Being a mom – by moms

Cherish every single minute, Mommies. It flies by so quickly. With an 11 and a 14 year old now, I miss my baby/toddler days so much it hurts. Thank goodness I have the hooligans to keep me hopping. I don't know what I'd do without little people in my life. Still - my heart aches sometimes knowing that my own baby days are over. ♥

I guess for me it means always learning. Learning from them, learning for them (to be a better parent), learning about them. Being a mother also means there is always someone who can't wait to be near me.

Being a mom to me is experiencing a love so deep and raw you never knew it could possibly exist...more practically it means raising kind, happy and productive human beings...and on the humor angle it means being amazed at my ability to do so much in so little time with one arm/hand!

Since I've become a mom...I've been more exhausted than I'd ever been before, and more energized than I'd ever been before. I've been more frustrated than I'd ever been before, and more patient than I'd ever been before. I've been more happy than I'd ever been before, and more overcome with sadness than I'd ever been before. I've been more sure of myself than I'd ever been before, and doubting my every move more than I'd ever been before. I've laughed more than I ever had before, and cried more than I ever had before. I've been more in love than I'd ever been before, and felt more loved than I'd ever been before. Motherhood has really been all of those things, in varying degrees, every day since I first found out I was expecting. And that's what no one can prepare you for, the highs and lows that happen all the time, every day, day after day and year after year.

It's hard for me to put into words... I knew from a very young age that I was born to be a mom... not so sure about the wife part... but definite on the mom part. My son gave me definition, he brought me to my faith, and ultimately saved my life. Here's more if it helps...

Being a mom is being gentle and loving. It is being strong enough to set boundaries and limits and sticking to them when you don't really want to. It is working hard when they are little to create a stable foundation of values and character so that when they are 12 you can carefully start letting go bit by bit with confidence! It's not just saying 'no you can't'; it is teaching them to assess the consequences of a situation so that THEY can decide "no I shouldn't...or should". When they are grown it is wonderful to seen them reach for their dreams, accomplish their goals, and what I absolutely enjoy the most is having them as my friend.

To me being a mom means everything. It makes me who I am. I've learned patience, love, silliness, peace, letting go, kindness, and many more things. It's not to say that I didn't know these things before becoming a mom, I just learned so much about them!

Being a mom, to me, is practicing love in the mundane actions of every day. Being a mom means I am always, always learning and it especially means learning about how to love, to trust and then to let go. When I was a kid I remember a time my mom gave me and my brother the last cookie and I thought, "Wow, I couldn't give up the last cookie; I guess if I want to be a mom I'll have to be able to do that." It really gave me pause at the moment. But, yeah, sure enough, it turns out giving up the last cookie isn't such a problem!

What does being a mom mean to me? It simply means I became who I was supposed to become without ever knowing it was even my calling. Motherhood opened my worldview, empathy, compassion, joy, love and creativity. Being a mom is everything. My kids and family are, happily, my everything.

Being a mom to me means loving your child unconditionally. To be there for them whenever they need you. To go with the flow and not try to make them someone they're not and pushing them. Being a mom is being true and honest to me and to them. Overall, being a mom is my life and I will always love them no matter what. When my daughter got very sick at 4 months old, it put everything in perspective: my children are the only thing that matters to me. If they're ok, I'm ok...

Being a Mom means re-experiencing childhood through the eyes of a child. It's playing, cuddling, and laughter. It's loving someone so much you're surprised your heart's big enough to hold it all. It means being responsible for someone else's upbringing, and making sure that their childhood is a good one. Therefore, there's s constant feeling of self-doubt at the enormous responsibility of raising a child. In spite that, being a Mother is the best feeling in the world. Nothing melts my heart more than my little boy giving me hugs and kisses and calling me Mama.

Being a mom-to-be is such an overwhelming feeling for me...I don't think I have quite sorted out the feelings to explain in words, but I can't wait until I have them, because I will shout it out the world ;o) I do have something I will share soon that may describe it, but it is not ready yet. I am recording a CD of Broadway songs that describe being a mother - the tunes are lovely. I am hoping I have the strength to finish it before Luca squishes my diaphragm too much!

To me it means unconditional love 2 ways, giving your life up for another human being (In a good way, like I would die to save him). It also means never being alone again (until he moves out) even in the bathroom or shower! It's a roller coaster of emotions on a daily basis but I wouldn't want to miss a minute of it.

I feel like for me, becoming a mom was the moment when I found true happiness, the moment I discovered the truest and deepest form of love. Before having my babies, I was missing something... longing for something. Now, every time I look into my little ones' eyes, I know exactly what it was. It blows my mind that I created these perfect little miracles. I grew them from within my body. I was solely responsible for sustaining their life outside my body by feeding them. It blows my mind that my body can do all these things!. Thanks to being a mom, I discovered what I am truly capable of. I am capable of making miracles ♥ I am capable of love beyond any words. Everyday I think i couldn't love my children more, and then the next day, I discover I somehow do ♥ For me, being a mommy is without a doubt the most amazing thing I will ever do with my life ♥ Sorry to be so long winded. I am in love with mommy hood.

I have been a teacher for much of my life. Now that I'm a mom, I get to have the most important job ever - being a teacher and role model to my son. It sometimes amazes me that I have this little person that loves me so much and depends on me for everything. I love him more than words can describe.

Being a mom is one of the most exhausting but rewarding jobs in the world. As a mom I hope that I am able to guide, love and nurture my kids...even if it means putting their needs before mine. There is nothing better than discovering and learning along side with them and seeing their smiles, and hearing their laugh. Yes it is a tiring, endless job, with far few breaks...but the endless hugs & kisses, and the amount of joy that they fill your heart with is well worth it!

Being a mom of a child with Special Needs means staying young at heart forever, acting silly whenever you want to, and being reminded that the simple things in life are what make life enjoyable - like warm homemade cookies with milk, swinging at the park, going to zoos in every town visited, and being appreciated for small acts of kindness.

Being a mom has a totally different meaning once you become a mom. When I wasn't a mom I thought it was all about diapers, feeding and taking care of a little person. Now that I am a mom I know that there are diapers and feedings, but that little person adds so much to your life that nothing else matters as much as their love.

Always putting another person's needs above your own, endless joy, endless worry, endless laughter and tears, life changing happiness. Being a Mom is a dream come true and 100% the best thing in my life 100X over.

Being a mom meant bringing a new person to life both in the form of my child and in myself. Nothing else I’ve ever done has been more important or meaningful. Being a mom meant trying to slow down time and cherish each moment when my children were little. Being a mom of adult children means a continuation of endless love along with the arrival of new adult friends in the forms of my children and children-in-love. (The woman and man next to me are my children.)

I read a quote once that said parenting is like having your heart walk around outside of your body - I think that's the most accurate choice of words for how I feel.

Being a mom is both a gift and a responsibility. Children are a gift from the Lord and I am a truly grateful woman for my kids. Being a mom is a gift of love, a love that is sacrificial and unconditional. This kind of love is something that I never truly understood until I had kids. The kind of love that takes nothing back. A love that sacrifices for the welfare of another. Being a mom is also a gift of joy. My kids bring me so much joy. I could have the worse day but seeing my kids smile and have a great time playing or whatever it may be uplifts and helps me to realize how blessed I am. But being a mom is also a responsibility. I feel that as mom, I need to set a good example to my kids to nurture them to have good character. To instill in them good values that will help them later in life. I truly believe that being a mom is the greatest job in the world

It's love bigger than you can imagine, so big it feels like you might burst. It's sacrifice and putting others' needs first. It's a chance to see the world through the lens of childhood again - taking joy in the little things as you see your child delight in them - the first flower of spring, for example, or the way the shadows of the trees outside dance on the kitchen wall. It's the most enormous happiness possible and at the same time the most enormous heartache - happiness in seeing them grow and learn, but at the same time heartache knowing that they are growing up so fast and will one day be gone from your arms.

Love, joy, patience, tears, and the opportunity to relive the wonder of childhood.

Being a mom to me is like being bamboo. Strong and flexible. I've always had difficulty being flexible but it has become necessary over the years. But you have to be strong for the sake of your kids. Strong with discipline, strong in your marriage, and strong in your morals. But it's also about staying young at heart. You have to be willing to dance, sing, climb rocks, and so on. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone for the sake of your children.

Being a mom means seeing the world through a whole new set of eyes, I am so much aware of things outside of myself because of how it affects them. It means loving more than I ever imagined possible. I know that I would never have even a mere seconds thought before sacrificing myself for one of them. It means happiness, as I watch them grow, learn and live life. It also means lots of heartache as I worry and fret over them. Above all, I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment nothing else compares to. I look at my girls and I am continually flabbergasted that they are a part of me! It is just so amazing how we create these perfect beings (yes, perfect because our children are perfect for us no matter what!).

We prayed, cried, and waited (impatiently) many years for our first to arrive. Being a mother to me is a miracle and a joy. I now have three of my own “someones” with whom I can read stories, play pretend, climb trees, snuggle, build, learn, laugh, cry, and dream. A gift I try to never take for granted, a gift I didn’t know would ever be possible. Every Mothers’ Day, my heart aches for those with empty arms.

Being a mom is hearing "I wuv you too mommy" on the way to bed with your little one in footed Jammies with his head on your shoulder

To me, being a mom means tearing my hair out in frustration in one moment and then getting showered in kisses the next. It has taught me how to love with every ounce of my body and to experience what forgiveness truly means without having any sort of expectations in return.

To me, being a mum is a privilege, not a right and one I don't intend on taking for granted. I cherish my children as my most treasured possession, but hope to be a able to teach them how to become confident, strong, caring and altruistic individuals. This is one role in life I am determined not to screw up! It is my responsibility.

For me, being a mum is about getting covered in paint and goo, playing pirates and princesses, reading books and playing games. It means there is always something to worry about, always someone to put before yourself. It means a home full of giggles, cuddles and love.

Being a mom to me means considering how every action I take will teach my children something. That changes how I behave. It makes me slower to anger, quicker to apologize, a heck of a lot more patient and being selfish seems impossible at times. Being a mom also makes me see everyone as someone's child. I cry a lot more because it's easy to put myself in some other parents' shoes and I am so grateful to be in my own most hours of most days. I have found bravery in myself I never thought existed because I have two children who I would face anything for without consideration. That bravery has extended to other people's children in a deeper way too. I was a strong advocate for kids before becoming a mother but now as one it's a true passion. I have confidence that I always knew was inside but it took my own children to force it to the surface because there has been and there will be many times that I have had to speak for them and speaking up for your children is without question much easier than speaking up for yourself. So to me being a mom means being careful, being thoughtful, compassionate, brave, passionate and confident. I think the only thing that can make anyone be all those things without magic is a mother's love.

Being a mom means reaching more deeply into my soul and self than I ever thought possible and sharing a love that is divine and uniquely our own. It means being a shield and a mirror, it means being more than I am capable of most of the time. It means honouring and accepting the choices of other mamas in the hopes that they will honour and trust our choices. It has meant walking alone and learning that there is nothing greater than the love I have for my child - and I am willing to stand alone to fight for the choices I make for that love. It means learning to love things about myself because I ask him to love those things about him; like my body. It means loving and honouring his father so much more than I ever could have imagined because he holds his son up so high and cares for me so well.

Being a mom means learning and loving more than you could ever imagine.

For me, being a mom means being willing to sacrifice yourself every day for another, it means expecting nothing in return, it means watching a kiddo grow and become themselves, it means accepting them for who they are, it means challenging them to strive for more, it means hoping and believing in them in all circumstances, it means being patient even when I am tired, giving hugs, getting slobbery kisses, pretending to laugh when being tickled, it means hide-n-seek for the umpteenth time. Being a mom is an awesome responsibility and a great joy.

Being a Mum to me is that being a Mum taking the great moments with the bad nights and days when you feel like you are going up the wall and round the bend at the same time, helping to grow confident independent people that know how to love, respect, care are kind and generous have the ability to lead and follow with a thirst to learn about everything from the smallest bacteria to the giant universe and everything in between - but also know I'm helping to grow them but I'm not on my own and that they are individuals that need different care and loving to match their needs.

Oooh so many different things, to love unconditionally, to always put them first, to nurture...to teach to be independent, to help them become confident, to teach them to be kind and thoughtful...to show them how the world works and to help build happy childhood memories!

Okay, I thought long and hard. Being a mother, surprisingly, meant having to give up control. These beautiful children are not extensions of myself, they are whole and complete human beings. They have their own wants, needs, fears, and joys. They need to make their own mistakes, and learn their own lessons. This was a hard lesson for me to learn, but a life changing one. We can only truly love someone one when we can take a step back from them and see them as a whole person.

Since my daughter is all grown up now, I see being a mom as a season in life where the needs of others come first in just about every decision you make and everything you do. From picking up toys, washing another load of towels, kissing that boo-boo to praying that your child will be safe as she drives, dates, goes off to college, and get's married. Then one day - you are sitting in the hospital room watching your daughter become a mother and you pray that your daughter will be as blessed as you have been during your season of motherhood.

Being a Mother means growing up (and out). Your love for your child gives you the strength to do more than you ever thought possible, a Superhero of sorts. Even though you don’t always feel like it, after having children you learn to be more patient and observant, a better multi-tasker, to judge less and listen more, to learn to create a routine and to go with the flow when life doesn’t go as planned, to protect and to let go, to teach and to learn, to see the world through different eyes and most importantly to laugh. Being a Mother means becoming a better, stronger you.

To be a mom.....it is the most important job that I've ever had and the most difficult. It makes me appreciate my own Mom and what amazing things all moms do!

Being a mom means making a choice. This choice is to be a part of someone else’s life forever.It’s a choice to want to be there in the middle of the night for feedings or waiting for them to come home safely, to see a first smile, to watch their first step or hear their first word. It’s a choice to cheer at a soccer game, attend a parent teacher conference, to volunteer or sit for many hours at the homework table and read book after book as my child learns to read. It’s a choice to not have the perfect looking house but a house that’s filled with fun, adventure and pictures on the fridge and photos on the walls. It’s a choice to live in the moment with my child every day and teach them about the world. It’s a choice to wear mymorals, values, work ethic and even my emotions on my sleeve for my child to learn from. It’s a choice to share my smiles, giggles, hugs andkisses and to hide my frustrations. It’s a choice to love them unconditionally and to encourage them my whole life. Being a mom is the best choice I’ve ever made in my life!

Becoming a mom and being one made me absolutely a different and without doubt a better person. I wrote a post about it that was featured by Jamie. Please click below.

Being a mom, to me... this time around... means I have someone to play with everyday! I love that we're constantly learning from each other

I think being a mom means making sacrifice and compromises. It also means that I get to explore and discover and learn new things every day from a different perspective. I also think being a mom allows me to recognize the best and worst part of myself and try every day to be a little better.