Life is Beautiful

Motherhood, Sewing, Family

My epiphany on what enjoying every moment of motherhood really means

~ SHARING MY HEART WITH YOU

Living in UT where it’s cold and dry, I’m always looking for a good lotion so I agreed to try out the Vaseline Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair lotion. This post is on behalf of Vaseline® and One2One Network and all opinions stated are my own.
So you know how there are some mothers in this world who say, “I love being a mother.  I love every second of it.  There isn’t a moment of motherhood I would trade for anything else!?”  Well, I always wanted to say to them, “Well, that’s just B.S!  How could you love every moment of motherhood?  Do you REALLY love that moment when it’s 4 a.m and you haven’t slept one second because you have a sick baby who is crying nonstop and she/he just threw up all over you?  Do you really love that moment when you have vomit all over your sleepy, exhausted self at 4 a.m?  You REALLY wouldn’t trade that moment for another moment more peaceful?”  And to be honest with you, I wanted to punch them in the face(in my mind anyway since I would never actually punch anyone in the face). But seriously, they have to be lying!  Stop pretending like you’re perfect and you’re so wonderful and you don’t get frustrated or sad or mad because of your kids!  

Well, a few weeks ago I had an epiphany.  Epiphany on what “enjoying every moment of motherhood” really means.  At least what it means to me.  We were on the airplane on our way to Hawaii, our spontaneous trip we booked a few days prior.  We had flew to Arizona and had a layover, and now we were on our second plane with 5-6 more hours of flight before arriving in HI.  Aiden was squirming everywhere, he slept for maybe 30 mins. the whole day, he kept stepping on our thighs to peer over the people behind us, he would get frustrated sitting still and not being able to run around, Jay and I were both exhausted.  I let out a big sigh(something I’m working on, I sigh all the time!), and looked at my husband as he was walking down the aisle holding Aiden, trying to entertain him and keep him content.  For a second I thought about how traveling with an 18 month old is so difficult and how it’s the hardest age for me, etc.  Then a thought came into my head about how Aiden has been pretty good for being an 18 month old, and he hasn’t cried at all.  Then another thought came into my head about how he would peer back to the other passengers and give his big dimpled smiles, making them all smile and comment how cute he was.  More thoughts came into my head about how he would cuddle with his daddy and snuggle him as he slept for those 30 mins. that he did and how cute my husband looked.  And how good of a dad Jay was and how involved and helpful he is all the time.  How Aiden doesn’t even want me when daddy is around so I get a big break and Jay basically took care of Aiden this whole plane ride.  Then it hit me what embracing every moment really meant.

Embracing each and every moment doesn’t mean you don’t get annoyed or frustrated, it doesn’t mean you’re smiling and being perfectly happy while your baby throws up all over you at 4 a.m, it means you embrace each moment of motherhood and live for those perfect moments in between the imperfect moments.  You embrace every part of motherhood because it all goes by so fast and whatever happens, happens and there’s not much you can change it so you do you best to be positive and loving to your kids, and then when that moment comes when your sick baby finally stops crying and calms down, and you’ve washed yourself and your baby clean, and your baby rests her sweet little head on your chest as you’re rocking on the chair, smelling that baby shampoo and the baby smell while cuddling and kissing her and singing gently in her ear as she falls asleep, you take a deep breathe and try to remember this moment in every detail because it really is perfect. And your heart swells up with so much gratitude and happiness for your baby and for God and you say a silent prayer in your heart thanking him for this crazy hard but crazy beautiful life of motherhood. 

My daughter wanted to look like an “Ice Princess” so she dressed in her silver sparkly sequin dress, a grey cardigan with a silver sequin trim, and silver metallic tights, with a silver necklace.  How cute is she?
  
I tried the Vaseline Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair lotion right before we went ice skating to see how it’ll be and to be honest, I’ve tried their regular Vaseline lotion before and wasn’t impressed(I’m very very picky with lotion).  It didn’t keep my skin moist enough, I felt like.  My hands and my knees get especially dry and after a few hours it would get white/dry patches again.  But their new Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair lotion was so much better!  I am very sensitive to scent and I’m not a fan of scented lotion and even unscented lotions have a scent to it, most of them a weird scent for me but this one’s “fragrance free” fragrance is actually a scent I don’t mind at all, and actually liked.  It says “with micro-droplets of Vaseline jelly, it’s clinically proven to heal very dry skin in 5 days”.  The texture is non-greasy which I’m sure a lot of people like, but I personally prefer a thicker, richer, creamier lotion.  I do like how it’s very light though.  Will I use the rest of the bottle?  Yes.  I give it a 7 out of 10.  
Even though I’m not a fan of ice skating because I hate being cold and any activity where I’ll be cold I dislike, I go and take my kids anyway because they love it.  And even though it takes awhile to get them dressed warm enough and to rent and put their ice skates on, and they might fall and cry and whine, I enjoy those moments because it brings the perfect moments of my girls holding my hands firmly with complete trust in me that I’ll catch them if they trip, that I’ll be here to kiss their owies and make it all better, that moment when we’re done ice skating and we take off our skates and get hot chocolate to warm up our hands and we are all happy.  Those moments and so many other moments of motherhood are perfect.  And I live for those moments and it’s worth the less fun, frustrating moments.
Now, I’m one of those mothers who say “I embrace and enjoy every moment of motherhood.”  And I really mean it.  But of course if I were to say that to another mother, I would explain to her what that really means to me. 🙂  Any of you mother/fathers willing to embrace every moment of parenthood with me? 
p.s. oh, speaking of parenthood, I am so so so so so so sad Parenthood has ended.  My favorite show!