motherhood

Motherhood is unwashed hair until the kids are in bed.
It’s the bags under your eyes from the lack of sleep.
It’s the stretchmarks across your belly or the loose skin you’d like to tighten.
It’s the heavy eyelids, the lack of makeup, the unmatched socks.

Motherhood is the midnight feedings… and the two a.m. and the four a.m. and the six a.m.
It’s the rocking back and forth until your own body aches.
It’s walking the floor with a screaming, teething baby, who can’t sleep.
It’s bending over a crib over and over to soothe her back to sleep.

Motherhood is smelling like spit-up 24 hours a day.
It’s changing diapers and washing laundry seemingly around the clock.
It’s crying when you’re both sleep deprived.
It’s running on empty most of the time.

Motherhood is first smiles, and first laughs.
It’s counting ten fingers over and over during every midnight feeding.
It’s kissing soft cheeks and stroking downy hair.
It’s gentle coos and soft giggles.

Motherhood is paying attention to all the firsts.
It’s taking way too many pictures.
It’s cherishing the little things and the fleeting moments.
It’s holding onto every breath and every flutter of the eyelashes.

Motherhood is disciplining when you really don’t want to.
It’s wiping tears when feelings are hurt.
It’s cuddling after a bad dream.
It’s one more song, or one more story.

Motherhood is kissing boo-boos and placing band-aids.
It’s wiping fingerprints and tracked-in dirt.
It’s cleaning spills and washing faces.
It’s mopping up the bathwater that got splashed out of the tub.

Motherhood is mosquito bites because you’re outside late into the evening.
It’s going on adventures in the back yard.
It’s finding teachable moments and using them well.
It’s singing Jesus Loves Me over and over and over.

Motherhood is making mistakes and learning from them.
It’s heartache and joy one moment after another.

Motherhood is a blessing.

It’s so perfect in it’s imperfections.