Ain't no hood like motherhood

 Being a mother is one of the most rewarding, tiring, amazing, frustrating, wonderful, crazy things I have ever be honored to do. Anyone who is a parent can relate to these feelings and understand what it takes to be the best parent we can be to our little ones. Yes, I am sure people are going to disagree with some of my responses and that is okay! We are all entitled to our opinions. What kind of parents would we have if they didn't teach us to be independent thinkers?! Thanks mom and dad.
​____________________
Do you think spit cleans better than water?
Spit wins every time.
 
How did you feel when you first found out you were pregnant?
I was ecstatic! We had been trying for a while and were not getting pregnant but as soon as I started having really sore breasts and missed my period, I made an appointment with my doctor who told us we were pregnant. I had been taking pregnancy test before I made the appointment but they were all coming up negative. I had very low HCG levels, which is why I didn’t have any symptoms of pregnancy through the entire 9 months.
 
What’s your favorite part of being a mom?
My favorite part about being a mom is being able to stay at home with my baby boy and enjoy every moment with him. I can’t wait for him to say ‘mama’.
 
Do you think it’s easier to be a mom or a dad?
This is a tough one. Before I became a mom, I had a career and worked 40 hours a week. I went to college and had a social life. Currently, my husband works and I stay at home. I will say that this is one of the toughest things I have had to do. I don’t call being a mom a “job” but for the sake of the question, this is a hard "job". I would say that each parent has to make sacrifices. We chose for me to stay home, but that mean no breaks, no required lunch times and when its 5:00pm I don’t get to go home from my job. I am on call 24/7. My husband gets to leave the home and go to his place of work. That means he doesn’t have to deal with crying, teething, poopie diapers, nap schedules, breastfeeding, and being up all through the night.

That being said, his sacrifice is that he gets to see his son for only a few hours every night. He misses a lot of milestones like crawling, walking and talking. He doesn’t get to build that relationship with his son in the ways that I do.

SO I would say that moms and dads are split 50/50. Yes, I had to give birth, but the man who loves me and doesn’t want to see me in pain had to just stand there and watch me go through something traumatizing. That’s got to hurt too.
 
What is the best piece of advice you could give to someone who is about to have their first child?
You are going to be just fine. You have natural instincts that will kick in. Trust me, I was so scared too. I went from being Kristyn to being Mom in a matter of a few hours. Its weird to think but I promise you, you will get in the rhythm of things in no time. It is kind of like starting a new job or being in a new city. You will learn how things are done and you will figure out all the street names. It takes a bit of patients, self-assurance and time.
You Got This!
 
Did you always think you’d have kids?
Yes!!! I couldn’t wait to be a mom and for Jeremy to be a dad. We were so excited to start having a family once the time was right for us.
 
Are there things you miss about life before kids?
I defiantly will say that the one thing I really miss is a solid nights sleep. Since having Ben, it has been one of the tougher things to adjust to. We are on his schedule. If he has a bad night, than so do I. If he has a bad nap in the afternoon, I have to stop what I’m doing and attend to him. But I also wouldn’t change anything, even the sleepless nights.
 
Who’s the mom that you admire most?
I admire ALL moms of course! I would say that my mom, my older sister who has 2 kids and mother in law have shown me so many things. They have all encouraged me that I am doing a good job as a mother and that I will continue to do so. Their guidance from handling fevers to diaper rash are great resources for me. Knowing that I am getting compliments from some of the greatest mothers I know is a real honor.
 
How would you describe your life as a mom in just six words?
Love
Chaos
Success
Fear
Strength
Balance
 
Have you ever thought" gosh I cant do this", and why?
There have been so many times I have thought this way that I can’t even count anymore. It usually happens when I am feeling overwhelmed or scared. It can be something as little as 'the baby has a fever and I can’t get him to calm down'; Or it can be something as little as he wont stop throwing his food. It all comes in waves. Sometimes the waves are little and you can jump over them. Other times, it feels like a tsunami and the weight is going to crush you. But the best part about all these waves is that the bigger waves are perfect for surfing. Grab a board and coast along the wave and take it in chunks.
 
What are your views on young mums having children?
There is nothing to view in my opinion. Mothers are all different ages. I believe heavily in women’s rights and I think that as long as the mother understands what her responsibilities are going to be and that she is going to have someone depending on her for the rest of her life, than it is her life and she gets to choose what her life is going to look like. I know accidents happen, but I don’t always think age has a negative definition on a mother. I know PLENTY of young moms and they are some of the greatest moms I know. I know PLENTY of mid-older moms and they are not idea fits for the role. Our society shames mothers abilities based on their age and I don’t agree with that at all. Every mom is different. Who am I to judge who fit to be a mom?
 
Biggest worry about your baby's future?
I am constantly thinking of how my son is going to deal with bullies. I don’t remember this being an issue when I was a kid in school but this has been a really big issue with children today. I hope I teach him how to stand up to bullies but, also to make sure he doesn’t become one either.
 
Do you believe in staying home or going to work?
I believe in doing what is best for your family!! I am fortunate enough to be able to stay home, but if our situation was different I would have to go to work. Kids grow up in so many different ways. As long as you have great parents, then you should have a great kid, right? If I could have it my way, no parent would ever have to go to work and money would grow on trees and everyone lived happily ever after but this is the real world and my husband makes the sacrifice for us everyday to get in the car and drive away for 10 hours a day. We love him for this sacrifice.
 
What is the most rewarding part about being a mother?
The most reward part of being a mom is knowing I made one of the smartest and adorable baby in the world! I get excited to see him after his nap and he claps and laughs when he sees me. Knowing I am almost like a celebrity to this baby makes me feel so amazing. The rewards are worth all the work.
 
What is the one thing you never had that you want for your kids?
One of our big goals as husband and wife was to have a family. We also wanted to make sure we had financial security since that is something neither one of us had. Our big goal for our children is to make sure they never have to worry about money. Yes, our kids will have to get job and have to pay for their own gas and other treats. We had to work for everything we wanted and we will raise our children the same way. Nothing will be handed to them.
 
Was your partner a help or hindrance during the first few weeks after giving birth?
My husband was a trooper! I was only getting about 2/3 hours a sleep a day and he weighted on me hand a foot to make sure I got everything I needed. He was able to take paternity leave so I had a lot of help from him for about 3 weeks.
 
You're in the store with a full cart and your baby starts crying frantically...what do you do?
 I see if I can quickly calm him down otherwise…See you later cart! 

---

---