Moments of Musing

My Appreciation for my Mom has Evolved & Grown

Filed Under: mother's day, motherhood, my mom //

This post is sponsored by WishYoo. All opinions are my own.
Since becoming a mom, my appreciation for my mom has evolved and grown.
Now, when I think of her, I think of her watching S because he had a cold while I was in the hospital after giving birth to R. I think of her washing my dishes or mopping my floor because I was exhausted. I think of her folding my laundry because it (very quickly) piles up.
I think of her holding both boys in her arms as they both cry when I’m at work. I think of her living part-time with us at times so that I can work. I think of her swooping in last minute and arriving at my doorstep when R was a couple weeks old and S still had his cold so he couldn’t be near him. 
I think of her calling to check up on how our days were going during maternity leave — because she knew how stressed I was. I think of her reminding me that she’s always there for me. I think of her assuring me that mom guilt is normal, and sharing her own stories with me to make me feel better. 

And I think of her telling me I’m a good mama after hearing me remain calm despite being exhausted as S was throwing a tantrum during bedtime. 
These days, I remind myself of my mom sometimes. And I see more of  her when I look in the mirror, too. It’s an honor, really because she selflessly devoted so much of herself to my brother and I. I can only hope to be as devoted to my babies, too. 
Thank you, Mom. Not only today, or tomorrow, or on Mother’s Day… but everyday.

In the United States, we celebrate Mother’s Day in May but it is celebrated in March and April in some countries. WishYoo and NO MORE have partnered this year to celebrate Mother’s Day, with a collaborative Thank-You card where everyone can hand-write their personal message to that special person, who sacrifices so many wants and needs for us.
The Global Mother’s Day Card is a charity year-round event, which supports No More’s continuous dedication to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault worldwide.
The organizers of this campaign are hoping to surpass the World Guinness Record for the largest collaborative greeting card, and for that they need to gather more than 40,000 signatures and dedications throughout the world.
This global event is also a reminder of the way technology can be used to preserve the environment and our forests, while at the same time preserving the beautiful memories of those closest to us. 
Sign your Mother’s Day card for the special moms in your life today!

MOMtras: Working Mom Mantras

Filed Under: momtras, motherhood, working mom //

While every mom does work, there are unique challenges, stress and emotions that come with working away from home and having to be physically apart from your child[ren] for most of the day. 
Heading back to work from maternity leave is no easy feat. Many moms struggle. I know I did. I felt like I was having a panic/ anxiety attack leading up to my first return to work after realizing how soon that would be and calculating how many hours I’d be apart from my son. 

It felt so unfair. I carried him for 40 weeks, I cared for him for 14 more, and then I was just suddenly supposed to feel okay about being apart from him for  40+ hours a week? Well, the truth is I wasn’t okay. I SOBBED that first morning, hyperventilating from crying so much, and I cried on the subway. 
If you, too, have felt this way, I want to tell you that you’re in the good company of fellow moms. We know what it’s like and how much it can hurt. We also know it gets a bit easier (though never fully so), and that continuing on our career paths gives us an outlet and a sense of pride. 
Personally, it took me some time to get used to my new working mom routine but it went better than I actually thought. Recently, my second return was not nearly as difficult as the first, though some new circumstances have contributed to that. 
Leading up to my first return, I came up with a back-to-work plan of sorts — a few mantras, which I reminded myself of and which helped me. 
I thought they might help some of you, too, as we continue the work week:

Reading is Fun[damental]!

Filed Under: motherhood //


This post is sponsored by Highlights for Children but all opinions are my own. 

When I think back on my nearly 20 years of education (no seriously), I think “woah that’s a long time.” But there is also a small part of me that misses school, learning and the constant reading that went along with it. I know, I sound like a nerd. But I think reading is so fundamental to learning and I don’t do nearly enough of it now that I’m a parent. 

Maybe that’s why I enjoy reading to and with the boys so much. Reading is one of my favorite activities to do with the boys. I started reading to my toddler when I was pregnant with him. And now, I try to fit in a book every chance we get. 



Our nightly bedtime routine with our toddler definitely changed once we brought home our baby. But I’ve realized we don’t need to read to the boys only at bedtime nor should we. We can read to them whenever and wherever!

I’m excited to have received Highlights Hello magazines. We’ve already read a few, and my toddler really liked the one about travel, which is fitting because we’re going away soon.  I’ll definitely be packing a few for the plane rides!

Lucky for you, I’ve partnered with Highlight for a giveaway. Head to my Instagram post to enter! 

Good luck!

From Weaning Blues to Brighter Days

Filed Under: breastfeeding, motherhood, postpartum, weaning //

This is probably one of my more vulnerable posts and I didn’t even plan to write about this today… or any day. But writing helps me and I thought talking about this might help some of you, too. Honestly, if it helps just one of you then it’s worth it.  

————
I recently found myself experiencing more anxiety than usual. And then it all came to a head. I couldn’t keep it to myself because I needed to just let my feelings out. And boy did that help. 

Let’s backtrack a bit to this day:


The day this photo was taken my emotions once again felt all out of sorts. As I stated, leading up to that day I had been going through a weird/tough time emotionally. I think this was due to a drastic decrease in my breast milk production so I’ve since worked to increase it again. I didn’t mean to wean, actually. Work had just gotten a bit busier and so I was pumping less (AKA not at all at work) and therefore my supply was diminishing. (I recently spoke to my doctor recently at my annual physical and she said that it is quite possible.)

I did a bit of research and stumbled upon A Cup of Jo’s blog post about her weaning-related depression. Suddenly, I felt validated. It’s not that my loved ones didn’t validate my feelings, it’s that I myself just couldn’t understand why I’d feel so nervous and down despite having it seemingly “all together” — healthy, beautiful boys; a loving and understanding husband, family and friends… 

I didn’t understand it. But I knew something was not right. I felt way too sad. So that day in the above photo I also took this photo below to one day remind myself that though it sucked in the thick of it… brighter days were sure to follow.


That day was probably the worst I felt and also the last time I’ve felt that way. It felt like nothing I’d ever experienced and I’d be ecstatic to never feel that way again. Today, I am just so grateful to feel like MYSELF again. And I’m grateful for my amazing support system.

I don’t really have advice (sorry) except to say if you’re struggling, please know you’re not alone. You don’t have to carry the weight of your worries alone. Keeping everything to myself felt just like that — a huge weight and burden. It made me feel worse. Sharing my feelings with people I trust helped life the weight. 

And if you struggle regularly, please know you are a warrior. If you’re feeling off, trust yourself. Take care of yourself. Do what is best for you. Find support. Reach out. 

And know there are brighter days ahead. ❤️

She is Tired but She is Fierce

Filed Under: motherhood //

I recently saw this quote floating around: “she is fierce but she is tired.” It’s true. I am both. I am fiercely independent (my husband always jokes about this with me), I believe in myself, I work hard and I love even harder.

If you ask me what I am happiest about it’s my family, especially my kids and being their mom. That being said, it’s been over two and a half years since I’ve regularly slept eight hours straight. Therefore, I am tired—perpetually so.

However, what we say and how we say it matters. 

If I say I am fierce but I am tired, I feel as though I am throwing a little bit of my fiercessness away. I am saying that being tired is holding me back. I would be sorta maybe insinuating that I am not reaching my full potential.

That’s why instead I’d say

 I am tired but I am fierce.

Because being tired doesn’t stop me. I’m a mom (and dang proud to be!) and I am tired. Both of those things are true, yes. But they are mutually exclusive. And you better believe being tired isn’t holding me back. So, you take breaks if you need to, but don’t let it hold you back either. You’re too fierce to let it, mama!