Tuesday, July 15, 2008

When I grow up I wanna be...

a mom.

I was reading my friend Kathleen's blog post today and started to leave a very lengthy comment. But it seemed a little too lengthy. So I'm posting it here.

I LOVE being a mom. I love this path that I chose. But it's the hardest job in the world! Kids don't come with instructions. You have to make it up as you go along. And hope you chose wisely. Thank goodness for a wonderful Father in Heaven-- or I'd be cracking. When I am overwhelmed with my four kids, I invite over three or four friends to play for several hours. Then I realize four is easy-- I'm not ready for seven or eight. seriously. I do. Maybe I'm a nut. But when I had one, I thought it was incredibly hard. Going from no kids to one kid is a big change. Life as I knew it totally flipped. My priorities changed. My preconceived notions about parenting changed. I took him everywhere with me. I never wanted to be apart from him. Instead of sleeping when he slept like many people recommended, I sat there staring at him in awe, the perfectness and innocence he had, and just was amazed at the miracle of life. I read books as fast as I possibly could to learn how to be a good mother and to understand his needs.

When I had number two I was in total shock. No one ever told me that having two kids was hard. I had heard three was hard, but not two. Suddenly I had to divide up the time I had for my one child into time for two. And to understand their totally different personalities. Once I got over the shock of how hard it was, I was able to enjoy having two.

When I was close to delivering number three I was extremely freaked out. I called all my friends and older sisters in the ward who had three kids so I could prepare. What do I need to know? Any advice for me to help the transition go easier? You know what? No one would tell me anything about having three. They all said something to the effect of, "You'll figure it out. You're a great mom. You just learn as you go." Thanks. So when I was expecting number four, I figured, What the heck? This will probably be utter madness. I guess we'll figure it out. And many days, it is utter madness. And I love it. Because this is my calling. This is all I ever wanted to be.

6 comments:

Neighbor Jane Payne said...

Hooray for you, Nikki. You're a great one, too. I agree, there is nothing more important that we can do.

JoMamma said...

You are so right. It is not easy, but it is so rewarding. I am so grateful that I am able to be a full time mom. I love being with them all the time. However, I'll have to remember the tip about the playdate. I'm sure that every now and then a reminder on how good I have it will help out.

SuperCoolMom said...

Yes. I had 12 names picked out before I was 8. Even my career choice was made so that IF I had to work I could have my kids at school with me and have summers off with them.

Laura said...

I love being a mom too - but I must say, adding a third to our family isn't in our plans! I could probably handle it - chaos is chaos - but there is no way hubby would go for it. He isn't into the baby thing - he likes them a bit older. Maybe adoption, later on, if God wills it.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful post Nikki! I love being a mom too, even though some days I wonder how I'm going to keep it sane! But as my kids get older and go off on their own, I realize more and more what a great privilege it is to have this opportunity. I love being a mom.

Julie V. said...

I agree - nothing is more challenging or more rewarding. I love being a Mom...and sometimes I hate the heartache. You aren't dealing with heartache yet...just business and small worries. Still - the blessings outweigh the tough times. One thing about having more kids though is that by the time you have your ninth, your first born kiddies are big enough to help with the new comers. My kids were always good helpers with their younger siblings. Wish I had that same support to help through the terrifying teen years.