Marraige and Parenting

When I got married, I was not sure what married life would look like. Oh sure, my parents were married and I had a great example of that. However, I wasn't sure on a day to day basis what it would look like for me.

After being married for a while, we found out we were pregnant. We had struggled to have a child and were told the chances were slim. I am not a terribly romantic person. In fact I am a realist with sentimental tendencies. So when we found out we were pregnant, I was so stunned I called Adam at work and blurted the news.

I wasn't sure what life with a kid would look like. Soon after Samuel arrived I knew my life had changed. It sounds so cliche to say that life would never be the same. But somehow everything changed. It was no longer all about me.

Now after having a second child I realize that life is totally different. Someone once told me that they never realized how much spare time they had when they were in college and working, until they had a child. Then they thought they were exhausted...until they had a second child. Then they couldn't imagine all the spare time. I understand that now that Ethan arrived.

I wouldn't change being a mom for anything. This year Adam and I will have been married for 9 years. It is hard to believe that time is flying so fast. There are days when marraige is hard. We don't agree on finances, children, discipline, or where we see ourselves in a few years. Then there are the really tough times when I look to my single friends and envy thier lives. The ability to come and go as they please. To splurge on a huge purchase and eat ramen noodles for a month to afford it.

But in the end, I find that there was a reason for everything in my life. My kids have taught me patience, strength, and willpower. They have taught me unconditional love and the ability to see past the wrongdoing and look to the reason for it.

I appreciate every moment. I see life now as a scrapbook. Every cute outfit, all of the "firsts", the funny faces and sayings....I don't want to forget one. I hope that God continues to bless my little family. I pray that I will continue to learn the life lessons from the trials and experiences that I am lead through. For that is what makes me the person I am today.