MamaHood Exposed

My journey as a Mama has been an eventful one.  Sometimes it's been really hard and I wanted anything to take it all back, and sometimes it's been really wonderful and I couldn't get enough.  There are good days and bad days, and all sorts of days in between.  And tomorrow I'm starting a series where every few days Mamas of all walks of life will share their thoughts, experiences, and journey....their stories.  It's called Mamahood Exposed.

I was tired of reading all the Mama bloggers out there who always have such wonderful things to say.  They seem to have the perfect lives: they have angelic children, make gourmet cupcakes, run a business, have the perfect marriage, fly, leap tall buildings in a single bound and do it all without a hair out of place.  It made me wonder what was I doing wrong?  How could I suck this much at it?  I love my baby but what the heck is this secret that these women have?  Then I realized it's not a secret, it's editing.

They just don't mention the crappy parts like the time you're crying in the shower because you're just overwhelmed by it all, or the time you wonder how long it's legal to ignore your crying baby in a crib 'cause you just want some more sleep this time, or the stresses in any relationship caused by the massive responsibility of parenting.  No one talks about that.  They just blog about the delicious roast chicken that night, not the fact that the roast chicken ended up being thrown on the floor by a frustrated mama or frustrated toddler - take your pick.

So here's a  a series from open, honest and vulnerable women.  Women who are amazing mothers, and amazing people, and who sometimes suck at it too.  Because the truth is no one gets it right all the time, and the sooner we say it's okay to have days that suck, and it's okay to cry, and it's okay to get it wrong, the better we'll all be.

To the women who have contributed, and who continue to contribute, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me with your story.

You amaze me.

Some of the stories are light and some are heavy, that's just the way the cookie crumbles, but all are honest, all give you a glimpse into the woman, and all are unique.

I hope you enjoy it. *more on the way!*  

1. "My Two Cents" my own piece about this subject.
2. "Not Baby People" with Tricia from Mama Marchand's Musings.
3. "One And Done" with Katie from Hems For Her. 
4. "Good, Bad, Ugly And Funny" with Hanna from Bouffe e Bambini.
5. "Regrets" with Michelle from The Momma Bird.
6. "She Saved My Life" with Liz from Blue Eyed Owl.
7. "Seeking Answers" with Lena from Mom2MemphisAndRuby. 
8. "Hearts Outside Ourselves" with Melissa from Mama Style. 
9. "To Laugh" with Beth from Through The Eyes Of The Mrs. 
10. "Time Off" with Chelsea from Sunny With A Chance Of Sprinkles.
11. "It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint" with Esther from Lovingly Thrown Together.  
12. "Lessons In Love" with Megan from Absolute Mommy.  
13. "Being A Mama" with Megan from And Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson. 
14. "Hello Crazy"  with Lindsay from  Little Mudpies.