mommy

Precious Keepsakes from Lisa Leonard's Jewelry

Every year for Christmas or our anniversary, my husband has asked, "Would you like any jewelry?" Up until now (the past month), I just haven't seen anything that I thought I would consistently wear. I am not what I would call an 'accessory gal,' or someone who wears bracelets or earrings, etc. That all changed when I discovered Lisa Leonard and her BEAUTIFUL shop. 

It didn't hurt that I saw a bunch of these beauties floating around my Instagram feed, and when I saw her sterling silver stacked rings, I knew those were it. Hand molded and customizable, they are honest to goodness my favorite accessories that I've worn in YEARS, besides my wedding ring. 

These rings can be customized with words or a short phrase, and they can be stacked for a modern and chic accessorized look. I love having Pierson and Reese's name right on my fingers; every time I look down to type or write, I see them, and I think they're the most heart-felt jewelry a mama could wear. 

I actually received these rings right around Mother's Day, and they meant (and will forever mean) SO much to me. What is it about Motherhood that sometimes makes us mamas so emotional? When you see your children's names, do you immediately think back to finding out when they were in your belly? Or the labor and delivery? The first weeks and months, the many milestones, the fact that they REFUSE to slow down growing up wise?! 

Lisa [the creator and founder of this brand] is a beautiful soul. Her story about her OWN journey of motherhood is touching, emotional, raw, and incredibly heartfelt. I'm blessed to be a part of her business; to have received these rings and to promote her story. 

Being Pierson and Reese's mama is one of my greatest callings. I believe that God is telling a beautiful story through my children, and I am honored to walk in front of them, to guide and direct them in this great big world. There is something magical about this season of life, probably about the the many NEXT seasons of life, and Lisa Leonard is 100% about embracing the magic. Please, check out her website, her blog, and read part of her family's story. I haven't taken these rings off since I got them, and I am forever grateful I stumbled upon her business through the world of social media! 

 

When You're All She Needs

Let me preface with saying that I don't have this all figured out. You know, this whole 'mothering' thing. It's one of my dreams to be able to write a book and when people ask, "About what?" I usually respond with, "That's the problem, I'm not quite sure." Being Mom is one of my greatest passions, but in their mere three and four years, I don't feel like I have quite enough to say to write a BOOK. Perhaps I'll get there though, simply with documenting and sorting out thoughts here? Time will tell. 

Anyway, since I have been home with my kids, no longer working a Monday-Friday eight hour day, things look vastly different from what they did. Our kids have always had an in-home sitter, albeit a few different ones over the years, but they've never had to be cared for outside of the home. [Minus the first few months of Pierson's life when my generous mother-in-law watched him.] Both kids have always been fine with us working, because that's all they've ever known. Leaving and coming home, no tears or fussing or emotional messes, but that's all changed. My daughter Reese is three and a half. She is bold and daring and brave and adventurous, but another side has appeared since I've been home--and that's her anxious side. To us, it doesn't make sense; we are baffled, confused, frustrated and often emotionally exhausted because of her lately drastic tantrums. "Over what?" you may wonder. Well she's not having tantrums and whining about toys, clothing, or food... 

She's anxious about me. 

Heaven forbid Mom leave her sight, especially once her dad comes home. Maybe she feels the need to compete for my attention when he walks in the door? I'm not really sure what she is feeling because she can't communicate well enough about that specifically yet. She's bright as can be and actually socially advanced for her age; but when I ask, "Reese, why don't want Daddy to put you down?" she responds with, "Because I want YOU, Mommy." 

Recently I turned to Facebook, (what else do you do as a Mom in this era?) and made a general status inquiry. Any other moms' kids have anxiety when away from them? And by golly, you better believe it was a ten for ten YES. Today I went to a Moms' Day Out group with a friend and not knowing more than half of the women, I decided to ask the same question. Pretty much all of them have had or have something similar going on with their kids; usually in the 2-3.5 age range, but none of us could really pinpoint WHY. Why is it always mom? At least with one of the kids? My son definitely still prefers me with some of our routines, but I think that's just how children are wired in their chemistry? Maybe I'm wrong, but I really feel like all the kids I know want their mamas at bedtime, mama to tuck them in one more, mama to check on them in the middle of the night. But he's at least better about my husband DOING things for and with him. 

Like giving him a bath. Taking him out of the bath. Brushing his hair. Getting dressed. Getting put to bed. You get the point. 

But my DAUGHTER won't have it. When I'm home and physically present in some room of the house, she begs and pleads and let's just call it for what it is--she DEMANDS me. "Mommy come in and give me a bath. Mommy get me out of the bath! Mommy brush my hair. Mommy put my jammies on. Mommy put me down." 

I actually wrote a post in January 2016 titled Mommy Put Me Down, and here we are, one year later, and it might actually be "worse?" Worse isn't the word perhaps, I just mean it's increased, and there's an anxiety about her that hasn't quite been there before; or at least that had gone unnoticed? There's something about me being home, that translates in her mind, while I am physically in the house, I should never be away from her. If I'm downstairs finishing things up or tidying up dinner for example, she checks with my husband constantly, asking, "When will Mommy be up? When will Mommy be done?" 

My mom says that I was this way as a kid as well. I had a lot of anxiety and always wanted to be near her. But she always thought it was because she was gone a lot to take my brother who has special needs, to things like doctor appointments or school meetings, etc; and I was always nervous about when she'd come back. Well, I don't have obligations like that? I'm here, all the time, and Reese doesn't ever have to worry about the places I need to be. And actually, when I DO have things like photo sessions or meetings out of the house, she does fine. The childcare at the gym? She doesn't bat an eye. She gives me an extra hug or two but loudly yells, "Bye, Mommy!! I love you, Mommy!" and goes on to play. It's just HOME. And when she knows I am here, she doesn't think she needs anyone else. 

She needs me. 

If you're reading this and nodding your head; if you're like, "Oh yes, this is how it is in my household too," then maybe we just need to lean in on each other. I think about the children who lose their mothers at a young age, and those thoughts freeze me emotionally. I don't want my children to suffer with anxiety. I don't want them to deal with grief or trauma or turmoil. But I don't get to decide that. I don't pick and choose life events, I don't have a clue the experiences they will go through. 

All I can do is be enough. When you are all she (or he) needs, just be there. I'm twenty-eight and clearly I don't suffer from separation anxiety from my mom; but I do still NEED her. I'm not sure if other adult women talk to their moms as often as I do, but I sure hope and pray that Reese will need me the way I need mine when SHE'S all grown up! 

This season is hard. It really feels like we are in the trenches of parenting Reese, and constantly I pray that God would teach me how to be EXACTLY the mom she needs. A lady from the group this morning shared something SO powerful I wanted to tell you all about. She said her eight-year old recently has been struggling with extreme anxiety when they have to be apart. She's read a lot of books and said she's always been the mom who ravishes her girls for being strong and brave and bold; but that she doesn't spend a lot of time focusing on them also being beautiful. That's kind of the generation we are currently in I think, because most of us women are like, "You're pretty but that doesn't matter! Look how SMART you are!" In a recent book she read, she learned something new that drastically gave her sweet daughter peace. This woman said she sat down with her daughter in a recent panic episode, and told her this: 

"You are brave and smart, you are kind, and wonderful. You are beautiful and you are LOVED."

I almost started to cry when she shared, because what a benediction of sorts those words are. Inside all of us [ME included!] there's something that needs to be reminded of those two things: beauty + love. Maybe Reese needs me to be more patient and understanding when she goes into a panic. Maybe I too, should remind her of all the GOOD truths that she is. Perhaps it is necessary that as a 3-year old, she is told OFTEN not only how great she is, but also how beautiful and LOVED. Maybe she needs more words of affirmation than I give? 

Maybe she just needs me

And today I'm breathing a little easier telling myself that that may be okay. It might be tiring (exhausting) and I may want to hand her off to someone else so I can have a 'break,' but it won't always be this way. Not to this extreme. And I want nothing else than my baby girl to always want to lean on me. 

**Mamas of young ones, do you have experiences similar to this? Do you have any tips or suggestions for putting your little ones at ease over being away from you? I'd love to hear from you, so comment below or shoot me an email [in my contact page!] As always, thanks for reading, thanks for being here with me, and I pray you find peace and comfort wherever you are in this stage of life!**

 

Mommy Put Me Down, AGAIN?!

January 7th of last year, I wrote a post titled, "Mommy Put Me Down," and my husband stumbled across it this week from his 'On this day' via Facebook. 

This is STILL going on. That is WAY too long, he said. I agree, I laughed. It's really kind of silly!

Those four words are ritualistic and haven't ceased for an entire YEAR. "Mommy put me down!" Well okay, they've expanded a little because both our kids have an excellent vocabulary. So it's more like, "Mom, are you going to put me down tonight?" or, "Mom, can you PLEASE put me down?" When it's one of their turns (we switch every night), they jokingly sneer at one another, "Ha ha, Mommy's going to put ME down tonight!!!!" 

What is this?!?!?!  

It's incredibly rare that my husband loses his temper in our household. But ME on the other hand, guys. I mean for crying out loud I literally told them yesterday morning in our mad chaos attempt to get out the door, "You guys are being JERKS right now, I don't want to hear another word!" [Nooooot a proud mothering moment right there, but hey, at least I didn't use the S word, maybe...??! Kidding, kidding!!]. 

But my point IS, is that my husband is a really awesome father. Not just a little bit awesome, a LOT awesome. And he really doesn't get nearly enough credit. 

With teacher hours, he is able to have time with our kids that a lot of parents in general, don't get. He's completely hands on with them, it's incredible to watch. And I'm the rule follower, the one who says, "Calm down, it's BED time! Don't get them all rowdy!" I guess I'm also the debbie downer in that sense then? But seriously! The laughter in our household is many thanks to him. He knows how to get us out of our funks, switch our bad moods, and inspires us to be positive. He's the guy who is determined to plan a big spring or summer camping trip; hiking, exploring, trying new things, getting out there. It's my kids' dad. 

Whenever the kids get sick, I'm always way too quick to remind him exactly what they "need." Comfy pillows, the puke pan nearby, all the medicines, essential oils, diffusers, humidifiers, blankets, waters, thermometer and temps taken often--but I don't have to do this. He literally runs the fort and has the same exact instincts that I do when it comes to our three and four-year olds. He knows by feeling their heads when they're running a 99° or higher temp. 

He's not absent, ever. More often than not I have photography gigs on weekends or after work; especially during wedding seasons! And it STILL usually is me who ends up "needing a break" because they wear me OUT like nothing I can even explain! I've never been certain HOW he can keep such a patient and level head, but he does. On a daily basis. And then here I am, calling my kids jerks. [Lord, forgive me!] 

But I think that though these days still look like our kids wanting me 99.9% of the time, that's largely due to their ages. And I know without a doubt that they adore their father. He's the one who "throws them high," turns on Just Dance in the living room, teaches them how to build the biggest Lego towers, fixes toys, and who by far, has the best singing voice. This stage of life is still very much 'mommy put me down,' but the kids are also crazy about their daddy. 

**How about you and your family? What does your husband do that you love, kids or not. Are there roles you switch off on (cooking, cleaning)? Is there something he's super helpful with? And if you're a mama, does this sound like you? One of my good friends Ashlee wrote a post called Velcro Baby and I just LOVED it; my daughter is glued to my HIP, y'all. And while it's sometimes frustrating, it's more so just really sweet because I still don't want to think about the day when my kids don't fit quite right on my hips and in my arms. Comment below, I'd love to hear from YOU!**

Here's a little flash back that we recently discovered: Pierson and his Daddy. A reminder of just how present my sweet husband is with our ever growing kiddos. [Even the 'I told you so' comment at the end has me swooning over him, ha ha!!]

Mommy, Come Look at My Poop

'I'm sorry, what?!' is probably what you're thinking after reading my title. And I don't blame you. But if anyone wants to know what the current season looks like in the Glass household, it can literally be summed up by those six words. 

When you are a parent and you have begun potty training, I promise you there will be an orchestra of applause when your Little One decides to finally GO on the toilet. Pee is good and great but poop, that's a whole other story. Especially for my son, who was honest to God terrified to go #2 on the toilet for almost an entire YEAR after he was regularly using it for pee, (and he started doing that as soon as he turned two); any time he mustered up the courage, we would run in to the bathroom and cheer, "Yay!! Look at your poop! You did SO good, Buddy!!" or something along those lines. 

It wasn't much different for our daughter, though pooping for her was never even close as big of a deal for her. We still applauded and cheered her on and encouraged her to keep using the potty because she was such a big girl. Mommy and Daddy were SO proud, and we're still super ecstatic when after nap or bed there is no nasty brown stuff in their diapers! Poop--it's a BIG DEAL! And it'll be a GOOD day here when we can officially kiss diapers goodbye. 

So this summer, ya'll know there's been a ton of sickness here. There's been lots of cleaning, organizing, de-cluttering, disinfecting, and apparently, pooping. A few weeks ago my husband and I laughed out loud after our almost 3-year old daughter used the bathroom. She had indeed gone #2 and BOTH kids, Lord help us, will yell, "I POOOOOPED!" from the potty because they obviously still need help wiping. (LOL Guys, parenthood, it's SO glorious!) I was the closest and I exclaimed something like, "Wow, Reese! That's a big one! Good JOB!" and she screamed at the top of her lungs, "DAD! DAAAD! COME LOOK AT MY POOP!" 

"When did our life come to this?!" he joked after going to admire his daughter's bowel movement. "Mommy, come look at my poop, that is SERIOUSLY what this summer has consisted of!" I laughed. 

And then we were cleaning the living room. He moved the couch so I could vacuum behind it. "Hold on a sec," he said. "There's something brown and kind of gunky there we need to clean up." I went to get paper towels. "It's probably chocolate," he said. "Or gosh! I HOPE it's chocolate?!?" ONLY in a house of toddlers, could this be ones' life. Chocolate? Or poop? Only one way to find out. 

Lord have mercy. What does your average day look like with young ones? I mean seriously, the STUFF we hear ourselves say that you just cannot even fathom until you are wearing those shoes!!

For instance: 

-Don't bite your brother's butt. 
-Stop threatening to hit your daddy in the penis.
-No, you may not pee in the bathtub. 
-Do NOT fart on me! 
-Do not put your head in the toilet EVER again. (my recent favorite)

I mean, there's probably a hundred different Pinterest boards that all consist of the funny things kids say, but it's so true. In all honesty, wiping butts is NOT glorious. Cleaning up vomit is every parents nightmare, teaching your son how to aim IN to the toilet to pee is a chore, explaining to your daughter why she CANNOT and SHOULD NOT pee OUTSIDE all the time is just absolutely not something you ever think of when you're in the beginning stages of, "Aww won't it be fun to start a family someday? A mini you, a little me, all mixed into one? It'll be SO cute and so fun." No. Not. at. ALL. But if you're a parent than you are right here with me in saying I really can't think of a great blessing than being Mom. 

Sure, it'll be a good day when they learn how to wipe their own butts. And if I know my family, we will forever be comparing poop sizes... but good Lord how deep they love and how hard they make us laugh! Leave a comment below with something funny your child has said or even something YOU said as a kid that your parents still tease you about. 

"Dad, did they call you Dad when you were a kid?" -Sean [my big brother]