Motherhood

** This is a post for myself.  It was my Mother's Day gift to myself to sit and look at my entire collection of photos from the last 6+ years.  So this entire post is way too many photos of ME with my kiddos.**

My motherhood journey, in pictures: 

It started with a cute little baby bump.

Then, that cute baby bump grew to enormous proportions.

Are those actually my feet down there?!

Baby O Belly

And my cute naval ring started to look like it was stuck in a watermelon.

Baby L Belly

And by the end, the baby belly was just... miserable.

Due Date w/ E

Post Due Dat w/ O

BUT THEN, the big day arrived... THREE times... and it was WONDERFUL.  It's hard to describe the joy of feeling that slippery baby on your bare chest for the first time, but it's beautiful... and miraculous... and wonderful... and awesome... and just the greatest moment imaginable.  Then when those tiny little eyes look up at you for the very first time, the love is just... indescribable.  The best three days of my life...

L and I

E and I

O and I

Then, about 5 days after the birth, reality sets in and there's a lot of this...

Cry-Baby L

Cry-Baby E

Cry-Baby O

And lots and LOTS of breastfeeding... 24 hours a day... every 2.5-3 hrs for months... for a year(+)... three times...

Nursing L, on the beach

Nursing E, on the beach

Nursing O, on the beach

...And don't let the sunny, nursing-on-the-beach photos fool you, nursing sucks and I pretty much hated 85% of it.

And there is really only enough sleep to SURVIVE the first year... and some days I felt like I barely survived...

Sleeping with L

Then, by the time they stop crying for no reason, sleeping all night (for my kids, at 1 year), and quit nursing all day long, they start pouting, whining, fighting, complaining, and talking back....

Weepy L

Angry E

 Pouty O

Weepy L

Angry E

Angry O

And they can turn a clean room into a disaster in seconds...

L's Reorganization of the Playroom

Toddler E

Toddler O

Moon Dough

Marker

And a motherhood picture journal would not be complete without a LOT of laundry...

Laundry Tower (& L)

Laundry Tower  (& E)

And Poop...

Baby O and "the poop"

BUT, being a mom is really the absolute greatest thing ever.  The good moments are SO good, and they really do make up for all the tears, stresses, and frustrations.

I really love these three little people that God has given to me... and am blessed everyday to be able to spend time with them.

Box Mama:

Windy Mama:

Pirate Mama:

Hanging Out Mama:

Baby Girl's Mama:

Sweet Baby E

Beach Mama:

Snow Mama:

 Hockey Mama:

Bench Mama:

Predator Fan Mama:

Three Kid's Mama:

Baby Wearing Mama:

Hockey Fan Mama:

Two Boy's Mama:

Walking Mama:

Gulf Water Mama:

On the Beach Mama:

Sliding Mama:

At the Doctor Mama:

Bunny Ears Mama:

Pool Mama:

Outside Mama:

Playground Mama:

Silly Boy's Mama:

 Loved Mama:

Car Mama:

Disney On Ice Mama:

Sweet Girl's Mama:

Sky Fort Mama:

Christmas Mama:

Skiing Mama:

Running Mama:

Good Morning Mama:

I am SO blessed to have these three kids in my life, and so thankful also to have a wonderful husband to help me along in this journey of motherhood:

Happy Mother's Day to me!  Now when I'm in tears at the end of the day and I'm not sure I'll survive until my husband gets home, I have a post to (hopefully) remind me of how much I really do love being a mom.