Hey Y’all,
I’m going on day 3 of what seems like the longest days of my life. I like to call them “The Toddler Days”. I’m right in the middle of it like the cows in the movie Twister. If you read my blog post “My Journey To Motherhood, Blessed by Adoption” you know all about how I became a mom, and you know that it isn’t lost on me how lucky I am to have my kid in my life. She’s amazing in a million different ways, BUT she is also a toddler.
I wear 100 different hats, as does every Mom. Some wear 500. Every story is unique, and every experience is different. I can’t take away from that at all. I can only tell my story.
From the moment we wake up, it’s game on. What worked yesterday, may or may not work today. It’s like a mixture of Russian Roulette and Ground Hog’s Day. Sometimes the screams are so loud they can shatter the hardest of souls. Sometimes she’s silent, but only because she is plotting her next move.
It’s like a mixture of Russian Roulette and Ground Hog’s day.
I was talking to a friend not too long ago who has 6 kids (bless her). She said something to the effect that our only job when they are this age is to manage them, and keep them alive. That is the truest thing I have ever heard.
Some days my only job is to keep the snacks coming. Some days I’m supposed to dance endlessly in the living room so that she can laugh non stop. Some days I’m supposed to sit on the couch and hold her while she maintains control of every move I make. Some days she has to sit in my lap every time I have to go to the bathroom. Some days my job is to read her favorite book 600 times. Some days my job is to clean up poop for 24 hrs straight. Somedays my only job is to survive a single grocery trip with the least amount of toddler AND Mom meltdowns as possible.
There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of parenting going on right now, just a whole lot of managing, and surviving. The experts tell me that it will change at some point. Like around 4 or 5, heck I don’t know. All I do know is that I am trying to enjoy every part of it, because every moment I don’t enjoy is a moment I will never get back. Even if that means the bills don’t get paid right away, or the dishes don’t get done, or the house is a mess, or the blog post doesn’t get written on time, or shipping orders has to wait one more day, or that I don’t get to sleep at night.
“…every moment I don’t enjoy is a moment I will never get back.
I know my Mama and my Sister get a good laugh because I am definitely “Payin’ for my Raisin'”. Apparently I was a lot like my daughter. It’s funny how that can happen when a kiddo isn’t biologically yours. (It’s because God has a sense of humor too!) .
I am blessed with incredible support. When Mr. Lizzy is here, he picks up ALL of the slack without hesitation. He’s learning to manage my toddler like outbursts better every day as well. I have to say, I am incredibly grateful for him. He is such an essential part of what makes our family work!
God has a sense of humor too!
Being a mom is by far the most rewarding and incredible thing I have ever done. It may not be a paid position, but it definitely belongs at the top of my resume. Keeping a toddler happy and healthy is challenging, sometimes down right discouraging, other times up lifting. There are days when my only answer is to ask Jesus to guide me through it. Not the fake internet troll “Jeezus” but the real one. 😉
I’m not cashing checks over here, and sometimes I am up to my pits in crap, both literally and figuratively, but let me tell you, when my kid wraps her arms around my neck and says “I love you Maaaaa” in her little toddler jumbled language voice, I feel better than any amount of money could ever make me feel. The work I have to do is still there when she sleeps, but being her mom and soaking in every moment is more rewarding than any experience I will ever have.
To all you mama’s out there who do it with more grace than I could ever imagine having, you are amazing. To the ones who are just surviving some days on the hot mess express without any clue what the future may hold, you are my heroes.
xoxo- Lizzy
Don’t forget you can find Erin and I on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. We’d love to have you become part of our social media family and follow along on our journey!
A special note to our friends and followers who support us in our creative business:
Erin and I are Mom’s first. We always will be! We love all of you and hope that you understand that. We never want any one of you to feel disappointed in us or to feel like we aren’t 1,000% grateful for all of your support, and 1,000,000% dedicated to what we’ve created with “Lizzy and Erin”! We have a lot going on right now and are giving everything we have to give to every bit of it! <3 <3
You are an awesome Mom. It can be tough but you have the right attitude. So good to hear that your husband is in the middle of it all. God Bless the three of you!
Thank you Donna!!! I’m extremely lucky to have him!
That is so sweet just enjoy that bundle of joy. We can wait. Time is so precious.
I need to remember to soak in every moment!!!! <3
Some days just breathing is all you can do… Ages 2-3 are hard. And I don’t know how mamas with more than one child do it. Here’s one thing to keep in mind. If you find that there is a shirt-outfit-socks that your sweet one LOVES, get multiples. She will go thru a phase where she will DEMAND to wear the same filthy shirt 10 days in a row. Instead of fighting, it’s easier to say “sure – let’s put it on” and slide the clean one on and throw the filthy one in the wash. I think we had 4 red Thomas the Tank Engine shirts 3 blue – 4 green… LoL!!! When he whined “BUT I WANTED THE RED ONE…..” – I was ready!! Lol
You’re doing great. ❤
That is so funny and GREAT advice!!!!! Thank you so much <3