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?

Loosing myself in Motherhood

May 13 2011(I originally wrote this on another blog and have moved it here)
I have had this blog post in my head for several days and even written it a few times in my head at night as I'm laying in bed trying to get to sleep. Now that I have a few mintues to write as Saylor snoozes beside me I'm at a loss for words but I will try to convey my thoughts any way.

Recently I read a post on another blog and the author spoke about needing time for herself to do some of the things she loves to do but hasn't had time over the last year as she has has a young son who is a month or two older then Saylor. Her conclusion was to find a spot in a local day care for her son a couple mornings a week. I think the author is very strong to recongize her needs and at the same time she knows she will be a better parent if she meets some of her own needs.

This post caused me to think and ponder my own needs. As most mother's new we make sacrifices to meet the needs of our child (children). Personally I am missing the time to create and work with polymer clay ( http://www.vanessasclayadventures.blogspot.com/ ) Creating with clay has been a big part of my life for more then 5 years now. Now I rarely have time to walk into my studio never mind have time to work and be focused at the same time. I think I am all right with where I am at in my life at the moment. I know the time will come when Saylor is a little older and can play on his own or not need me so much. When that time comes I want to know that I spent as much time cuddling and caring for him as he wants each day.

The time will come again soon that I can work with clay and create as much as I want. In the mean time I am soaking in every giggle and tear that Saylor shares with me. In no way do I think less of the above poster I wrote about. In fact I admire her strength in acknowledging what works for her and her family.