Motherhood Laughter

I had the most wonderful day with an old friend on Wednesday, but due to a minor computer issue third motherboard failure . . . it has taken me awhile to write about its goodness.

What was it that made the day so special?

Ahh--familiar faces, easy conversation, and a hearty dose of "motherhood ain't pretty, but it sure is beautiful" reality.

You may remember lovely baby Aubree from my previous post celebrating her arrival.  Well folks, she has been busy growing and changing into an even more adorable three-month-old baby girl!

I must admit, I have been uber-impressed by her mother, Nathalie, who not only adjusted gracefully to the albeit difficult reality of new motherhood but also simultaneously finished her school semester (we're talking days after bringing this little beauty home from the hospital).

Congratulations, girl!

So . . . spending the day alongside Nathalie and Aubree was good for the soul--my soul at least (and Jackson's too).  Most of those who know me well understand that I was one of the very first in my friend group to get married--and perhaps the very first to have a child, and I have at times just needed a laughing partner to share in the challenges and triumphs of new motherhood (think the scene with Charlotte and Miranda in Sex and the City 2--"yep, take a drink!").  I'm not sure I even realized how much I needed this type of genuine laughter until I had my "ah'ha" moment on the couch with this old friend.

Thanks, girl!

I found an anonymous poem that really summed up our conversations and our laughter on Wednesday, and I really, really love it.  I hope you do too!

What Did I Do Today

Today I left some dishes dirty,

The bed got made around 3:30.

The diapers soaked a little longer,

The odor grew a little stronger.

The crumbs I spilled the day before,

Are staring at me from the floor.

The fingerprints there on the wall

Will likely be there still next Fall.

The dirty streaks on those windowpanes

Will still be there next times it rains.

Shame on you, you sit and say

Just what did you do today?

I held a baby 'til she slept,

I held a toddler while he wept.

I played a game of hide and seek,

I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.

I pulled a wagon, sang a song,

Taught a child right from wrong.

What did I do this whole day through?

Not much that shows, I guess that's true.

Unless you think that what I've done

Might be important to someone

With bright blue eyes and soft brown hair

If that is true . . . I've done my share.

I think we're done our share, don't you?

And . . . some things are certain.

Nathalie--with spit up on your shoulder, gas medicine readily available, and still feeling a few post-labor aches and pains . . .

And me--with yogurt in my hair, dispensing goldfish like it's my job, and holding a second round of "sleep bootcamp" at night . . .

Motherhood ain't pretty.

But, it sure is beautiful!

I'd say.