Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms, Mom-to-be's, Heavenly Moms and Mom's of angel babies!  No matter how you are celebrating today, we all have someone we can thank in our life for influencing us in only the way that a mother can.

I'm thankful for my own Mom who is as selfless as they come.  She is my best friend and I could never make it as a Mom/human without her.  My heart breaks for her today as she has to endure her first Mother's Day without her own best friend, her Mom.  There is a gaping hole in my heart today thinking about my Granny.  I grieve, too, thinking about my dear Chad, who is without his Mom today.  My Mother-in-Law, Sharlene and my Granny have been on my mind, thinking about their contributions in my own life.  I'm so fortunate to have been surrounded by strong women who have no doubt helped shape me into who I am today.

Though certainly a bittersweet day this year, my heart is full thinking of my own sweet babies.  Elena and Cal have made my life more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.  I'm thinking of our tiniest blessing today, too.  This little life I'm carrying will change our lives come August and I couldn't be more thankful for my healthy pregnancy.  Being a Mom has definitely been the most challenging journey imaginable.  I think back to being pregnant with Elena, excited to start our family and giggle at my own naivete.  To think that being a Mom would be like the pictures we all see on social media or in the movies is the greatest joke of all.  No, this is hard.  It requires a patience level that is off the charts, responsibility I never could have imagined, a selflessness that made my 27-year-old self cringe, an iron stomach to endure the poop, pee, spit, vomit and every other bodily fluid that covers me and my house on a daily basis, and every other thing that smacks you upside the head the minute your baby enters this world.  But, I also could have never prepared my heart for the level of love you feel for your children, or how your heart instantly doubles in capacity when your second child is born, or how all the difficult things that come with being a Mom can melt away with a simple hug and an "I love you".  No, no picture could ever quite capture what being a Mom does to you.  But, I'm incredibly content with my imperfect, un-social media worthy life.

There's no one like your Mother.  I'm grateful for mine and I'm grateful to be one, today and every day.

Happy Mother's Day!

 And just to keep it real (what family pictures really look like, am I right Moms??!)