I “met” Jennifer (and so many other fabulous blogger friends!) through Sarah Bryden-Brown’s Blogstar. Thanks, Sarah! Jen gets real on Life’s Dewlaps, sharing stories about parenting, divorce, sex, remarriage, and more on a regular basis. Here are some of her thoughts on motherhood.
What surprised you about motherhood?
Growing up, I never really liked children. I never ooh-ed and ahh-ed over babies. I never wanted to play with my little cousins or babysit, though sometimes my parents would make me. But I never doubted that I would have my own kids one day. Odd, right?
So the thing that surprised me the most about becoming a mother? That I’ve always enjoyed my kids as much as I do. I always knew that I would love them but I didn’t know that each stage in their lives would be better than the previous one. I loved being pregnant, feeling them move inside my body. I loved them as little babies. The feel of them sleeping on my chest. The smiles they would give when they woke up in the morning. I loved them even more so as toddlers. Becoming their own little people during the pre-school years. Holding full conversations with them. And even now, as my youngest is becoming a teenager and my son is learning how to drive. Motherhood keeps getting better.
What is one of your favorite memories about your mother?
Not so much a memory but truly the best thing about my mom? That I’ve always known that my mom has my back. She’s always supported me emotionally, sometimes financially and even physically (a little shopping is good for the soul). Through some hard times, like during my divorce. And I model a large part of my relationship with my kids on my relationship with her. Especially with my daughter. The mother-daughter bond is just so unique. (Sorry, son.)
I do chuckle when I think about the raw egg and Meritene protein powder shakes that my mom used to make for me and my brother every morning when we were in high school. It’s a favorite memory mainly because we never got salmonella poisoning.
What is one of your favorite things about being a mother?
I love the rituals our blended family has developed. Like early Sunday mornings. First, when every one else is still asleep and I’m downstairs reading the New York Times and drinking a fresh cup of coffee. I feel the anticipation of the day, kids streaming down wanting breakfast (Sunday is always pancake day in my house.) And, if we can, hanging out in our pajamas for as long as we can. Or every other Friday night, when all three kids are with us, the week is over and my husband makes a big family dinner. We all sit down around our dinner table and talk about what’s been going on with them, what’s up for the weekend and anything else that comes up. The beauty of having teens? You never know which way the conversation will go.
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Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Jen! In addition to blogging at Life’s Dewlaps and being the mother of Will, 15 and Julia, 12 and the stepmother of Molly, 14, you can find Jen at CafeMom’s The Stir and The Huffington Post. A couple of my personal favorite posts on Life’s Dewlaps are this one and this one.