It's #MOMday again, folks, which can only mean one thing...TIME FOR ANOTHER #MOTHEROFTHEMOMENT !!! This week, we meet Dayna, our favourite Texan... Name: Dayna Hickman Age: 28 Location: Houston, Texas, U.S.A. Job: I'm an educator, with a preference for teaching English and literature, but also a freelance writer and editor. And of course, a professional coffee drinker. You can follow me at www.thefrazzledcoffeelover.com (which is under construction at the moment). Children: We have one precious, very fought-for, 10-month old son named Holt. The best thing about being a Mum: This is a hard question to answer, and I don't think I can accurately answer it with just one thing. The best part is hiding somewhere between the unending adoration of my son and the depth of my pride in my husband and my ability to navigate parenthood. I think it's too hard to choose a best thing. What motherhood has taught you about yourself: I've learned that I can run on less sleep than I thought possible. I've learned to see myself in my child, and dole out patience because I understand. I've learned to see my husband in our child, and dole out patience because I don’t understand. I've learned that I can love someone so deeply, that I forgot that person wasn't myself, but a piece of me outside of…me. I’ve learned that I can change incredibly in a tiny time span. I was a different human a year ago. A day in the life of you: Wake up. Drink coffee. Stumble around wishing for more sleep. Drink more coffee. Attempt to play with the child. Attempt to play on Facebook. Attempt to write. Attempt to clean house. Realize I have left everything unfinished. Pray nap time lasts longer than it does. Drink more coffee. Eat chocolate. Rinse and repeat. Ha! Best pregnancy/child/motherhood thing you've ever bought: There are three. First, a soft-sided carrier (Ergo). It was invaluable when he was tiny, sometimes it was the only place he would nap. It’s how I grocery shopped, went to church, and went for a walk. Second, a walker. I don’t care who says not to let your kid walk in a walker. Or why. My son loved his, and suddenly I could let him run and play while I did dishes or tossed a ball for the dogs. It was (is) a lifesaver for me! Third, touch and feel books. As a teacher, I see kids every day who don’t read. I believe early development is so important. Touch and feel books have provided hours of quiet bonding between my son and me, his daddy, and others. He enjoys getting in there and feeling the animals or prints. It fosters a very important love of books, and I hope that continues throughout his lifetime. 1 piece of advice for pregnancy: I struggled to get pregnant, and when I finally did, I lost my first two children in miscarriage. Because of this, my pregnancy with Holt was terrifying. I panicked on a daily basis, all the way until he was in my arms. Even then I struggled with the idea that something had to be wrong with him. There was no way he was okay, healthy, and perfect—even though he was. I finally had to take a deep breath and tell myself that even if something was wrong, I would love him no less than I do now. If I could go back and talk to my panicked self at 5, 25 and 35 weeks, I would tell her to take each day as it comes, and not worry unless there was true cause. 1 piece of advice for motherhood: My kid loves his walker, occasionally plays with my phone, and doesn’t eat homemade baby food because I’m too busy/lazy/overwhelmed to make it myself. He loves to sneak bites of sugar-filled treats, sometimes drinks apple juice, and wears sposies because I. Hate. Laundry. He nurses to sleep, co-sleeps, and takes a bath every night because he likes baths and he’s a dirty kid in general (no really, he is). I vaccinate on schedule, and avoid antibiotics if at all possible. But we also read books every day, I’m consistent about bedtimes, I won’t give my son a binky or bottle, and I have yet to leave him for longer than an hour with anyone but Daddy. I cook dinner almost every night and allow my child to play outside every day. My point is simple, take everyone’s advice, consider it, research it, and do whatever the heck is best for your child. Because your child isn’t their child, your family isn’t their family, and you aren’t them. It’s okay to not go by the books on some things, and okay to break the rules other times. Anyone who tells you that you’re doing it wrong can stuff it. You’re doing great. As part of our Other Mother celebrations, today, we are launching #MotherOfTheMoment which will turn Monday in to #MOMday We're all about #SupportNotJudgement here at Eventual Mother and want to celebrate the differences between our motherly styles and build each other up, not tear each other down because we don't do things exactly the same. #MOMday will be a chance for us all to meet another amazing Mum and find out what makes her tick. We'll meet some ladies who are really similar to us and we'll meet some ladies that do it differently, but what we want to show is: As long as the child is happy and loved, you're doing an amazing job! Whether we are breast or bottle, cloth or disposable, stay at home mum or working mama - WE ROCK!!! So to kick us off today, we have 2 special ladies who have given us a sneaky peak at their epic mother skills. ENJOY :) Meet Jami... Name: Jami Age: 33 Location: Edinboro, PA Job: SAHM (Stay at Home Mom) Children: Two!! D.J. (Derek Jr.) age 6 and Karli Grace age 4 months The best thing about being a Mum: My favorite part of being a mom is the smiles and the cuddles. Seeing my children happy and getting to snuggle them up fills my heart with such joy. There are times I just look at them in awe of their perfection and I think..."I made that!!" What motherhood has taught you about yourself: Motherhood has taught me that I'm much stronger than I ever imagined I could be. From staying up for 48 hours straight nursing a sick baby back to health to watching my little boy get on the school bus for the first time and fighting the urge to chase after him and not let him go. The love and devotion for my children has brought out this amazing strength in me that I'm very proud of. A day in the life of you: My day starts bright and early around 6:30 am with nursing the lil one and getting sweet cuddles. Then we wake up big brother to get him ready for school. We have breakfast (and of course the much needed coffee for mom) and we walk to the bus stop. Once big brother is gone, I spend my day cleaning, running errands and of course, most importantly, feeding, changing diapers and playing with my littlest bundle of joy. Some days are more play than work but that's ok! They are only this small for a short time and I will never apologize for soaking up as much of it as I can. Best pregnancy/child/motherhood thing you've ever bought: The best motherhood thing I ever bought was a journal for each of my kids. I write in it on special occasions and on random days in between. I love having something that holds so many memories, that I can look back on and one day pass on to each of them. 1 piece of advice for pregnancy: A body pillow and Tums (antacid) will be your best friend by month 7. Take care of yourself. You're growing a human, that's tough work! 1 piece of advice for motherhood Have fun and don't take yourself too seriously! Don't be afraid to get on the floor and get dirty. Your kids will always remember the time that you took to spend with them. Meet McKenzie... Name: McKenzie Austin Age: 27 Location: Wisconsin Job: Tattoo artist/co-owner of Tattoo Nouveau https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tattoo-Nouveau/511840562171632?fref=ts www.ErrantParent.com Children: One biological, Oliver, 11 months old. One stepson, Caleb, 11 years. The best thing about being a Mum My favorite thing about being a mom is reliving experiences through my son. He can see the world through this beautiful, untainted filter that helps remind me of how amazing the littlest things can be. What motherhood has taught you about yourself Motherhood has taught me that such a love does exist that can cradle your heart and cripple it simultaneously. The amount of love I have for my child is sometimes so painfully immense, I fear my heart might crush under the weight of it at any moment... but my heart also grows stronger every day I'm with him. It's an unusual balance. A day in the life of you It depends on the day. My husband and I work opposite days so we don't have to put our son in daycare. Sunday through Tuesdays are my days off with Oliver. We'll do anything from color, picnic, go to the park, or play inside with block towers. At 3:00 his big brother gets home from school to join in on the fun. We'll read, take a bath, and he's in bed by 8:00, all tuckered out. If it's a Wednesday through Saturday, I'll wake up at 7:00 a.m., spend the morning with my husband and the kiddo, until I head to work at 10:00 a.m. I'll do my tattoo appointments and/or drawings for the day until all my clients are taken care of, then head home whenever I'm done. My schedule is beautifully flexible. I couldn't imagine doing anything else. Aside from my family, art is my life. Best pregnancy/child/motherhood thing you've ever bought My Medela Pump in Style Breastpump! That thing has saved me soooo much money on formula, and as a working mom, that was the greatest investment I could have made. 1 piece of advice for pregnancy All people want to tell you are the horror stories. "My labor was horrible", "I tore in thirty places", "My kid didn't sleep through the night until s/he was eight years old", blah blah blah. They never tell you the beautiful things. And there are so, so many. Do not let their negative statements tarnish any part of your pregnancy or motherhood. It's too precious to be poisoned with someone else's words. Don't let their bad experience become yours... you have the power to make it great. 1 piece of advice for motherhood Have something that is just 'you'. Regardless of what it is. I love my son with my heart and soul, but if I couldn't toss myself into an art project every now and again, I would lose myself completely to motherhood... and while motherhood is a huge and wonderful part of who I am, it is just that, a part, and unless the entirety of you is feeling fulfilled, the rest of your parts will surely suffer. Nourish every part of what makes you happy. You ladies are AWESOME!!!
Thank you :) |
Siobhàn
The infertility beating, blog writing, product reviewing, breastfeeding, baby wearing, cloth nappying, Eventual Mother of Harrison" Archives
January 2016
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