Motherhood Defined: Overwhelming

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Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels

The baby was about to wake from a nap. I had just finished folding the third load of laundry of the day. There were too many clothes to fit in the hamper so I headed upstairs with my arms full of tiny onesies, my 2 year old’s tutus, and my son’s beloved footie pajamas.

“Mom, can you get me a snack? I’m hungry!”

“Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!” My frustrated 2-year-old screamed from the kitchen, as she tried to no avail to buckle her babydoll into the highchair.

Overwhelming.

“Weeeeeeeee. Higher!!” *giggle giggle giggle*

The picking of apples, the climbing and swinging on the playground. The glimpse at my daughter’s profile that stops me in my tracks and makes me stare in awe. “How beautiful,” I think to myself. Watching my husband make silly faces at our baby who is tucked tight in the Ergo. A blissful family day.

Overwhelming.

A thud. A loud scream. Tears. Big brother saying, “I didn’t do anything to sister!” Racing in to comfort your slightly hurt but highly offended daughter, while your baby crawls fast after you and pulls up on the back of your legs, wobbling and about to fall because she’s not great at it yet. Thinking about what words you will use when you talk to your son about whether or not he hurt his sister and if it was some sort of accident. Sorting through possible lies, hurt feelings, life lessons.

Overwhelming!

Running your hands over your stomach as you feel your body working hard to bring baby earth-side. Moving into every position you can think of to try and calm your surging body. Birthing a tiny human, your tiny human. Holding them close to your chest, breathing in that brand new life and crying tears of thankfulness, relief, joy, and maybe terror of the thought at keeping this little love alive.

Overwhelming.

Motherhood, from the beginning, is overwhelming time and again.

The good, the bad. The beautiful, the ugly. The encouraging moments and the discouraging seasons. They have left me with overwhelming joy, sadness, doubt and hope, all in their own times.

What an overwhelming privilege we have to walk through motherhood.