It's been almost exactly a year since I blogged. It has been an awesome, crazy year! We just closed on our first house on Friday. For almost 10 years we have lived in apartments and now we have a place that is ours. Not a home, because home is where your family is, so all the apartments have been home, but something that is really OURS! It's weird. I have many other wonderful and not so wonderful things to share, but those are for another day. Today is about Surprised by Motherhood by Lisa-Jo Baker.
I LOVE this gal's blog. I Facebook share almost every single post she writes, so when I heard she was actually writing a book, I freaked out a little- ok, a lot. I was so excited. My husband laughs sometimes because I talk about Lisa-Jo like we are friends, even though we have never met or talked. When I read her blog, I am encouraged. I feel like I am sitting down to read words of encouragement from a close friend. (P.S. Lisa-Jo, if you read this and you are ever in the Seattle area, I would love to have you over for dinner and dessert. I can bakes TONS of stuff.) I have only read part of the book, since it doesn't actually come out until tomorrow, but I can't wait to read it all!
Here is a part in the first few pages that just sang to me:
"But I would do some things differently. I would throw away most of the parenting books that made me feel like I was somehow failing at this most important test of womanhood-being a mother. I'd throw out the advice about what I was doing wrong or should be doing differently or should aspire to be doing. I'd just revel in the daily, sleep-deprived merry-go-round and eat a lot more chocolate cake.
Also, I'd go up to tired moms dragging screaming kids through Target and give them flowers. I would stop every single new mom I ran into with chocolate and promises that they could do it. I would tell them they're my heroes-for every month of pregnancy, every 3 a.m. feeding, every booboo kissed, every diaper changed, every plate of food they never got to eat hot."
Ok, I need to stop quoting the book or I will just type it all. :-) And that is just from the prologue where she explains why she wrote the book. It just keeps getting better as you read. I had tears running down my face. Good tears from being encouraged at a time I needed it. She writes, "You are much braver than you think." Tired tears. Tears from remembering the sleepless nights with little babies. Tears from the melt-into-your-shoulder baby snuggles. Tears of joy and laughter.
I want moms to feel encouraged. That is why I had been the MOPS Coordinator for so long. MOPS helped me when I didn't even know I needed it. This book will encourage all moms, no matter what stage of motherhood they are in. If you want to be encouraged that motherhood is not a competition and we can all learn from one another, please head on over to Amazon to order the book: amzn.to/1hO81ji
Also, check out Lisa-Jo's blog at: http://lisajobaker.com/ LOVE IT!!!
I could write a TON more, but now I need to go snuggle this little monkey girl that is hanging on my arm. :-)
