Monday, February 13, 2012

Self Sacrifice in Motherhood

Tonight as I was going through the motions of getting Saylor and I ready for bed I had something flash through my mind. A key element of motherhood is sacrifice. I suppose this thought started to simmer earlier in the day when my husband and I had a discussion about the yard work he needed to do and my urge to be creative in the studio. Ration won out and he did some yard work and then I was able to work in the studio after which was a good compromise.
I think I have know that sacrifice is part of motherhood for a while although I have just made the connection and given it a name.

What have I sacrificed as a mother?
-quiet alone time
-creative time
-my body although it gave me my son and I am working on acknowledging that and I can do something about the weight by getting more active and eating better
-sleep
-time with my husband
-work - by choosing to stay home with our son I no longer work full time and this has had a huge impact on our family finances but we feel its worth it. I have started to work one day a week with my mom caring for Saylor while I am away thus avoiding daycare and its costs.

This isn't a complete list of my sacrifices nor is it a list of complaints. I love my son and motherhood. Each new phase of life is full of different challenges and I am learning to adapt and come to terms with those sacrifices and challenges that exist right now. A good example of both of those is the fact that at this moment I am typing one handed and holding my sleeping son in the other.
When I did an online search on sacrifice and motherhood I found many results from my search. Here are a couple links to a few blog postings I enjoyed. http://www.squidoo.com/a-mothers-sacrifice
http://www.professorshouse.com/Family/Children/Articles/The-Sacrifices-Of-A-Mom/

I would love to hear from other mother's out there, what are your thoughts on sacrifice and motherhood?





Monday, February 6, 2012

Project Happy Week #6

This week seemed to zip by even though I spent most of it at home. So this week this week that made me smile were....
-Saylor out side in the park...laughing and playing we had such a good time I didn't even reach for the camera
-my husband playing guitar
-Pete taking Saylor out for almost 2 hours so mommy could have a much needed break in that time I completed a project and did a little blogging.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Project Happy Week #4 and 5

Last week I completely missed writing down my happy thoughts for the week and I nearly missed this week as well. I have had some health issues flair up and that's where my focus has been. Fortunately I'm on the mend now so that is something I am happy about.

-free firewood
-my son's continued interest in using the potty
-my mother's involvement and support in our lives
-mild winter weather
-dedicated studio space
-my loving and supportive husband

For week 6 I am going to be more aware of the things that bring me happiness and take a few pictures along the way.