Motherhood is a very demanding journey all throughout. You have to be tuned into the small needs of life. A baby is so small yet has such an all-consuming presence. Here is my story how I am celebrating motherhood at different milestones..smooth sailing mommies!
Celebrating Motherhood 6 Months
You essentially become more careful when you realize you have a life inside you. I guess you become a mother right when you conceive and start preparing for a baby. It’s a transformational journey to experience how something that lived on you, fed on you, is now moving away and having an independent life of their own. With every step that she takes towards independence, I marvel at God’s creation; how did he manage to create this.
Learning On the Job
Motherhood is learning on the job. Sometimes you learn how to look after a life, otherwise, you learn how to grow away from it. It’s constant learning and stressful journey so you can not these parenting mistakes.
You have to eventually unlearn what you learned at the start of it. The process is highly REWARDing though. You get paid in smiles and hugs. Your role profile keeps changing from holding the baby to letting go of her. You eventually appreciate the niceties.
Rewarding Process
Beyond sleepless nights, being on your toes 24*7, zero moments of solace, no time for the basic chores, you realize you have a higher purpose. You have to be more consistent to develop a successful sleep plan for a baby.
It dawns that you were created to create. That every achievement, award, promotion, an appreciation that you have received up until now comes nowhere close to that smile when you return from a day’s work.
Your touch is therapy to someone. Your presence a medicine. And for every pain, every stretch mark, every sleepless night, every sigh that you have borne you have to thank that hiccup, that burp, that heartbeat, that kick, that wriggly move and realize the beauty of motherhood… like Khalid Hosseini says, “for you a thousand times over.”
That’s why motherhood is ‘A journey not measured in miles but only smiles.’
Celebrating Motherhood After 1 Year
Stepping Out vs Staying In
I am a 12-month-old mother today. When your routine is limited to changing pants, following your tiny crawling creature around the house, feeding, preparing baby food, making sure nothing untoward gets swallowed all you want is a break.
I planned on a movie date with my best buddy. I enjoyed dressing up( for a change not wondering if feeding would be easy in the outfit) setting my little angel’s routine for the remainder of the day, etc and got mentally and logistically ready to step out.
My daughter who is otherwise ok when I stepped out, cried and demanded to be held. I respected her needs. She would not leave me, I asked my mother to step out with me and take a stroll in the building with my daughter. She agreed. So, what’s the big deal about it??!!
Something that earlier used to happen in a mad rush of sorts where I would buckle my footwear in the elevator, run outside of the building without turning back now is an altogether different episode. I am set and so is my mother just so that her granddaughter has an easy transition to stay away from her mother.
The Day I come out of mom guilt
The moment I stepped out I enjoyed the feeling of having no bag with my daughter’s need-to-have and good-to-have stuff. The bag helps me balance my shoulder when I am carrying my 7-month-old on one side and the bag on the other (phew).
I enjoyed not having to worry about whether the temperature is too hot or too cold, is there too much pollution, anyone who is smoking around; I just had to be me. It felt like freedom of some sorts. Even before I reached my destination
I had started missing her. Her face, her smile, her eyes, her smells(trust me, they have a distinct one)her voice, her touch just kept nudging me. Although I enjoyed the moment I hated the feeling. It was a strange situation.
Every working mother who steps out will agree that when we leave, we carry our bodies but leave our shadow home. Sometimes big, otherwise small, sometimes behind, at times ahead…but always stuck to you – our shadow, our extension, our creation.
The rewards of stepping out could be many but that one award of returning home, that SMILE is priceless.
Celebrating Motherhood After 18 month
When you are an 18-month-old mother you have in a way settled with the expectations of the role. You want to focus on your health, on your other priorities in life. But you always have that attached “priority tag” to your otherwise BIGG suitcase of things pending…you always have your bub. The balancing act of emotions is not easy.
While this is the case, your little one(not very little anymore) is at times independent otherwise treats you as a one-stop shop.
Walking the Tightrope and Doing the Balancing Act
I gave up my high profile career for motherhood..was it easy? Hell NO!!! I still have days when I feel purposeless when I feel I am not doing enough when I feel is this the right thing, when I get swallowed in my low self-esteem. The answer is I don’t know.
But when I see my daughter smile I know this moment just makes it worth it. In the middle of the night, she puts her arms around and holds me and then again turns around and goes back to sleep..as if to check if I am next to her.
It’s ensuring if her safety zone is around. I am her safety zone; I am a person full of insecurities, anxieties, weaknesses and yet I am someone’s safety zone.
They Grow up Too Fast
Sometimes I just want to see how she would manage in an unfamiliar surrounding and hence I physically distance myself from her.
After a point, she realizes checks back if the zone is too far and adjusts herself to the absence of my constant presence. But I have to be in the visual radar.
A life connected through an umbilical cord, dependent for its basic respiratory function now is comfortable seeing you in her visual radar..very soon she would outgrow that too. And bid me goodbye to school. They grow up too fast.
I mean The World to her
In the middle of a tantrum she wants to go away from me(saying Katti) and then again her tantrum stops only and only when I pick her up and calm her.. I am the pain giver and the healer too. The world comes full circle here. I am the start and I am the end.
She is me, I am her
It’s funny when people ask me to decode her language. I have to give meaning to her words for the world to understand. I don’t need to be explained, need to understand them.
I need to be receptive as a mother. I am the wind beneath her wings. I gave her birth for a reason and every little milestone will have to be assisted by me until she becomes an independent decision maker.
When she has a blocked nose and is restless in the night while asleep. I could be in deep sleep but the parental switch in the brain gets activated to comfort her.
She completes Me
All these instances might feel like this other life(that I have created) is so dependent on me..but the truth is far from it. I need this reassurance, this comfort, this communication, this security and not her. She has not completed even 2 years but she makes me a complete woman in ways she wouldn’t know.
That’s why you need to embrace motherhood… It could be rocky, a roller coaster ride, bumpy path… But you are still the captain of this relation ‘ship’.
Isn’t that beautiful? It seems like a poem for mothers.
How do you feel about it? How are you celebrating motherhood?
We would love to read your story. So don’t forget to comment and please share to embrace the love of a Mother.
You are a completely perfect momma, even though no one says this to you, feel it and love such a beautiful experience of motherhood.
Elizabeth O
Mothering is equal parts terrifying and euphoric. This was a lovely post to read and I really enjoyed it.
Maithilee
Thank you Elizabeth! It is equal parts you and the baby..where the parts merge beautifully
Brandy
Motherhood is such an amazing experience. My children are no longer “littles” but they are not adults yet either. I am enjoying all of the new moments.
Flyingkids
What a beautiful illustration of Motherhood. It has ups and downs but in total, it’s more fun and enjoyable than difficult.
Maithilee
Thank you. It is an enriching experience.
Twinmom
I totally agree. This relationship has its ups and downs but that one smile, kiss or a hug is the most precious thing in the world. Lovely written.
Maithilee
Thank you.
the fashion matters
This is so precious! I am not a mother yet but loved reading this x
Maithilee
You don’t have to be a mother… You just have to feel for another human.. Thank you for being human.
Maithilee
Thank you Brandy. We all need to savour each moment, they grow up so fast! It’s unbelievable…
Julie Plagens
Love the videos. Kids are hard to raise. It looks like you are doing a fabulous job. Keep it up. I know it”s hard somedays.
Maithilee
Thank you Julie… Hard times get the best out of you.. In fact our kids give us another chance to be better humans all over again.
Komal
I can so feel u… Motherhood ain’t a cake walk but is definitely rewarding
Maithilee
Thank you Komal..The REWArds are priceless.
Sabita Patra
Awesome writeup… Motherhood can never be described but felt every moment… The smiles say it all.
Maithilee
Motherhood is a journey measured in smiles. Thank you Sabita.
sakshi patil
An excellent article. Of being mother. A journey of Motherhood.
Maithilee
Thank you so much. It means a lot.
Saroj
Beautifully describe Maithilee. Motherhood is a learning experience…I’m still learner 🙂
Maithilee
Thank you, we all are and forever will be learners.
Ivan
Lovely post. This is very beautiful. I salute all mothers, my wife most especially. I now believe that mothers imdeed have super powers.
Ivan
http://www.ivan-jose.online
Maithilee
Wow! So well said Carol. Thank you.
Maithilee
Thank you Ivan. When we enter into parenthood we have that invisible cape, whether you are a mother or a father to the child.
Dimple
Lovely write up…I could relate to each and every word or situation that u mentioned and still going thru the ups and downs of motherhood…though it has been more of a roller coaster ride but I can visualise a better picture now and have learnt a lot in these 3 yrs of motherhood…
Maithilee
Thank you Dimple. We are all learners in the journey.
Alison Rost
Motherhood is amazing and challenging at the same time. It’s the best gig ever and I learned so much from it! Every mother is worth celebrating no matter what stage they’re at.
Maithilee
I agree. We need to celebrate each and every mother at various stages of parenthood.
huma
nice emotions,penned down v beautifully.
Maithilee
Thank you Huma.
Carol Cassara
Motherhood is such a special experience and it never ends as well, no matter how old your child is, whether they’re 1 month old or 30 years old. I think it’s really important that we celebrate mothers!
Patrice boothe
Love reading about motherhood and people’s experiences I am not a mother just yet but it’s good to hear people’s journey.
Love Patrice x
http://www.pixieox.com
kari
What a great post about motherhood. Being a mother , I identify with many instances mentioned in your piece. It is a rewarding and exhausting experience which honestly will not end even when your child is grown and independent. Once a mom always a mom .