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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Words to your Pre-Baby Self



I have been loving NPR's Baby Project and wish I had discovered it during my pregnancy. Those days were hectic, hard, and ultimately triumphant, but I secretly wish I could have spent more time basking in the pregnant experience and writing for something along the lines of what NPR has put together. A friend of mine (the talented Annemarie) shared this link on facebook and I became a tad emotional watching the video. Did anyone else find this moving or are hormones sifting back to me?

Some of my personal favorites: "Forgive yourself"; "This too shall pass" 
(heck I have that tattooed on me!); "Trust your instincts"; "You are the expert"

I intended on creating this blog even before I had Addison, and for various reasons didn't launch here until she was five months old. My original focus was to write out the things no one told me before I had a baby, or more fittingly--the things you can't really prepare yourself for. I have a huge list that if I wasn't so wrapped up in life as a mama I could use for daily blog posts from now until December. Yet, I want to share so much more about the experience of parenthood and the interesting split that occurs when one is 'born' into a mother. I also want to pass on the myriad resources and inspirations I have found in my intense 'research' (or internet addiction) in hopes of helping others along the way. For me, the hardest part about transitioning into being a mother has been the identity crisis that came with it--particularly since I found myself entering the realm of single-parenting to boot. I still struggle with forgiveness in one shape or form, being kind to myself, and also coping with the fact that I am still essentially who I was before baby. There is quite a lot I wish I could tell my pregnant self, and so much wisdom given by others that I hold close to me still, but as the article details, you can't really know until you get there. I have narrowed my sentiments to the two posted here because they are pertinent to me and I think can transcend to any other mama out there.


What would your sign say?

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing this! It brought tears to my eyes.

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  2. found you through comments on drea's page.
    i like what you wrote and was hoping you had a blog..
    yay..
    <3xojo
    p.s. our babies are only a month apart. :)

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  3. Hey Jordan Marie! Thank you so much!

    Oooh I LOVE your blog and see we have a few similar obsessions--including a great song/theme of the day: all you need is love. When that love is for a baby it is so easy. How is five months treating you so far? I love how fun these little girls are getting! xoxo

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  4. I'm not in a position to look back yet, but what is staring me right in the face is the overwhelming blessing that it is to be a part of such a wonderful group of mamas and daddies and parents to be. As social an animal as I may be, I don't do a very good job of opening up and exploring/ exposing my vulnerabilites and fears. So my sign or my reminder -now, and after our little light shines her grace on the world- says "Embrace the extended family you built while building your family." Thanks, Jen. xo
    (Also, I'm no safe guage for wether it's the video or hormones, but that totally got me bleary eyed.)

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  5. Aw Bridgette I feel so so much the same way. For every blip I've been given a blessing and I think life is making that more and more apparent. I chuckle at the vulnerabilities/fears comment because I think I spend so much of my life doing that...so I use my outlets to explore my joys and gifts. love love love.

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