2016 was quite the year. I'm not even sure what to say about it because SO much happened. First of all, I married the love of my life 🤗💕 I think it's safe to say no one was expecting that because even I believed I was going to die alone with 3 chihuahuas and a mountain of shoes 🐶👠👟. I have never been happier though. I thought marriage would be really scary, but it's wonderful. It's not about the rings or the titles, all that matters is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Safe to say, I'm pretty happy with the decision I made. I became a mom to the silliest, most adorable little man 👶🏼. M came a couple weeks early, and we ended up in an emergent c-section which was pretty scary, but I learned how strong I can be. Becoming a mom has been the greatest, most rewarding experience of my life! I can't even imagine what I did with 8 hours of sleep, time to myself, and a purse that wasn't full of Cheerios. I learned so many valuable things from this year. Laugh. Seriously, laughter is so important in life and in a relationship. Laugh at yourself, laugh at your mistakes and short falls. Don't take life too seriously or you'll constantly be filled with regret. Laugh at least once a day, even if your day is sucky. I can promise it will help. Hint: I use these silly pictures of M with food ALL OVER his face because no, I wasn't laughing when it happened, ok I kind of was, a little, but it sure makes me laugh now. M refused to let me feed him because he's a little stubborn and likes to feed himself. In the end, he basically finger painted peas all over his highchair and himself. I learned the importance of perseverance in a big way. When I found out I was pregnant, I decided I still wanted to finish my degree so I switched my schooling to online. I was determined to complete it on time. My advisor suggested being a part time student because many failed only 2 online classes a semester, but that would slow my progress so I tried my spring semester with 12 online credits and got a 3.0-- not my best work but pretty good for having a newborn and taking a week off for a surgery/recovery. This spring I will graduate with an Associate degree in communication and complete my 3rd 12 credit online semester! 🤗Yay! I also learned that communication is essential to any healthy relationship. It's especially necessary when parenting. We had to figure out how to communicate incredibly well as soon as M was born otherwise we found ourselves wondering what time he was changed, how long he ate, and when I needed my pain medications. We had a chart, but my organization skills are like a 2 on a good day so after staying up for 48 straight hours, having surgery, and being on pain medication they were like a negative 5. If you can't be honest in your relationship, you aren't in the right relationship. Seriously, don't hide your feelings. You should trust your partner enough to be honest and open with them. You should want to communicate with the person you're in a relationship with. It's the only way things work and how problems get fixed. Becoming a mom helped me find a new confidence and inner strength. I applied for and got my first writing job. YAY! I also am trying to make a career out of blogging— stay tuned how that goes. Finally and most importantly, I learned to believe in myself. Being a mom means that I am 100% responsible for another human being. In order to do that well, I have to trust myself and my instincts. I learned the importance of perseverance in a big way. When I found out I was pregnant, I decided I still wanted to finish my degree so I switched my schooling to online. My advisor suggested being a part time student, but that would slow my progress so I tried my spring semester with 12 online credits and got a 3.0-- not my best work but pretty good for having a newborn and taking a week off for a surgery/recovery. This spring I will graduate with an Associate degree in communication and complete my 3rd 12 credit online semester! 🤗Yay! It's safe to say 2016 was quite the year for our family. It was filled with many surprises, challenges, and blessings. I couldn't be more thankful for how incredible this year turned out. I can't even picture a better year. I love my two boys with all of my heart, and I would be lost without them. This year has been fillled with tears, laughter, and so much love. 2017 will have quite the challenge trying to top 2016. Happy New Year's everyone!
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Some say that moms who have husbands who work 2nd shift are "married, single moms." When J first started working a second shift job I figured it would give us MORE time together because he would start work at 3 P.M. and be home around when I go to bed. We'd have day time to spend with each other, and I'd just tackle dinner and bedtime with M by myself. Sadly, I was wrong. Working second shift greatly throws off a person's sleep schedule. Unfortunately there are days when we really only see J awake for a couple of hours due to his wacky sleep schedule.
This is difficult on our family and our marriage. I stay-at-home with M so I spend nearly my entire day with him and taking care of him. I really love it, but that doesn't mean there aren't days where I feel like I'm losing my mind. Some days I find myself speaking like the mom from Daniel Tiger and saying "aga maga." I'm so used to the lack of adult or alone time that I talk to myself in the grocery store thinking M is sitting in the cart the few times I'm alone. Anyways, due to nearly opposite schedules it can be really difficult to communicate first of all or get any quality time together. We use Facetime more than I ever imagined so that M can have some Dad time. It's been a total hit because he also likes looking at himself in the selfie camera. LOL-- Who would've thought? This is one challenge we've faced in our rather new marriage. It's difficult. We don't have family dinner obviously so we try to substitute for family lunch. I use those leftovers for J's lunch/dinner at work and usually eat some for dinner myself. It can be pretty difficult and rather lonely. In the end, we are making it work the best we can for our family. We are still learning and adjusting as we work out the kinks in our schedules. In my first English class in college, this was our first assignment. We were to write a paper on why we write. It was a simple question. We write text messages, e-mails, diary entries, tweets, Instagram captions, term papers, etc. But then there was a deeper meaning, why? Some of us write because we have to. It's a requirement for a class or a means of communication. Some of us write because we geniunely enjoy it. I am one of those people.
When I first had M, I was a stay-at-home mom. That meant my days were centered around M and his needs. They still are, and I still stay home with M but I also work from home. It's crazy. I get really busy sometimes and stressed out, but I love it. I love having something of my own, and well much of my writing is about my child and experiences in parenthood it's a large piece of my life. When I became a mom, I felt as if I lost my own identity. I was no longer Megan. I was M's mom. That was it. When I walk in to family gatherings, church, etc. M is the first thing people notice. I love that, and I love my son and being a mom, but I missed being my own person greatly. I know it's selfish, or maybe it just sounds that way but it's true. There are many stay-at-home moms that feel this way. We try to find a balance between mom and woman, but it can be really easy to just define ourselves as "mom." We get lost in the shuffle some days because becoming a parent can impact every aspect of our lives. I write to keep my sanity and hopefully to help you keep yours. I want this blog to be a community for any and all parents who have known the "mombie" life all too well. You know the whole Cheerios in the bottom of your purse, sniffed at least one butt today, and probably wiped some bodily fluid from your child on a piece of your own clothing. |
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Megan is a stay-at-home mom to a stubborn and charming toddler and adorable baby girl. She is a freelance writer who hasn't slept in way too long.. She survives off of the pot of coffee her wonderful husband makes her FRESH each morning and any snack she can grab while keeping up with her little ones. Archives
October 2019
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