Motherhood

After being a mother for two years, I have mentally collected quite a bit of opinions, knowledge, warnings, etc from everyone from my mom, to my sister in law, to my friends, neighbors, the lady in the grocery store and all the women who want to rant in blogs on the internet.

It seems as if a huge shift has transpired over the last 20 or so years. I have never heard mothers complain more than recently. And about everything. It's amazing to me that mothers feel okay with their complaints and how they justify them. When did we become so weak? Our mothers and their mothers and their mothers certainly weren't. And they wouldn't dare complain, regardless of how hard it was.

I remember reading some of the "Scary Mommy" blogs while pregnant with my first and just so sad at how moms complain about pregnancy, about birth, about having a newborn, about having a toddler.  Everything I read was negative, no positive comments at all. Good Heavens! Then why did you become a mom?? I was thrilled to become pregnant,  I chose to love my pregnancy and growing belly. Then I chose to love my birth, and love my maternity leave...it was blissful to me. And yet, according to some I'm not allowed to be so positive, why? I am still loving my life with my baby who is almost two. And I'm 34 weeks pregnant with my second, and although it's grueling I choose to love this pregnancy and phase of life too.

It's like when some moms actually become moms they want to opt out. Opt out of any discomfort, any change to their lives. Well, darling it doesn't work like that. I chose to embrace it all...pain and intensity during my natural birth, sleeplessness, long days, change of my schedule, I completely embraced motherhood. And sure everyone's situation is different and no I'm not better because of the path I chose, I just figured if I'm going to be a mom, I'm all in. No one said it'd be easy, or comfortable, but it's beyond rewarding. When did mothers become so selfish and "woe is me" that they can't sacrifice themselves, their time, and life to these precious creatures they made? I am hyper aware of what can go wrong in life. Maybe that's because I'm a Christian and I know this physical world is oh so temporary, and pain is inevitable. And it's everywhere...moms losing their babies in utero, moms losing their babies after birth, losing children, husbands, etc.

So tell me again why it's justified to complain about how you got 2 hours of sleep last night? Because for me, I was just happy my baby was healthy and in my arms. I could care less how much sleep I got. I was lucky she was alive and well. It's time for moms to take a step back, get off their podium, their pedestal, and be thankful. Instead of complain, why don't you count your blessings? Or write in a journal, but for Heavens sake the public rants need to stop.

Pardon me dear smoker

This has been on my mind since I was pregnant with my first baby over two years ago. Why is it that in our society today it is more than acceptable to move aside and make room for smokers? Even when study after study after study has been done to show how dangerous smoking is for them, but ahem what about everyone around them? Second-hand smoke can be just as dangerous and yet, we non-smokers are supposed to move for the smokers?? And why because we don't want to hurt their feelings? Come on.

Smoking cigarettes has always hit a sensitive spot for me. My Oma died from lung cancer 20 years ago...and I just never got it. It was the opposite of attractive, cool, or interesting...it was flat out gross. I never tried a cigarette and I'm so glad I can tell my girls that when we have these discussions when they're older.

But what really got under my skin was when I was pregnant and I would have to remove myself from a certain area because people were smoking. Doesn't that seem a little backwards? Why can't the people who are knowingly harming themselves move? Instead of now putting everyone else in danger. Because our society is all about protecting or pardoning those who shouldn't be instead of just standing up and changing it. No...if you want to smoke and die from cancer, you can do that on your own thank you. I and my unborn baby will not be going down with you, nor shall we move from our comfortable spot. You move. You chose this disgusting, harmful habit...so you pay the consequences.

Rant over.