A very Happy Mother’s Day to all the fabulous Mommies out there!
This morning, I’ve been treated to breakfast by the computer, so I can sit back and blog! Ah, sometimes life is a bowl of cherries :)
Today I’ll share a secret. Before Ryder was born, becoming a mom was more of a romantic notion than a well informed decision. I liked the idea of having a family; the idea of being pregnant and having people gush over my baby bump; the idea of a year away from work. I callously ditched the pill on my honeymoon, thinking whatevs, when it happens it happens.
As it turns out, I must have skipped Health Education a lot in high school, because I was actually shocked to find out I was pregnant a month later. But once again, I was enveloped by the whole fairy tale, and looked forward to decorating a nursery, buying baby onesies, and of course, counting down the days to being a mother.
And then, the day before Mother’s Day 2008, I gave birth to my little Ryder Roonie – the sweetest little angel I had ever laid eyes on (even when he was covered in that birth gunk – okay, for a split second I thought “eww” – but you know how it is). I found out I would be discharged from the hospital the next day – Mother’s Day – and the fairy tale was complete.
Or perhaps I should say the fairy tale ended.
Faced with a demanding, screaming baby, tons of help but little direction, and zero confidence in my ability to care for this precious little boy, I tailspinned into a bout of depression that had me longing for my once carefree life. I stared at my beautiful baby and wished I could go back in time… and take the pill for 2 more years. Or 4 more years. Or indefinitely.
But the wonderful thing about babies is their ability to find that secret passage to your heart, crawl through when you least expect it and take over with gusto. All the things I had previously loved – freedom, sleep, extra spending money – had been pushed away to make room for the overwhelming force that is Ryder. All at once, my life was complete.
And his hold was so undeniable that this former career gal, shopaholic and budding wine enthusiast traded her job, Prada handbags and Folonari Valpolicella for life as a Stay at Home Mom.
And so tomorrow, when Ryder turns 2 years old and we’re on baby watch for his little brother to arrive, I am constantly thankful for being part of this elite club of extraordinary women; with my mentor being my own loving mother. To all the mothers, mothers-to-be and grandmothers – I wish you a day full of peace and happiness.
xoxo
Fun fact: This is my third Mother’s Day – yet Ryder will turn 2 tomorrow. He was 1 day old on MD 2008, he turned 1 on MD 2009, and he’ll be 2 the day after MD 2010. Weird, eh?
The picture above was taken by the lovely and talented Sharon Navarro, who is celebrating her first Mother’s Day.
Beautiful picture of you and Ryder! :-D Happy Mother's Day to you too Lena!!! Hope Mike and Ryder spoil you rotten today! :-D
A very Happy Mother's Day to you too Josie! Hope Milena and Roman are being extra special to their beautiful mommy today :)
Happy Mother's Day homie!
Happy Mother's Day missy! Have a great day- you deserve it:) xoxo
Great post Charlene! I totally relate to what you wrote — both the trials and the joy. Happy Mother's Day!Janice
I love all 3 of you soooo much.Happy mothers day my dear!
What a wonderful Mother's Day blog Charlene :) My eyes were welling up as I was reading! Glad you had a wonderful day. There is nothing better in life than being a mom.
@chinwhat – thanks homie!@Lotus – aww, you're so sweet! Thanks for the note, can't wait to chat :)@Janice – your beautiful and bright little Charlotte is a testament to what a wonderful mother you are. Happy Mother's Day!@Mike – you just happen to be one of the best daddies ever :)@Shauna – now YOU, my dear, are an inspiration to me. You always seem to have it together! A natural mom if I ever met one. Hope you had a wonderful day with your dudes!
What a great post Lena. Ryder is blessed to have you as his Mommy – so is Baby #2. There is no such thing as a manual for parenting. The only thing we can do is parent from the heart. And it sounds like you're doing that. Ryder is a wonderful little guy. Don't worry, I'm not into Mommy Groups and also would rather stroll through the mall instead too. Unfortunately, some other moms like to judge. Well, let them. In the meantime, doing things (with less worry and stress) on your own terms does Ryder much more good than hanging out at Mommy Groups.
@Runner Mama – thank you so much for the kind words of encouragement! Your little Lunchie is one of the luckiest little boys ever :)
That is SUCH a gorgeous photo!!And, a great story – I love your honesty. Myself, I have brief thoughts once a day that long for the childless life. When I can't go pee alone, someone throws their dinner plate at me, sick days – for moments I do wish for solitude. But then I see their smiling faces and know I'm exactly where I truly want to be.Thinking of you, I can't wait to hear news on #2!!!{{HUGS}}and, Happy Mother's Day!Tammi
happy mothers day charlene! this was probably one of the best blogs ive read in a long long time. I love hearing peoples inner most thoughts. =)
Hi Charlene,That was a great and inspirational blog! It got me a little misty-eyed too…:)Happy belated Mother's day and I hope everything goes smoothly with the arrival of Ryder's little bro!Helen :)
@Tammi – you're superwoman to me! I don't know how you do it with three (including twins)! A great big {HUG} to you too :)@Dexdon – happy you enjoyed the post. Now it's your turn to share something…@Helen – aw, you're so sweet. Thank you so much – I can't wait to see you again! I promised your brother I would let him have May 7th all to himself, but any time after that is fair game!