To Be A Mother...

First, the majority of you know this, but it is a girl! Yay! I am thrilled! I cannot wait to have another girl. I hope her and Layla will be best friends.

So as I'm starting to look more and more pregnant, I hear all the time "Oh, you're going to have your hands full!" And that's from the nice people. It is so frustrating to me how motherhood is not only not more celebrated, but not more encouraged. For example, we hear all the time about success in terms of money and career. How often do we hear about success as a mother? I think if you and your kids made it through the day, that should be celebrated! I think all this focus on career and financial success takes away from one of the most important jobs of all time, motherhood. Too often we hear from others "oh she does...and makes...and is really doing well" but we don't hear, "Oh she has four kids, and they are happy, well-adjusted children, she is really doing well."

It is so important for girls to know it is okay to want to be a mom. I have asked a few girls what they want to do after college, and some of them answer "a mom" almost sheepishly, like it is something to be ashamed of. I say shame on us if we are not promoting the importance of motherhood.

Let's face it, there are plenty of days where I would love to put on dressier clothes, something without graham cracker crumbs sprinkled all over, do my make-up, meet the nanny at the door and head off to some exciting career. To a career where I can earn recognition from someone other than my husband. Where mess, and cartoons, and tears are not part of my routine. Where if I lose my patience with someone I don't end up feeling like a complete failure. To some job where when people asked what I did instead of just smiling and saying "oh" about my being a mother, they actually asked questions and were interested.

But that's not why I became a mom. I did not become a mom for someone else to raise my children while I worked some over-glorified position. I know there are mothers who cannot afford to stay home, and I am so grateful that my husband and I are able to have me stay home with our children. Yes, this may mean being broke, praying that your car won't break down, that the doctor bill will be smaller than anticipated, that you can make something appetizing out of what's on sale this week. But it is worth it.

I know that if I went to work I would constantly be wondering what my kids were doing. And though it seems never ending, I know I will miss the graham cracker crumbs, the peanut butter and jelly smears, the playdough, the mess, and the tears some day (okay, I don't think I will miss the tears!). But my point tonight is this, we need to celebrate motherhood. I definitely get my rewards, hugs, smiles, jokes, laughter. But we need to acknowledge the effort that mothers put forth every day. The courage it takes to be a mother. We need to applaud every woman who puts her children first.

It is a good thing to want to be a mom, while it might not be the most glamourous job ever, it is the only job with amazing benefits. Yes, there's no vacation days, no sick time, no paid overtime, but watching your children learn and grow is so worth it.

So to moms everywhere, you are amazing! You are doing a great job, and you deserve recognition! Here's to celebrating motherhood!