A Week of Sundays

We need grace to make it.

A little TLC goes a long way.

A mess of toys can be cleaned up in under 5 minutes (with focus).

This too shall pass. This was my mantra on the tough days. The days when Sunday was only content in my arms all. day. long. This was my mantra in the middle of the night as I crawled out of bed for the 3rd, 4th, or 5th time. This was my mantra as she pinched and pulled at me while breastfeeding. This too shall pass. And I will surely miss it.

To slow down and listen.

Strawberries and bananas should be dessert, not a whole meal.

To savor the small things. Like really stop, breathe them in, and thank God for them kind of savoring.

Girls don't have to wear pink.

To embrace being a mother. Pregnancy, labor, delivery, and breastfeeding… All of these were great challenges that chipped away at my shell of selfishness and neediness (another great word is brattiness). They each molded me into the mother I am today. But it wasn't until Sunday was about 6 months old when I realized as I pushed her in the cart through the aisles of Target… this is motherhood. This is what I have always wanted. To spend time with my baby shopping, to nuzzle her cheeks and make her smile, to sneak her a cookie so she feels special. It was that moment when I surrendered to my new role in life. I decided to stop trying to be the person I was before she came. The coffee dates, the traveling, the social media… trying to pretend I didn't have a baby in my life and that everything was different was not working anymore. That was the day I dove in and embraced motherhood. The day I discovered the real joy of being a mother.

To not take this life for granted.

Schedules and routines are not overrated.

It only takes about 15 minutes to clean a whole kitchen.

Smiling is contagious. During Sunday's sad moments, I remember a piece of advice I read/heard/embraced: "Smile at her. Often." I stop and do this the most when we are at her changing table. Depending on her mood she is laughing and playing or screaming her head off and I never know what to expect until I lay her down on the table. When she is screaming I remember this advice and I smile. I turn up the volume on my voice and I speak to her in a soothing tone. "I love you sweet girl. You are my bestest little friend…!" And I smile. I smile big. And it works. She calms down and she may even smile back. It's a beautiful thing.

That eating healthy can be as easy as planning ahead and making the decision to do it. (And sweet potatoes are a God-given gift!)

Working too much makes the people around me feel neglected.

A little fresh air does a body and soul very good.

Saying family is a top priority and making family a top priority are two different things.

To stay true to my word. Something I admire about my own mother is that she never changed her mind. What she said is what was. "No" would not become "Yes" with any sort of convincing. While I remember this and don't seem to have a hard time implementing it into our parenting practices, I do have a hard time implementing it into other areas of my life. Sunday is a gentle reminder that I need to set boundaries and keep them, no matter who they affect. And if I say I am going to do something, I need to do it. More importantly, unless I have a plan to do it, I need not say I will. (sigh) Still learning this.

I must take care of myself first, or I am no good to my daughter.

I married a good man.