Parenthood

I'm pretty sure that when I thought about becoming a mom, my mind wandered to baby names, nursery decor, gear, gadgets, play dates, fun places we would go, family photos, smocked outfits......you get my drift. All things that didn't really matter, or prepare you for what was to come.

Now that we are in full swing parenthood, I have had weak moments where I have thought things like "I didn't sign up for this..." For the sleepless nights, the INSANE daycare bill, the hard decisions, the constant second guessing, the constant state of putting things away, the talking back....

After all, wasn't it just supposed to be all fun??

I recently read a post on my friend's blog that said all the same things I have been thinking. She talked about how this mothering stuff is tricky and can leave you feeling unprepared.

That we really have to be intentional and deliberate in our parenting. This to me seems like such a daunting task. We only have these babies under our wing for so long and one day they will fly and make decisions on their own largely from how we raised them.

These little years are so important. Their hearts are tender and impressionable and they are hanging on our every word.

 We have to be on our "A-game" all the time. And at the same time, we can't take ourselves too seriously. These children are blessings from above and they are His more than they are mine.

I know all of these things. And believing this, also means that I believe God will prepare me for each phase. I have to accept that it doesn't mean I will be the perfect parent. It just means that hopefully, with a lot of grace, I will be the perfect parent for Will and Alex.

I just finished reading "Loving the Little Years" for the 2nd time. It is such a great read and I highly recommend it if you are a mom of little ones. The subtitle is "Mothering in the trenches." :) Sounds about right.

These years are tough...and some of the most important ones. I've heard it said before and you probably have too---the days are long, but the years are short.