Mamahood Exposed: It's a Marathon Not A Sprint

Sometimes we forget that Mamahood is for the long haul and that in order to finish at the end we have to figure out ways to take breaks.  Here's Esther's story. 

Hi there! I am Esther from Lovingly Thrown Together where I blog about my life with two incredibly handsome dudes, recipes, crafts, and some real-life mama stuff. 

I am so happy to be here for this Motherhood Exposed series.

When Joanna first asked me to contribute to the series, 

I wrote this feel-good post about how angelic my son looks 

when I hold him in the middle of the night if he wakes up scared or sick.  

But in proofreading that post I realized that I was painting a picture that truly did not fit my reality. 

So I highlighted the entire thing and quickly hit delete before I could reconsider.

My journey as a mom started on September 21, 2010. 

My son Jacob was born at 11:04am and turned my world upside down (in a good way).

I have since been a stay-at-home mom and work from home part-time as a freelance writer. 

Jacob is a great kid. He’s slept well since the beginning and has always been good with transitions. He plays well and eats well.

But the truth is sometimes how good he is doesn't really matter 

and I need alone time. Sometimes I need an afternoon of coffee, computer, tv, and a book.

The problem is that when I signed up to be a mom I had to agree to die to myself in every single way. I read once that being a mom is realizing that you don’t matter anymore. 

Your child’s needs come first… all the time.

Let me tell you, 
that becomes exhausting pretty fast.

Sometimes my son is walking around with freshly washed hair, an impeccable pair of pants, 

and a spankin’ new t-shirt. Me? My uniform includes uggs, jeans, and a forgiving long-sleeve tshirt… when I am lucky enough to have gotten out of my pajamas. 

Most days he eats breakfast, snack, and lunch before I even get a sip of my coffee. 

True story.

His needs are at times overwhelming but they need tending to. Yes I scream sometimes 

(and no joke I apologize to him every single time) 

and I cry a lot 

(I don’t apologize for that because usually I feel so much better after a good sob sesh).

When I need breaks, which is pretty often, I have to remind myself to take them. 

I have another cup of coffee, I sit to watch a show, I get a babysitter so my husband 

and I can go out for date night, or we drop him off at his grandparents.

You see, my son is going to be my son forever and ever. I think I better take some breaks now 
so I can finish the race with my sanity (somewhat) intact.

Are you a Mama with a story to tell? 
Email your submission to joanna.haughton@hotmail.com