I also knew I would be a better parent if I had my own space, and we both were sleeping.

***

I dropped Florence off at the church nursery last week. It had been many weeks since we've tried it again, the separating. I want to teach her it's okay when Momma leaves; Momma will come back. I want her to see that she can trust others and learn to enjoy their company. And so, we use nursery time once a week for practice.

At the end of the service I headed back up to the nursery for Florence. I found my way to the infant room and popped my head in. She was sitting in a saucer seat, there were residual tears under her eyes. The caretaker reassured me that Florence had been happy and content playing in her seat for the majority of the time, it was only when they picked her up to change her diaper that she lost it. She then said, "She's a very independent baby. She's happy to be left alone." My throat tightened a little. "She is, huh? Independent you say?" And suddenly I didn't want her to be the independent baby.

I started to recount all the little things I had done to promote this self sufficiency; and in a moment I wanted to take it all back. I should have let her sleep next to me when she was a newborn. I should have gone in to her room when she was crying that one time. I should have worn a carrier more often. I shouldn't leave her with anyone yet, she's too young! What if I've created long-term trust issues? What have I done?

The thing is, as a parent, you never know if what your doing is the best thing for your baby. You glide on what you hope is the best thing. And often, I find myself changing my mind all the time about what is best.

So, now. I've started going in to her room more often when she cries. I hold her just to hold her.

The truth is, she's perfectly fine. I've never denied her my love or affection. I've coddled to each one of her needs. I've been there, always. And frankly, she's just an independent kid. She naturally sings to herself alone in her crib when she wakes up. She calmly plays in her discovering world. I've never forced independence upon her. She is as content as any other baby, she just lasts a little longer without needing my entertainment. After all, that was me as a kid too.

***

This past week we've been borrowing an ergo carrier from a friend. Trying it out before buying one. And every single time we've worn it, Florence falls fast asleep. She bobs around excitedly for the first 20 mins until gradually her movements slow down, her hands drape heavily from her little loose arms that dangle at my sides. And she sleeps. It's the sweetest thing. It made me realize how much she still craves Momma's closeness. And I'm desperate to give it to her. 

6/23/15

5 Months


Photos taken by Siham Hamdan


 Wow. I get so emotional looking at these pictures. I've looked at them seriously too many times. There is no other way to capture the pure joy and gratefulness we hold for our little girl. She's five months now, going on six, and I'm starting to feel the wheels of time speed up. I'm not going to get all sappy about it though, because the constant change and growth, the new sprouts of hair and first bulge of a white tooth, it's all the beautiful parts of raising your child. The fact that we can't bask in the glorious stages as long as we want to makes us appreciate them so much. The events may reel by faster than we want but the pace also keeps us surviving the sleepless nights and the screaming car rides. Amen for the baby years!


6/8/15

How a Baby Changes Your Relationship


We make ourselves stretch tired arms through the blankets to get closer even if it's just for a "good night". We go on walks, take turns pushing the stroller, we laugh and listen to our small girl babble in the straps below. Dinners are gathered around the coffee table, legs crossed on the floor, Florence bouncing in her jumper next to us. Bath time now replaces happy hour beers and long evenings without bedtimes. Groceries have become our weekly outing. Our living room hears a lot less indie rock and a lot more "wheels on the bus".  

This is the way life looks with three. We've found more joy than we ever prepared for. We've become simple in ways that a parent must. We've dared to keep making our days inspiring. We can testify that babies change things. Here's how we keep finding each other through the change.     

"I made you mashed potatoes, they're in the fridge". This is kind of how our love looks these days. I think a baby simplifies your love for each other. At the end of a long day, the love you need is a back rub or a spare 30 minutes for a shower and combed hair. Simple acts of love become the ebb and flow of everyday relationship. I think it's a beautiful part about having a baby, there are constantly opportunities to serve your partner. "Babe, will you bring me a glass of water", is something I would never would have asked for from Alex before, I would have gotten up to get it myself. Parenthood is very humbling. What you realize very quickly is, I can't do this alone.

Not much else matters. Babies have this amazing ability to turn everything upside down with the snap of their fingers. I have days when I get caught up in my thoughts and I put pressure on myself to start this and do that and then she calls. A small yelp is all it takes to get me across the room, swooping her up, smelling her wrinkly neck rolls. It's amazing how everything else stops so suddenly, and there we are mom and baby rocking back and forth in our our breast feeding world. I have a friend who told me that every time her boyfriend and her get in to a fight, one of them will pull up a picture of Florence on their phone and raise it up in the other's face, kills an argument in a heartbeat. There's something about that innocent set of eyelashes blinking up at you that melts away the useless, pointless energy in our lives. Babies remind us what's actually important.   

Entering into parenthood is kind of like the first trip you take with your serious boyfriend/girlfriend. Everyone tells you, it'll either make you or break you. And it does break you, except in parenting, there's not such an easy way out-so you lean into each other, harder. And that's how it makes you. Because every single decision now is for the family. When you say something you wish you wouldn't have, you're so much quicker to apologize. You're faster to admit you might be hard to love somedays. You make more of an effort to be kind and generous. There is something about keeping the family harmonious. It's so much different than a relationship with two adults-that third dynamic drives everything towards good.   

***


I felt that this post would be enriched by a couple other parent's perspectives. I've asked two other new moms to tell us a little about how a baby has changed things for them. Here's what they had to say.

How has your time with your guy changed since baby came?


Emilie: The first thing that came to mind is intimate time. When there is a moment that we are both free and the baby is sleeping, usually one or both of us wants to sleep too. There is a lot less down time. Every moment needs to be used efficiently. I don't even like to watch Netflix unless I am nursing or folding laundry, etc. I feel like I am nursing during most meals, so Chris puts a lot of them together, and brings food to me while I drape a napkin over the baby. This relates to the next question, but I did not realize how much I miss having a meal that I can just concentrate on eating, or rather, not need to concentrate on anything at all!

HannahHonestly, Scott and I have always been pretty low-key. Our evenings before M usually involved eating dinner together and then winding down with a TV show on Netflix - we still do that now, but M is with us. Our social life with friends is still something we pursue, definitely, but it depends on if I'm in the mood to nurse in public and deal with trying to get M to go to sleep in a loud bar/restaurant. We tag-team these efforts so that we still maintain a good relationship with our friends, but it's certainly more work.



What's the hardest thing to let go of from your pre-baby days?


Emilie: We definitely want to hold on to going out with friends (who don't have babies). Since she is little we have brought her to some parties, and our friends pass her around, but as she gets more of a schedule, it is becoming clear that we will not be able to have as many late nights with friends. Soon we will have to get a babysitter if we both want to attend an evening social activity.

HannahHmmm…. personally, my get-things-done attitude. I have ALWAYS been a busy-body (the type of person that has to have something to do even while watching a movie) and that has certainly had to change since M came along purely for my sanity. I basically can't make a to-do list for the day, even if I REALLY want to, because inevitably things WON'T get done and then I end up feeling very frustrated and overwhelmed. Relationship-wise, I suppose having the freedom to be intimate whenever we wanted is gone. M has to be asleep otherwise I am too distracted with worrying about her to enjoy intimacy. 


What things have been gained since baby came?


Emilie: Our relationship with our parents has deepened significantly. We understand them better, and to an extent, they understand us better, because we so acutely share the emotions of parenthood. I have come to respect motherhood as a lifestyle, my body in it's capacity to nurture life, and as grandiose as it sounds, a deeper respect for all living things. My baby's life is so precious to me that I value the lives of others much more deeply. 

HannahFor me, learning to slow down. She has forced me to abandon my to-do lists daily. Some days we literally spend the whole day snuggling on the couch because she is just having a rough day and I am slowly learning to soak that up instead of be frustrated by it. For us, I feel that we have a renewed sense of working together to achieve a common goal. Not to say we don't lose our patience with each other, but for the most part, we tag-team to take care of M and that has been really positive for our relationship. I am learning that he respects me in this roll as "mom" and I love watching him be a dad.


What things have been lost since she came?


Emilie: Sleep, body self-consciousness, make up as a form of cover-up, pottery and breakables at floor level, attempts to create a sophisticated home decor. 

HannahIn my life, my need for alone time has had to be put on the back-burner, which has been exhausting. As a true introvert, I need space and being her life source has not allowed for that much at all. I do find myself getting more easily flustered at the end of the day and at the end of the week - I think purely because I haven't had time to myself. For Scott and I, intimacy has been the hardest adjustment. It took me WAY longer than 6 weeks to heal - I didn't start feeling even okay until about 10 weeks and then I didn't feel good enough to even enjoy sex until probably 12 weeks. We have had to change our sex life some, as noted above, as well as be more communicative about what feels good for me as that has changed too. We are working through it, though, and will probably be better lovers in the end for it.



What areas of your relationship have been strengthened now that you have a baby together?

Emilie: We work together. She has consumed our attentions, and share a love for her that is unique between the two of us. 

HannahAgain, a sense of shared purpose has been strengthened. When Scott gets home from work, he takes M off my hands so that I can do something to unwind, like cook dinner or tidy the house (I know, strange, but those things really do help me relax). We find ourselves talking about what we want her to experience, as well as things we can't wait to do as a family. It's fun to work together on this parenting thing ;) I feel like we both, out of necessity, have had to learn how to be more patient with each other and with M. I find that we both try to pause before we react in an effort to keep things calm and be less reactionary.



What areas have been challenged?


Emilie: We had our first fight in which I raised my voice and became accusatory. I was surprised that it was rooted in my deep protectiveness of our daughter. Though Chris would do anything for me, and anything to improve my life as the mother of his child, I felt that he was not acting as though he would do anything for the child, who had suddenly become more important to me than my own life. For example, I feel as though everyone who has come to visit and help us, and Chris too, have taken care of Linnea so I could sleep. But I felt like they were doing so at the expense of her comfort. I would much rather have woken earlier to prevent her from being hungry for any longer than needed, but I felt like people were trying to 'protect me' from tiredness in a way that I did not want to be protected. 

HannahOther than our sex life, we have basically switched rolls professionally and that has been challenging for me. Scott was a student for the past 4 years and I was the one bringing home the money. I never imagined that those rolls switching would be so hard for me. It hasn't been difficult for him, I suppose. He always wished he could be the one working instead of me, so he is really enjoying this new phase of his professional life. However, it has been so challenging for me to accept my new roll as a mom. I find that sometimes I am resentful and even jealous of Scott being able to pursue his professional career, but when I think about going back to work I know that I would rather be here raising M - it's tough, haha. I guess the challenge for Scott on that front has been figuring out how to support me in this new roll, making sure I feel appreciated and needed and purposeful.




What has helped you both get through those hard/stressed days?


Emilie: We discovered that after a day that I am home alone with Linnea, I need time that Chris holds her and I do something, like the dishes, or grocery shopping, to re-charge and to feel like an effective individual. 

HannahTag-teaming. That and doing something together either after M has gone to sleep or on the weekends doing something as a family. When I think about our most stressed moments as parents, usually when M is screaming or won't go to sleep, we take short "shifts" in getting her to calm down. And I mean SHORT shifts - when she's at her worst we take 5-10 minute shifts trying to get her to calm down. Usually it doesn't take more than 30 min to an hour to get her calm again, so while one of us is dealing with her, the other is taking deep breaths and unwinding. When we finally get her calm, we try to do something together whether that be watching a show on Netflix or sitting on the couch together while we each read something of interest to ourselves. Sundays are a nice day for us to do something as a family during the day, like go for a walk around our neighborhood or grab brunch somewhere new.


What has surprised you about your spouse as a parent?


Emilie: Just how much he loves her. He makes up songs, and does crazy things to make her smile. She has become his muse.

HannahScott has always been a sensitive, compassionate man. Watching him embrace that all the more with M has been such a joy to witness. He also lets his silly side show more, which is fun :) He is always telling M how beautiful and smart she is - I love seeing how he is already starting to build a trusting and encouraging relationship with her.



Has your love/trust changed for your spouse?


Emilie: I am more confident in his love. 

HannahI know now more than ever how much he respects me as a woman. When I was working, I didn't necessarily need him to tell me that he respected me - I felt respected and needed at work. However, when I became a mom my self-confidence and sense of purpose (and honestly my pride) took a surprising dip. After being honest with Scott about this he told me how much he respects me and appreciates my roll as a mom. He makes sure to tell me that often, especially after a hard day. That, in turn, translates to me loving and trusting him more :)


After a long day, what is the best thing your partner can do for you? 


Emilie: Easy-- hold the baby, and if need be, get her to fall asleep. 

HannahTake M off my hands. Starting at about 4:00 in the afternoon, I am just done. Done with dealing with her crying, done with changing diapers, done with being covered in spit up, done with being a walking boob. The first thing he does when he gets home is reach his arms out and take M from me and I feel such a huge lift (literally and figuratively) off my chest. I can feel myself take a deep breath when Scott gets home because I know I am going to have a break. I love being M's momma and staying home has been a good thing for me overall, but man, at the end of the day I am just done.


***

Thank you so much Emilie and Hannah for sharing a glimpse of your precious lives with us! It's so reassuring to hear how similar our needs are as mothers, and how a baby pushes the boundaries of our relationships, always making us more on the other side of it.  Emilie Maierhofer lives with her husband, Chris, and daughter Linnea in Detriot, MI. Hannah Key is mom to Maxine Gean and lives with her hubby, Scott, in Houston, TX. She also runs her own amazing photography business, read her blog here!

ps. This post about parenting and love by one of my favorite bloggers is so good.