Moments of Musing

Motherhood: My Most Defining Experience of the Past Decade

Filed Under: 2010s, motherhood, new year //

I have lost myself in Motherhood but more importantly, I have found myself here, too.
If I had to choose the most defining experience of the past decade it has been Motherhood. 

From marriage to career, Motherhood has profoundly impacted every aspect of my life. 
It has made me feel—really feel. 
It has given me the biggest joys in the form of the purest souls. 
It has made me feel crippling guilt—from the way I birthed my babies to the way I’ve yelled. 

It has made me feel both under-appreciated and overwhelmed, appreciated and at peace. 
It has made me feel despair and anxious, proud and excited. 
It has filled me with a love that feels bigger than just that.  
It has been the acknowledgment that we – myself, the kids, my husband- are all learning. 

It has been long days and restless nights. 
It has been compromise and cuddles… oh the cuddles!
It has been the realization that being their Mom is my life’s greatest work.  

Motherhood has blessed me. 
It has challenged me. 
It has transformed me. 
It has empowered me. 

It has birthed me into the Mom that I am, the person I always wanted to be. 
And I like who that is. 
… No, actually, I love her. 

New year, new-ish goals … new me? (2017)

Filed Under: goals, life, new year //

Linking up with Helene’s Best of 2016
New year, new me, right? Not exactly. I woke up on January 1st the same person I was on December 31st, just a more tired/ exhausted version. (Is it just me or do you also feel like the holidays are a bit draining?)
I will say I am a different person than I was a year ago. I have some new, and some of the same, goals. I have more responsibilities. I have more reason for living. And I love a whole lot more–so much I feel like my heart could burst at times.
I’m a mom now. This year, and from now on, my goals are centered around the tiny human being who is my baby:
Be more present. 
I want to put my phone down more. Watch less TV. Interact more. This has become way easier since Sebastian’s birth because he requires so much attention–and I honestly appreciate that it’s forced me to be more present. 
Be ambitious. 
I want to gain followers and page views. I want to continue to push myself and advance in my career. I want to get back into running and have a healthier diet. This year, I will continue pushing myself to be the best I can be.

Be patient. 
I have a feeling patience will be key for much of life. Patience with myself as a mom. Patience with my husband and my son. Patience with however fast or slow my progress is going. I will be kind to myself and give myself grace.
My goals from last year remain, as well:
Save more money. 
Looking back on 2016, I am happy, and feel blessed, to say it was indeed the best year ever, ever, ever. Our savings was a roller coaster because while we did hit a high, we spent more than ever before on our son. I am thankful we were able to save so much because it enabled us to finance all of our baby-related bills,  move into an apartment, and afford a couple weeks of unpaid maternity leave at the end of my 13-week leave. As always, I’d like to continue, or even amp up, our saving. 

Buy a home.
House hunting and the goal of buying a home took a backseat once my pregnancy progressed and we realized the NYC housing market was just too high for us then. We’re hoping this year will be the year we become home owners …but I am going to continue being kind to us if that’s not the case again. 

Let God. 
I have high hopes 2017 will be another great year for us, though. Once again, I will keep my faith and continue trusting that God has great plans for us. And of course, my not-so-secret “secret” goal remains: It‘s okay to let go and let life happen. 

After all, there’s only so much of life that we can plan for. 

Through the Years

Filed Under: life, new year, perspective //

This year brought the biggest and very best change: mommyhood.

As I’m preparing to enter the new year with new goals and a not-so-much-new but modified life plan, I’ve found myself reflecting on the past few years. During my reflection, I came back to my blog to read my old posts. It’s always nice to read about where I’ve been, where I’m at now, and where I’d like to be in the near future. 

While reading some of the posts, they still resonated with me. Even though life is a bit different now, I was still inspired and touched by them. Those life lessons and times have served as a guide for me at one point or another. 
Before I set life and blog goals for 2017, I figured it’d be the opportune time to share some of my all-time favorite posts with you. I’m starting with my very first post because it’s gotten me here, it’s representative of the reason I started the blog (long distance), and it shows how far I’ve come since then.


It’s pretty neat reading how much life has changed throughout the years, just as it is to see how much these succulents have grown since my baby shower.

I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane as much as I do. As always, thank you for reading and supporting this ever-evolving writing space of mine. Cheers to much peace, love and growth–both personal and professional- in the new year! xoxo

2012

2013





2014





2015
2016