the mom club

When I was pregnant with Miller, I remember a good friend told me she was excited for me to join “the club.” The club that no one tells you about. I remember looking at her confused until she continued with, “the mom club.”

She proceeded to explain that it is the club where you completely understand what each other are going through as mothers. It is the club that allows you to relate to one another in the joy, the heartbreak, and love your heart feels for your children. The club that gives you the support, the listening ear, and love only a mother could understand.

Baby & Mama “Must Have” Items 0-12m

During my first pregnancy, I spent countless hours on my phone researching the “must have’s” for newborns, babies, and mothers. Every single youtube video, blog post, Instagram story, and friend praised different products leaving me overwhelmed. I was “scared” to spend gobs of money on products that would not work for my baby and me. Two years and two kids later, I now know what works for one kid may not work for the next AND that is okay!

miller shares his 12 favorite books

Miller has been read to on a daily basis since he was still growing within me! Brian would lay his head close to my torso and read the Bible to Miller in hopes he would know Brian’s voice. And since his birth, we all have been obsessed with reading together!

At a couple of months old, we continued with reading the Bible every single night and when Miller got to be old enough to “pick” a book (approximately six months old and by grabbing for one of two books we would hold up), we also read to him throughout the day! Miller’s bedtime books have been my most treasured moments of each day because of the excitement he has when we say, “want to pick out books to read?” Now at almost twenty-two months old, we read usually six – ten books (sometimes it might be the same book six times) per day AND another two – four at bedtime.

a day at Disney

Last month I was able to check off one of my “bucket list” items.

To take my family to Disney World.

When I learned I was being given the opportunity to attend and help present at a nursing leadership conference in Orlando, FL, I immediately got Brian on board to have him and Miller go with me. We spent our second year wedding anniversary in Orlando visiting close friends and walking miles after miles at Disney. It was my third time at Disney and Brian’s first. While I enjoyed it more, he knew I wanted to come back one day with our future family.

happy first birthday miller

When I think back to the past three hundred and sixty five days, the word that comes back to my mind is “joy.” Becoming parents and working as a team to love Miller as the child God has given to us has been everything to our hearts and more. I expected to love my child unconditionally, I expected some days would consist of tears, I expected moments of frustration, and I expected to see qualities in our son I would love and laugh at. What I did not expect when becoming a parent was instantly understanding and getting a glimpse of the kind of love God has for us all as His children. You simply cannot understand it until you become a parent yourself.