Monthly Mama Spotlight: Kemi

Married mother of three Princesses (Mommy is Queen of this house)

So of course, I’m writing this post about 9:30pm the day I promised to have it completed.  My four year old keeps busting out of her room to tell me that her two year old little sister won’t stop laughing. Concentration is harder and harder to find these days with three kids, a husband and owning my own business… but it’s my norm.  I’ve finally came to the place where I accept my family dynamics and I own it 100%. What we perceive “motherhood” as from a society perspective is dang near impossible to achieve, you will drive yourself crazy trying to do it. Trust me I’ve tried and was on the brink of a mental breakdown every other week!

The ages of my three daughters are two, four and fourteen, yes I know, the age gap is huge!  My husband and I had our first daughter just shy of turning 21 so we needed time to mature before having more kids.  He and I are both 35 and have unique work schedules with him being a firefighter and myself as a salon owner and stylist.  My oldest daughter is a serious track runner that takes up much of our time and having 2 that are four and under explains itself.  As mother’s we aren’t taught what this journey will be like and not one mother is identical to the other. We literally must put on our big girl panties and figure it out as we go.  

Self-care, expectations, definition of success, parenting styles, routines… were all topics I considered writing about.  Motherhood is something that must be experienced to truly understand how intricate it truly is. So here it goes, my attempt at pinpointing what I feel are some of the more important things.

I’ve learned to love the eccentric rhythm of my life and dance to the beat each day offers.  One thing the age gap of my kids brought me was a new appreciation for my children. They each require something different from me and at the same time they each teach me something different.  When you pay close attention to your kids it’s like looking in a mirror as they are little reflections of us. There comes a day when they will be too big to hold, no one will be following your every step, they will leave your home for the first time and all you will have are the beautiful memories of those precious moments.  Each stage is beautiful but there won’t be those memories if we don’t make time for them. That is what bridges the gap of the next chapter between mother and child. With that being said, put off the laundry to have a pillow fight with your child, let them stay up a little past their bedtime to spend extra minutes cuddling… MAKE THE MEMORIES!

My children are my medicine at times.  Their kisses and hugs instantly reduce the stress and worries I may be facing that day even if just for a moment.  The passing of energy, the skin to skin contact with my kids is something I can’t explain in words. I once followed a woman on Instagram: @fightlikemiles, who documented the journey of her two year old dying from cancer.  She posted pictures of her holding her son for the last time and I tear up thinking about it as I type (I think about her often). Myself and thousands of others were in that fight with her until the end, we were all connected as mothers.  I promised myself I would always be grateful for my children and all the chaos that comes with them. I love my crazy, tiring, ever-changing life as a mom. It’s the best ride I’ve been on so far!

Mistakes!

It’s ok to have a bad day mama. It’s ok to just call it a wash. But keep your head up. Tomorrow is brand new for both you and your babies. Remember the present is a gift. 💗💜

Monthly Mama Spotlight: Julie

Name: Julie

Enjoying this adventure called life with my Hubby and 6 kiddos.

On this journey called motherhood for (almost) 15 years

Current place of adventure: Idaho

Life is a journey. It seem so obvious, but I don’t think I really discovered that for myself until I became a mom.

Motherhood found me at a young age. Life got challenging real fast. That overwhelming feeling that comes from knowing another human is entirely dependent on you added with sleepless nights and lots of crying makes those early days of motherhood feel like an eternity. But somehow the days did pass and before I knew it I had 3 kids in 4 years. I really don’t remember much of the first 5 years at all. Then came baby number 4, the curveball, the one who taught me more about life in one moment then I ever would have learned in my entire lifetime.

One moment, one moment was all it took and one moment was all we had. I have never felt more aware of the importance in being a mom then in those few minutes I got to have with my son. And then he was gone. But he left me a different person. He taught me about what true love really is. He taught me about what really matters in life. He made me a better mom.

After enduring the pain of losing a child I felt like there wasn’t a curveball life could throw my way that I couldn’t handle. And boy did life try. 2 more kids, a serious medical diagnosis, a move across the country to what felt like a foreign land, starting over, another move across the country to another new state, making friends and then having to make new friends again. The only difference was that now I cherished it all, every moment, even the difficult ones.

I’ve learned that you can’t control what life throws your way, but what you can control is how you react, how you choose look at the situation. Is life not fair, always getting you down? Or is life a journey? One in which you hang on for the ride, excited for the next adventure, learning and growing from the bumps along the way, and cherishing the moments in between? For me, I choose the adventure. No matter what happens there is always good to be found.

Like any journey life has its struggles as well as its triumphs, but the beauty of this journey called motherhood, well it is found in the mess of it all. The heartache and struggles, the joy and triumph, the pain, the good days and the bad days, the crumbs, the diapers, the laundry, the whining, the sleepless nights, the new experiences, the chubby little hugs, the laughter and the love, oh the love. This is where the beauty lies, because there will be one day where all you have left is the memories. Make them good ones. (My son taught me that)

Monthly Mama Spotlight: Saceria

Being a mom… is sacrificing my alone time in the bathroom! I have one standing at the door telling me about his day (b/c it just can’t wait until I’m done 🤦🏾) and the other tugging and pulling up on my legs, drooling everywhere. I just want to potty in peace again! 
Hello mamas my name is Saceria and I’ve been blessed to share this journey of motherhood with my two boys. 10 1/2 years apart, my oldest is 11 years old and my baby boy is 8 months. With all the challenges and rewards it has to offer, motherhood has by far been THE BEST thing that’s happened to me. It has shaped me into the woman I never imagined I could be. I was told when I had my oldest that I might as well put modeling to the side because that dream is over. I did at first but later realized that I can be a mom & have the career I WANT! Here I am a mother of 2, model, singer, teacher/mentor and entrepreneur, pursuing all I want! I am that example to my boys showing them that no matter the obstacles placed in front of you. You can always overcome them and be whatever you want to be. Don’t let anyone tell you any different That goes to all the mama’s out there as well!

It’s a blessing and I thank God everyday for giving me the greatest love I’ve ever felt!  #Momlife #Boymom #BossMom

Monthly Mama Spotlight: Ashley

 

Being a mom . . . The most rewarding, yet hardest job anyone could ever have. Yes cliche but it’s the best way to describe it. I am a mother of 3 all under the age of 5. My oldest son 4, middle son 3 and my daughter 9 months. We are our own amazing circus; I love it. Oh let’s not forget the 3 dogs and 1 fish running around too! But I can say that looking at where I am at now, never would my younger self ever believe it. I was going to be the working mom, have a career that wouldn’t be put aside to raise my children. Who can or would want to be home all day with children?! Well . . . turns out, me.

My husband and I moved from Colorado to Arizona when our oldest son was 1 year old. We had decided that we wanted our son raised at home by his mother. My husband is a freight driver so his schedule is all over the place and he can be gone for a week at a time. It’s hard not going to lie the inconsistencies are difficult at times but we both know that we are working for a better future and we will get there . Soon our second son was born and I truly realized what a SAHM is . . . Chaos coordinator 🤣. A few years later, a move, 2 puppies and a daughter we are finally feeling like we are in a good rhythm.

All I can say is we are beyond blessed and thank God every day for all that we have be given. New mamas my biggest piece of advice. IT WILL GET BETTER. You will get to sleep again, you will feel like a human again and oddly enough you’ll likely put yourself through it all when you have more little. #wife #mom #boss 

Monthly Mama Spotlight: Theresa

 

Once upon a time, I peed on a stick……life was never the same.   I have been on this mothering journey for almost 13 years with the love of my life.  We have been blessed to have been married for 17 years and have had 4 kids along the way. Motherhood has always been a part of me, knowing from a young age that I wanted to be a stay at home mom. During career day at school, I could have cared less, I knew I just wanted to be a mom.

Our first 3 children came within 5 years. When our oldest began kindergarten, that lasted about 3 months before we decided to take the crazy up a notch. That’s right….we decided to homeschool.  The journey to that decision is quite long and in depth, so I’ll spare you the details. But it was a journey we felt called to take.  When our oldest was 2, we knew a couple homeschool families through our church. I began  to talk to the mothers about homeschooling and LOVED everything I heard. Over the course of the next couple years, homeschooling kept finding ways to get in front of me. Meeting other parents, books I would happen to see, new friends we’d meet to happen to do it as well. My husband took a little longer to convince, but after 3 months of kindergarten he wasn’t impressed and agreed to try it for a year. She will be 13 in a couple weeks and about to finish 8th grade, with a 4th grader, a 2nd grader and a toddler there to keep it real.  Homeschooling for us has been such a huge blessing with loads of challenges but as the saying goes, I wouldn’t change it for the world.

“How do you do it all?” A question I am asked a lot, my reply is simply “I don’t”. It’s impossible!  That’s why for Christmasy husband is gifting me with a once a month house cleaner.  And that is motherhood. We can’t do it all, there will be days the laundry won’t get done, in my house that’s everyday.  There will be many days dishes don’t get done, or the floors mopped or that school project done. Let’s not even talk about the last time I put on make up or something that doesn’t have an elastic waist.  At the end of the looong exhausting day, I have little faces that look at me in adoration…….maybe they just want food?

Stay strong mama’s! Someday they will be out in the world, and out of your house!

Happy New Year!

Monthly Mama Spotlight: Mych’layla

Motherhood to me…

Motherhood. What I understood it to be before I became a mother, was much different than what it actually means to me now that I have crossed over. I am a 2nd grade teacher, work in several areas of ministry, lead my own God given ministry, and wear several other hats. So honestly, I had this expectation that it would be difficult, a little, but that it would be full of glitter and roses most of the time. Haha! That’s partially true. It is great, BUT it is also VERY difficult. There are things in me and about me that I did not even know existed until I experienced motherhood for myself.

First of all, conceiving was a huge struggle and took much longer than many other people around me. This impacted me more than I could have imagined. Why? Because in the midst of all of the struggles that come with infertility and trying to conceive, I still had to be a Bonus Mom (Step Mother) to my two beautiful bonus children. They shaped the first phase of motherhood for me and walked me through the true meaning of unconditional love apart from myself; how to truly love, no strings attached.

Through all that love, we later conceived my Rainbow Baby, Worshyp. After she was born, I struggled through navigating postpartum depression, feelings of being overwhelmed, guilt, shame, and many misunderstandings about how I should feel because of how long it took to conceive and have her. Fast forward to 8 months after, still navigating those feelings, and I find out that I am pregnant again. What?! I was just finding the “thing” to grasp for some type of grip on this “motherhood thing.” Geez!

If you ask me now, what motherhood means to me, I would most definitely have a very different answer than two years ago. I would say that it means knowing when to be selfless but also understanding the times when you need to be selfish. It is finding ways to indulge in self care, in the midst of caring for everyone else. It is knowing that you should only compare yourself to who you were yesterday. It is being honest, true, genuine, and authentic about what you see, feel, hear, think, need, and understand to be true. It is breathing when you feel suffocated by your “motherly” duties. Motherhood for you may not look like motherhood for me. That’s okay. Breathe…relax…and be…YOUR best representation of motherhood.

Monthly Mama Spotlight: Garielle

The one thing that resonates most with me in regards to motherhood is to expect the unexpected. I have two beautiful daughters, Calisi who is 5, and Amara who just turned 1. They bring a sense of chaos to my life, but they have given me purpose like I’ve never known. They make me so proud to be a mom.

I am a stay-at-home mom and wife. My husband travels more than we would both like, sometimes from 6 months to a year. I have learned so much about myself, our marriage and my mothering skills over the last 6 years. We live in an area with no family close by, so it gets a little mentally draining sometimes, especially with a teething baby. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard, but I’ve learned to just go with the flow, because it does no good for me or the girls to stress over what I cannot change. I’m so thankful for my husband and all that he does, because staying at home has been the best thing for my girls and I. Especially in the first year of the baby’s life and the start of kindergarten for my oldest. I get to show the baby love all day long and get my oldest on and off the bus, and that’s the only way I can picture things. A daily gym routine and a strict bedtime for my girls is a definite must! It’s the only “me time”. I am all about a schedule, which may not work for other moms, but for me, it keeps me sane. I don’t count the days, I don’t dwell on him not being home, I keep it moving for the girls and always make sure they are happy, busy and entertained.

It’s cliche, but this has definitely been the hardest job I’ve ever had. I spend my days and nights making sure my family is taken care of and happy. That brings me more joy than I would’ve ever imagined.

❤