Part I: What We Love About Being a Mom

You may remember that a few weeks back I published a Facebook post with a link to a survey. I asked specifically for moms to help me out with a new blog series I was working on. I got a TON of responses and I think I’ve finally made enough time to share those results with all of you!

If you’re a mom, I hope this series gives you something to reflect on. I hope you read my words and realize that these statistics are from the very women you are surrounded by. These women are in your community, living next door, and clicked on the survey just like everyone else. Every day we wake up feeling so much pressure to be the best mom that we can. Some days we just fall short.

I’m here to remind you that it’s okay. I’m here to remind you that you aren’t alone. I’m here to remind you that other women out there feel just. like. you.

If you aren’t a mom, but wanted to see the results anyway, I encourage you to think about the ways that you can take a load off of the woman in your life. Motherhood is a beast and even when we say we don’t need your help, often times it’s all we really want.

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When I started this project, I wasn’t sure how I was going to put all of the information from my survey into one post. Before I even looked at the survey responses, I just wasn’t sure if I was going to receive the participation that I wanted and I honestly wasn’t even sure exactly what I was going to make it into. After looking over the stats and comments left on the survey, I knew that this was going to be something great.

Sometimes, as a writer, I just live my life and hope that I find inspiration somewhere within my day. I’ve never been the type of writer to throw words onto a page and publish it “just because.” I was astonished with some of the responses I gathered and I can’t wait to share all of that with you. To start off this three part series, I wanted to start off with

What We Love Most About Being a Mom

I chose to start off revealing your answers to this question because I think now, more than ever, is a great time to sit back and think about why being a mom is so great. A lot of us are spending an extended amount of time with our children due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so you may be ripping out your hair by now. If that is the case, sit back and read these responses. Remind yourself of all of the amazing perks that comes with taking care of your children, then go grab those kiddos and give them a squeeze!

Overall Results:

Watching them learn, grow, and become independent	35.71%
The smiles	19.05%
Hugs, kisses, and cuddles	9.52%
Other	9.52%
Hearing “I love you”	7.14%
When they want you	7.14%
They are our biggest fans	7.14%
When they light up when they see you	4.76%

Individual Responses:

Responses:

My son has changed my life for the better in every way possible. My family thing about being a mom so far is that he loves cuddling me at night. He knows it’s so comforting to me

All the hugs and kisses of course! Watching my child grow into a beautiful smart lady

Those sweet cuddles! When you feel those tiny arms around your neck and you know right in that moment you are their safe place.

When my baby comes up to me all on her own to give me hug and kisses. Also to watch her learn and see her growing into her own little human.

My kid only wants me all the time.

When my child only wants me to “fix” whatever the issue may be

When they need me during the most important times

Just knowing god hand picked this child and knowing him/her is everything I’ve ever wanted.

Knowing that my body made this miracle

When you see your kiddo just being a good human. Loving and encouraging people without being prompted.

You are doing your part in making the world a better place for future generations.

All the smiles!

Coming home from work and seeing their beautiful faces. Teaching them the ropes of life and seeing them become their own person

Just him. He’s the best blessing. His smile. The new things he learns and does each day

Knowing unconditional love.

Seeing any child smile is the best feeling

Seeing him grow into a respectful, funny, caring young man. Everyday he reminds me I did a good job.

Seeing his eyes light up when he sees me, and looking down at him and seeing the beautiful life I created.

Seeing my children grown up and watching them as parents. You realize that you did after all get something right.

Seeing my kids accomplish different things at different stages. But mostly watching the people they become.

Seeing my son smile and watching him learn. Nothing better than knowing I’m helping him learn and grow into a gentleman.

Seeing the smile on my son’s face everyday

Seeing the way my son lights up when I come into the room

Seeing them grow and develop into their own person

Seeing them grow up. We started from the very bottom teaching him to eat so its crazy seeing were he came from moh

Successful adults

That my children love me regardless of how chunky I think I am. They love me and think I’m great even when I don’t think I am.

The bond we have. Hearing my kids say “I love you” and showing affection.

The memories that are made and the fact my children get so excited to see me after a day or work. I always love to hear “yuv you mommy” no matter what mood I’m in.

The most rewarding part is hearing my sweet boy laugh and smile at me. I could be having a complete melt down (you know being a mom has hard times) but nothing makes it more rewarding that when your crying and your baby is just staring at you with a little smile. My favorite part has to be all the milestones. It’s the most bittersweet feeling I’ve ever had.

The smiles letting me know they love me unconditionally.

The smiles on my kids faces

Them saying I love you

Watching my babies grow up

Watching my baby grow and learn

Watching my children grow and become independent

Watching my children grow and seeing their personalities develop.

Watching my kids grow and the new things they learn on a day to day basis

Watching my kids learn and grow into the best kids a parent can ask for

Watching the baby I created grow and learn new things

Watching them learn new things and being so excited about the littlest things

You can feel like you’re failing and they are still your biggest fans

I hope this has reminded you of all the great aspects of being a mother. Hang in there, tough mamas and stay tuned for Part II and Part III of this series! I have a lot more to share!

Part II: Making Time For You

Part III: Motherhood, Body Image, & Depression

Surviving the Qurantine

Link some great blogs 👇🏻

I feel like I’ve hit a spot on here where I don’t follow enough personal bloggers. I like to read the real, raw writing of people and lot of the pages I follow today are articles on HOW TO or advice columns. I want so much more from this site!! I want to admire creative writing and make new friends!

Do you have a favorite blogger that posts personal, reflective content? Shout out some fellow bloggers so I can find some new content!!

Much appreciated!!

Xoxo -Chrissy

I Made It

I was promoted from a part-time gig where I worked 26 hours a week to a full-time position with benefits, PTO, quarterly bonuses, and a $3.50 pay raise. This job is usually open to those with a Bachelors degree, but I went for it anyway and ended up getting it.

I’ve been thinking about my career often here lately. I caught myself thinking about work on my drive home from a restaurant tonight. Thinking about work doesn’t sound so strange as it does to think about work in such a positive way. I’m currently in the pricing department of America’s largest food RE distributor, Dot Foods.

This job is different than any other job I’ve ever had. We focus a lot on goals in both a professional and personal sense. We put statistics and actual percentages to these goals which has always intrigued me. I think what most excites me is that I feel like I’m finally doing a “smart person” job. Although I’m still three semesters away from a Bachelor’s degree, I feel like I could really make a career for myself within the company. I often get praised for my work, and from my understanding, I’ve got the best performance when it comes to request turnaround and accuracy.

I don’t know, maybe I sound braggy, but for once I finally feel like I’m appreciated in the workplace. I finally feel like I’m doing a job that aligns with the intelligence that I feel I contain. I’m finally in a role that pushes me, makes me use my brain, and encourages me to be better not only in a capitalistic sense, but also in a way that betters my family, my friends, and my colleagues.

I finally feel like things are coming together and I can’t explain how special that feels after so many hours I’ve spent wondering when/if I was going to make it.

My takeaway: Never give up pursuing your dreams, and when you feel like you’ve finally made it, readjust those goals and set them HIGHER.

I’m happy now, but I’m not going to be complacent. No one changes the world in one day, right?

The Beauty of Fostering

One of my dear friends and her husband have been going through the process to foster kids since 2019. They made the decision after they realized that they wanted a family, but couldn’t have kids of their own.

This woman is one of the kindest souls I know. We’ve known each other since I was pregnant with my daughter and I remember the days sharing the excitement for Della to arrive. After my daughter was born, she begged and begged to “steal” Della for a Saturday. She would pick up Della on a Saturday morning and bring her back Sunday after church. Della would often come back wearing brand new clothes holding multiple new toys. I knew this woman and her husband loved my daughter like their own, so I had no doubt that their decision to become foster parents was the right one.

Today she walked to my desk right at 5 o’clock as I was getting ready to pack up and leave work for the day. She took a deep breath and said, “Sooo I’ve been wrapped up on the phone for the last half hour because our case worker called.”

I felt the excitement well inside of me. They just finished the entire certification process about two weeks ago. We’ve been waiting for the go-time call.

“We’re getting kids tonight.”

A smile immediately broke on my face and I asked her how many.

“We’re getting a 9 year old boy, an 8 year old girl, a 6 year old boy, AND a 3 month old baby girl.”

My jaw dropped.

She laughed and said, “I had to take a deep breath before I came over to tell you because I knew that would be your reaction!”

I clasped my hands together and shared my excitement for her. We talked more about it for awhile and then I packed my things and went home.

I have been smiling ALL NIGHT!!

To think that all of this is finally coming together is so exciting! Not only because we now have new kids to shower with love, but also because I know that they did not take this decision lightly. It was a huge, incredible, life-changing choice that they contemplated and worked towards for a very long time.

I feel proud to have stood by their sides in support through it all.

And it’s all finally falling into place.

To think that there are people out there that are willing to drop everything to provide for children that are being raised in less than desirable conditions makes me feel an immense amount of respect and admiration. Stories like this one give me hope that society is far better than it’s often betrayed because there are people that are full of compassion and understanding in circumstances like these. There are people that are willing to open their doors for others in need. There are people that do the right things for all of the right reasons.

And it’s worth admiring!

Mom Guilt

Mom guilt is such a bitch

I put my daughter to bed and then crawl into bed myself and look through all of my old photos of her

It’s like… When she’s awake I’m excited for her to go to bed so I can do things for myself

But

Then I put her to bed and all I can think is ‘I wanna go wake her up so bad’

It’s an endless game of guilt

And it sucks

But it goes without saying, I’m soaking up every second of her innocent youth because she’s growing up so fast and someday she’ll leave the nest! 😇😍