This is my first Mother’s Day as a mom! There is a little 21 week old baby happily swimming around in amniotic fluid in my belly, kicking at my bladder and stomping on my cervix and generally reminding me every moment that I am growing a peoples. And I could not be more excited. I’M A MOMMY!!!!
I have always dreamed of being a mother. I’ve spent far too many hours of my childhood mothering dolls, children, pets, etc. My baby crazy haze is partially why I currently have 5 cats. It’s really less crazy cat lady and more, lady with unfettered maternal instincts run amok, and oh god give me more furry things to cuddle.
This is also my mother and my mother-in-laws first Mothers Day as grandmothers. So the gifts Jonathan and I decided to give are Tessa centered!
At 18 weeks, during Tessa’s anatomy scan, we received some gorgeous 3D ultrasound images. So far these have only been plastered over Instagram, so for Mothers Day we decided to have these framed for our moms.
While window shopping at Marshall’s not too long ago, we spotted some Valerie Bertinelli picture frames and I knew these would make the perfect gift for mums day. American actress Valerie Bertinelli launched her namesake boutique line of home accessories last year as part of a limited release, and they are no longer available, except at TJ Maxx and Marshalls outlets. (God, I love those stores so hard.) So I am happy that we were able to snag a couple of these designer frames before they were cleared out.
The frames are hand carved and painted, and the simple design and 4×4 image window make for a perfect showcase of our beautiful little baby. Isn’t she precious?!
Jonathan and I are still visiting his family and so we spent our Mothers Day at a cabin in Hoodsport, Washington, a little town along the misty coast. Jonathan and his dad treated Connie Jo and I to handmade crepes and coffee for breakfast, then we went for a hike in the Olympic Peninsula. It was lightly sprinkling, and the mossy green everywhere was just breathtaking. In addition to the special treatment and wilderness hike, Jonathan also got me some aromatherapy socks, pink fuzzy slippers and a specialty olive oil diffuser spray for my first Mothers Day. ^_^
So I’ve decided that now, while Tessa is still just a wiggle in my belly, and before I’m dealing with the demands and pressures and craziness that a baby outside the belly is sure to bring, that I’d like to make a kind of “mission statement” on what kind of mother I want to be. That way I can come back, year after year, and make sure I am still being everything I have always wanted to be for my children. I’m hoping this will serve as my North Star of motherhood, and that as the years go by, I will add to this list and stay true to it, heart and soul.
I will always love my children unconditionally and constantly strive to let them know that they are loved and cherished.
I will do everything in my power to ensure that my children are healthy both physically and emotionally. I will provide healthy foods for my children and foster healthy eating habits and good hygiene.
I will expose my children to a variety of cuisines, music, hobbies, art and locations and give them every opportunity to be cultured and world-savvy. I want my children to be as comfortable in a fine art museum as they are hiking through a forest.
I will let my kids explore their interests, and foster a creative and imaginative spirit. I will encourage playing make-believe, playing dress up, singing silly songs and using mom and dad as a jungle gym. I will let them know that a light spirit and a sense of humor, even when things go wrong, is a virtue.
I will raise my children in a godly, Christ-centered household where family prayers, Bible studies and Christian outreach is regular and sincere. I want my kids to be familiar with the Word of God and to see the love of Christ lived out in their parents.
I will homeschool my kids and make every opportunity a learning opportunity for them. I will impart life lessons as a day to day experience of life and surroundings and teach my kids to think, not just to learn. I will foster a love of literature in my kids and give them ample opportunities to be involved in activities in their community.
I will do my best to teach my children morals and ethics, and to work towards an attitude of humility, honesty, integrity and goodwill toward others. I will give them opportunities to be good stewards of their surroundings, from nurturing, loving and raising animals to tending a garden and protecting our environment.
I know that there are many more things that I would like to add to this list (and most likely will add each year) but I figure for now this is a good start. I know this blog is young, and my readers are all over the place in their lives and their interests, but I really would like some feedback… what do YOU have in your mission statement that differ from mine or that you would add that I have missed??
Darling,
I completely love your mission statement…..hubby and I must do one also me thinks….
As for feedback about it, I think it is wonderful. One thing I would add, and this is important, Always remember to differentiate when you are upset with their BEHAVIOR and not necessarily them. It can be hard and frustrating disciplining a child (no matter how you do it) when you say things like “I’m upset with you.” No, you’re not upset with them, you’re upset with their behavior…..adding that little behavior word does wonders for not tearing down precious self esteem. even if it is easier to say. I have learned this and am working hard on remembering it. 🙂 Just remember, if you ever wanna vent, or talk, or gurgle and coo, I am always ready to listen. And by the time your beautiful daughter gets old enough to start causing mischief, I’ll help you laugh about it, cause I really have been there, done that! LOL!. So will most of the other mothers that we know! You guys are going to make great parents.
That’s all I’ve got right now. Loves ya. Enjoy your trip, and we need to have coffee when you get back. 🙂
~The Book Goddess.
That is awesome advice, and I have been trying to work on the way I talk in prep for a child who is impressionable and sensitive… for instance, I always talk negatively about myself. And I don’t want to impart that kind of negative self-talk onto my child. And I guess that (kind of) goes hand in hand with venting in frustration… it’s not just what you say it’s how you say it! I can’t even begin to wrap my brain around what having a little life in the house with eyes on me for the next 18 years is gonna be like!! And yes, coffee is most def in order. We gotta get together for some joint blogging ventures as well….
That’s a wonderful statement, and I wholeheartedly agree w/ bookgoddess on how you speak to children. I make a point to say, “you are behaving in such and such a manner”, not that you are a good/bad boy/girl. One child I babysat would tell me how he’d been a bad boy, and I would say, “No, you are always, always a good boy. You just acted in a way that you shouldn’t have.”
I had read something similar in the book Boundaries. I had purchased it to deal with some issues within my family, and I was surprised to see the book tackled the root of the issue – by having a whole chunk of chapters dedicated to dealing with children and upbringing and establishing healthy boundaries and teaching them to do the same… and it covered not telling a child they are “bad” but stressing that it is the BEHAVIOR that is bad… I will have to add this to my list!!! I’m blessed to know some wonderful moms!
Happy Mother’s Day! Now that Tessa is on the OUTSIDE, you get to look into the giggling face of the one who made you a mom…a little bit of Heaven on Earth right there. God bless you, my baby girl. Thanks for making a mom X2!