Yes! We are All mom enough.

I usually don't get involved with sharing my opinion publically about issues that have attracted lots of attention BUT I just have to say something about all the craziness surrounding the TIME magazine cover...Are You Mom Enough? First, I want to know WHY we are all consumed with how other mothers are mothering? Is it so we can compare our own "mothering skills"? Is it so we can feel better or worse about our own parenting? Do we have some need to feel like we are the better mother? I'll be honest here...I could care less if you bottle-feed or breastfeed, gave birth without drugs or with, got pregnant on "accident" or was planned, if your baby was made in a test-tube, made naturally or adopted, if you spank, use time-out or a little of both, if your child watches TV or doesn't...I mean I really just don't care. I say as long as the child is safe and having his/her needs met it really isn't any of my business how you parent. I say we are ALL mom enough. I mean, we are all doing it, right? I believe it goes back to the saying, "There is more than one way to skin a cat." I mean really. I know that I was brought up differently than my husband; friends and I'd even say my own brother and guess what??? We have all turned out to be happy productive citizens of society. I think that instead of constantly analyzing each other's mothering skills we should encourage each other. We are allowing the media to stir up all kinds of craziness within each of us. I've seen all kinds of interesting things on Facebook lately in response to this magazine. People bashing breastfeeding and people bashing NOT breastfeeding...and by people I mean women, moms. I've yet to see on my feed a man have anything to say about this. Probably a good thing...but perhaps we should join them. Why can't we understand each other? Learn from each other? Accept each other? Why not instead of criticizing we try and understand and encourage each other to mother in a way that works for her family. I have the greatest friend! She is a fabulous mother to 2 little boys. She has been absolutely wonderful in sharing EVERYTHING! Good, bad and ugly. She's very honest, which is most appreciated. :) However, she knows that just because she shares with me what she does with her sons, does not mean I'll try it with my daughter. AND you know what!!?? That’s ok. Why? We have respect for each other. We are raising 2 very different families. Her and I are 2 different people, therefore we will mother differently. Motherhood is a journey we're all trying to figure out as we go. Mom always said that babies don't come with an instruction manual and boy was she right! It'd be so much easier if they did. Ha! Sharing with each other what works for our families is great! Bashing what another decides is best for her family is not great. It's really that simple. I really think that the TIME article was great at exampling yet another way to parent. Was it provocative? Absolutely! Could they have chosen a different title for the cover story? Sure. But their job is to sell magazines. My response to something like that is to stay level-headed, open-minded and hear what they have to say about yet another way to parent. I refuse to let a magazine article make me feel like I am not mom enough. That would be just plain silly. So I ask you...Do you get up in the middle of the night with a hungry, teething, sick, had a bad dream, wet the bed baby/child? Do you forgo the cute outfit you want so your kiddo can have the newest "cool" pair of shoes? Do you have stretch marks in places you never thought you'd have stretch marks? Does your home have toys that make noise and other "beautiful" sounds that you find yourself still humming to when the kiddos are in bed? Do you give boo-boos kisses? Does your heart melt when your sweetie wraps his/her arms around your neck to give you hugs? YES!!! We are all mom enough!!! There are so many other issues dealing with children that we should be concerned about. NOT, criticizing specific ways of mothering. Motherhood should in a way be like a sisterhood. We stick up for each other, support one another, understand each other, listen to each other and provide words of encouragement. Why is this so hard for us? I say we start celebrating the fact that we are all mothers and that we are all given the freedom to raise our children the way we choose. After all, aren't we all doing the best we can? Don't most mothers do what they believe is the best for their family and child? I believe that is a resounding YES OF COURSE! So I say, next time, because we all know there will be other times where magazine covers provoke emotion in us mommas, we just all take a breath and take the time to read the article, form our own personal opinion, decide what is best for our own child and then encourage other mommas in their own decisions. Let us not focus on the exact "way" of mothering BUT just being a mom. I think deep down inside we each know how to do this. I believe it's an instinct, something men don't have. Let's not allow the media to "pick" at each other. Instead, let's put our focus on raising our own kiddos in ways that work for our family and encouraging, supporting, sharing and listening with our own momma friends.

Jazzin' it up...just a little though

Okay soooo....since we've moved my sweet Caroline's room has been an in-progress project for me. I want to make it cute for her but it's kinda hard to spend money knowing that'll we'll be moving (God-willing)in less than a year now. Now I love brown! Love it! Don't know why...perhaps because it reminds me of coffee, chocolate, autumn and just all around is what I like to call a "cozy" color. But looking around her room I found that I was perhaps going a little over board with brown. Afterall my other most favorite colors in the world are purple (not that wimpy light purple but a true, deep and rich purple) and yellow (not a wimpy soft baby yellow but a bold, golden and happy yellow). So in an attempt to "jazz" up her brown curtains I found some zig-zag purple ribbon. (I think there is a different name for this type of ribbon but I can never remember it so I just call it "zig-zag".) I decided to just stick with adding only one color to the curtains to try and steer clear from the"busy" look as I am trying to create a "cozy" place...and in my opinion busy and cozy CANNOT go together. Then I just took fabric glue and glued the zig zag ribbon down. I like how it turned out and like I said, I feel like it jazzed it up just a bit. I only spent $2.50 on the ribbon and the brown curtains were on clearance for $7. I had to buy two packages so I spent a total of $16.50 to cover both the windows (one set by the rocking chair, another set by her crib) in her nursery. I figured that was pretty good for curtains, especially since I couldn't even make them that cheap. Her are the before and after pictures. Like I said it's jazzin' it up...just a little though. :)

Before

After

Let's try this again...

Okay...so I really do want to give this whole blogging thing a fair shot. I will often have something happen in a day and think, "Hey! I should blog about that." But then I never do! Why? Well not to use it as an excuse...although it kind-of is...here it comes...I'm a momma! A new momma! A momma who is trying to still figure out the balancing act and how the things that I want to do are all going to fit in a day that now revolves around the cutest most precious little girl. I will say that now that we've reached that 6 month milestone I finally feel like I'm getting my feet on the ground and I can start trying to blog again. So here we go...Here's what's been on my mind lately...

Being a mom...of course! Could you really expect anything different? It's pretty much been my life lately...as it should be when you have a new baby. However, I've been thinking a lot lately about how I want to raise this sweet baby girl. What kind of person do I want her to be?? Sure she has her own little personality and will make her own decisions BUT I feel like as her momma I will play a HUGE role in the kind of person she becomes.
Lately I've done a lot of watching, reading, praying, researching, discussing and more watching, reading, praying, researching and discussing because I want Caroline to be a fantastic person...I mean who doesn't want their child to be fabulous? But even more...I want her to be a Christian with a servant heart who loves people. Whoa! Right? So where do I start? Well...I took a good hard and long look at what I'm doing in my life to be that kind-of example to her and it wasn't pretty. I'm doing not doing much for other people outside of my own family...so I'm working on changing that and I started that change this week. I want Caroline to start having those examples in her life NOW...not later. I need it (serving heart) to become a habit in my life and attitude NOW...not later.
The fact of the matter is I've been noticing a whole lot of princess stuff lately. Yes...I think most of it is adorable and "cute" BUT do I really want Caroline thinking that she is a princess and should be treated as such? I'm not saying I don't think it's okay for her to pretend and to have an imagination BUT I do believe that our culture has become very into spoiling our children and giving them EVERYTHING. I don't want Caroline growing up and thinking that she is entitled to certain things...that sure does not represent a servant heart. I do not want her to think that she has to have the cutest (or most expensive) outfit to be sucessful in this life or feel beautiful. Nor do I want her thinking that she is going to have some prince come sweep her off her feet...because those of you married out there and those of you who know me know I'm so in love with my husband...but let's be honest...no man is a fairytale prince...because they are men afterall...and in reality I'm no princess to live with either. I started reading the book "Cinderella Ate My Daughter" and wow is it great! Makes you really think. One of the questions she poses is are these princesses who we want our daughters looking up too? Of course they are kind but what other major attributes and characteristics do they have to make them role-models. The little mermaid actually gives up her voice so that she can get a man. Wow! Before you think I'm not going allow Caroline to ever watch a Disney movie or play with princesses think again...I mean how could I totally avoid it if I want her to have a life outside of our home...which I do. BUT I plan to also saturate her life with other opportunites to serve others. I want her to see her OWN potential and give her the opportunites to full-fill that and for it not to be clouded by images that are not reality. So whether that means softball cleats, tutus, books, cooking lessons, travels and other opportunties to serve others I plan on helping pave that road (or several) so that she is able to become who she is intended to be.
I know these thoughts might sound a little crazy and unorganized...because well they are. But hey it's my blog...:) AND I'm still myself trying to figure it all out...which I doubt will ever happen. :) But I know for sure I will continue to pray about this. I mean how can I not? This is my child...the most important gift I've been given. A gift that I am responsible for helping mold and shape so that she can reach her full potential. Wow! Now that's a responsiblity. On that note...I'm feeling pretty tired. Whew! Good night!