Mother's Day

This year is my first official Mother's Day.  During this last 6 months since Will has been born, I have learned so much about being a mom, and I'm sure that this will only continue as the years go on!

1.  Selfishness: Being a mom is one of the hardest, yet best things that I've ever done.  So much of me feels like this is what I was made for. 

Yet, when days are rough and I'm covered in spit up and baby food, sometimes it's difficult to sacrificially love.  It's difficult to continue the nap-time/food/laundry/dishes/house routine.  Motherhood continues to show me, at heart, what a selfish and sinful creature I am.  And how thankful I am for God's grace and forgiveness.

2.  My mom: My mom is amazing.  I can't tell you how grateful I am for my wonderful mother.  I have always loved and appreciated my mom, but it wasn't until I actually became a mother that I began to better understand the sacrifices and love that she has poured into us over these years.  It's amazing how many times during the past 6 months that I thought "that sounds just like mom."

3.  Family: Will is so blessed to have 2 amazing grandmothers and 1 great-grandmother that love him to pieces!  They are not only generous, caring, loving, and fun, but they are the best grandparents that we could ever imagine.  Not every child has such a wonderful support system, and we are so very grateful to call them ours!  Thank you all so much!  Happy Mother's Day to our wonderful mothers and Mama!

4.  Letting go: I knew that I would have to learn to "let go" when Will went to college and got married, but it wasn't until I became a mother myself that I realized that having a child means letting go daily. 

 Moving him up to his own crib.  First babysitter.  First day without mom.  First solid food. First time in the nursery (and yes, I know some of you are now thinking "she's absolutely crazy!" and that I "need to chill out" because I've got a long way to go, ha!) (I fully realize that I am a little crazy, but that's what makes it me, right?).  Constantly growing out of clothes and changing more and more into a little boy. 

 There's part of me that wants to hold time from moving so fast.  He's 6 months old, and it seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital not realizing exactly how our world had just changed.

God's constantly reminding me that Will is not mine (as much as I may want to make him so), but rather he has been lent to me for this brief time. 

 So every day is a letting go for me - a letting go that will get more and more difficult the older and more independent he becomes.  But a letting go that is necessary in order for him to grow into the young man that God created him to be. 

 My prayer is that God would use my imperfect life, imperfect marriage, and imperfect love to ultimately point him towards our perfect Savior.  And I am so very grateful every day, but especially this Mother's Day, to have been given this opportunity.