the strange, the ordinary, and the divine

One of the perks of living in Australia is having strange and unusual friends...

Today is Mothers Day. Well, for me it is anyway. Since Ryan was was still overseas last weekend he decided to wake me up with a beautiful breakfast and a thoughtful pressie this morning. I was okay with that.

And then we went to visit some of our friends at the billabong down the road.

At times Levi couldn't be bothered. After all, there were sticks everywhere to play with...

...and what fun are koalas when they just sit there in trees looking cute? (Boring mom!)

Birds on the other hand... birds are on the move and fast and fascinating.

And of course the "dogs" are awesome. And these "dogs" even have really long tails and huge, funny feet. Oh, and they bounce around a lot... in between their lazy episodes of sunbathing. (Weird, but cool mom!)

Isn't it strange how becoming a mom changes things? Like how a great day for me is now one where I see my family enjoying themselves. Soaking in the warm sun. Glimpsing blue sky between the rustling gum trees. Minutes morphing into hours while chasing ducks, picking up sticks, and seeing life through the eyes of a very, very small and curious person.

Because to a very, very small and curious person... the world looks large and grande and full and... friendly. And I really like seeing it that way.

Through those eyes scary things don't look threatening... they just look amazing. (Even more amazing than on the pages of our storybooks.) And I like seeing it that way, too.

I reckon that sun on your back, dust on your feet, and a child on your shoulders (or in your belly) just make the world feel a little bit more right.

But of course kids will be kids... and even on a made-up Mothers Day they still don't "pose" for photos.

But that's ok. Because each little glance, each expression, each mid-sentance hand gesture frozen on film... all bring a sense of normalcy.

And that normalcy does nothing to detract from the divine gift of an animated and spirited child who doesn't yet know how to say "I love you mama." But I know. I know I am loved... in the ordinary moments as well as the extraordinary ones.

So this Mothers Day we come home and place our shoes by the door. Some of us go for naps while others fold laundry. The sun continues to sink on an extraordinarily ordinary, beautifully unusual, simply wonderful normal day. And I count my blessings, the best of which are the man and the boys who have made me a mom.

For this mom... on a Sunday... in May... with my boys (all three of them)... the world is a very good place.

Knowing that this is my current reality makes me a very happy, happy woman indeed.

Dear friends, how have you seen the divine in the ordinary this week?

glad to be a mama,



Current giveaways: Two Peekabooby nursing covers and one copy of The Pregnancy Companion (book).

Pregnant Blogger? Join in with the Bloggin' Babes & Babies of 2011 (a link-up for expecting mamas).

Linking in with Chelsea for her "friends" theme:

Being deliberate about resting, refreshing, and enjoying family:

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

mothers day for those who have lost or are longing

For me, Mothers Day is sweet. But for many, I know it is bittersweet.

For mamas who have lost a child – born or unborn…

For women who have yearned for a child and have been unable to conceive…

For single women who long to be married and start a family yet remain waiting…

For those wanting to adopt who haven’t yet been able to see that dream become reality…

For those who needed to let someone else care for their child and had to say goodbye...

For single moms of young kids who are too young to know how to appreciate mommy as she deserves…

For moms serving in the military who are deployed and far away from their babies…

For moms of teenagers who have pushed away from them...

{And}

For those who never knew their mother…

For those who have had a mother walk out on them...

For those who had a mother who was there but not there...

For those who have lost a mother…

For those who have lost a grandmother…

For those who have lost a mother-figure...

To you, I want to say Happy Mothers Day as well.

May you be comforted in your loss or in your longing. May your eyes be opened to those you have “mothered” through your love and care and nurturing, whether you have children of your own or not. And may you be filled with sweet memories of the special women in your own life who are as mothers to you, even if your own is gone.

Mothers Day is not just a day for moms; it’s a day for women.

Mothers and mother figures everywhere are deserving of our honor. You are appreciated... and I sincerely hope there's someone in your life to help you know it.

I want your Mothers Day to be sweet as well. Because you make our future, and our children's future, better.

Little hands applaud you.

Dear friends, have you ever thought about mamas and women who are hurting on Mothers Day? Newsflash: not all are getting pampered with breakfast in bed and a day of no chores. How can you reach out to one today?

in support of women everywhere,

Bloggers for Birth Kits update: 210 kits donated, 34 posts spreading the word, more than 192 links on facebook (I lost track after that!), and tons of #B4BirthKits tweets. Yay! (I can't wait for our accounts office to open back up on Monday so we can get a new count!) Thank you for lending your heart and voice and resources to this important cause for mums & bubs in developing nations.

GIVEAWAY OPEN NOW: Enter to win The Pregnancy Companion - a wonderful book for expecting moms, whether you are one yourself or know someone that would appreciate this encouraging and practical gift! Entry is quick and simple. Click here.

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

my mama

I write about being a mom all the time... so this Mothers Day I want to write about having a mom.

This is mine:

{and levi made her a grandma... gigi to be precise.}

I love her.

She held me when I needed to be held.

She helped me to stand and always celebrated my growth.

She showed me what it looks like to be a stylish woman. (Check out those awesome shades!)

She kept me warm through Oregon winters.

She took me overseas to far-away places and helped me to discover the world.

{here we are on a short stint living in fiji.}

She taught me what it means to be beautiful on the inside and out.

She played with me and gave me hugs when I needed them.

She's always loved me and stood behind me.

I also love this mum - my Australian mother-in-law Sylvia. She's the one who gave me my beloved. I couldn't be more grateful.

How in the world I got so lucky to have two amazing women in my life to call mom I will never know. But this Mothers Day it's my privilege to honor them and say thank you for being who you are: mom and mum.

Dear friends, what's the best thing about your own mom? And, if you're a mom yourself, I hope you have an amazing day celebrating with your family and friends.

love,


P.S. Check out Amy's My Mama, Your Mama feature for Mothers Day. So precious.

Bloggers for Birth Kits update: 210 kits donated, 33 posts spreading the word, 192 links on facebook, and tons of #B4BirthKits tweets. Yay! (I can't wait for our accounts office to open back up on Monday so we can get a new count!!)

GIVEAWAY OPEN NOW: Enter to win the Pregnancy Companion - a wonderful book for expecting moms, whether you are one yourself or know someone that would appreciate this encouraging and practical gift! Entry is quick and simple. Click here.

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
 do not reproduce without written permission

enough is enough

How do you make room in your life for baby number two?

As much as I feel my heart is big enough for another child, I sometimes feel as if my head is not. (Not to mention my energy supply.)

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about our new baby and how carrying her* is so much different to carrying our first.

{24 weeks pregnant with baby #1}

When I was pregnant with Levi, so much of my little internal world revolved around thoughts of him, thoughts of impending motherhood, thoughts of how our world was turning upside-down.

And yet with the new baby it is so different. So much of my headspace is already taken up with thoughts of how to care for Levi: How can I get him to eat his veggies? Is it possible to make him sleep in a little longer in the mornings? (9:00am would be good *wink*.) When should I start potty training him or moving him from a crib to a bed? How do I discipline well and how do I keep my cool when he’s having a tantrum? How will I take care of him while meeting the demands of a newborn?

So many thoughts and questions… and so often pointing back to him.

And then I feel guilty. Guilty that I think of him far more than I think of my new baby. Or, more accurately, that I don't think of my new baby the same way I thought of Levi throughout my first pregnancy.

I feel like perhaps I should be more aware of my pregnancy… more in tune with my growing baby… more something.

And yet I know that baby is tucked up in my womb receiving everything from me that he* needs, and at the same time God is forming and fashioning him to be the person who he is and will be. It’s all happening just right, just perfectly, despite where my headspace is during the whole process.

I know there will come a time when she* is my arms and I will struggle with guilt in the same way related to Levi. I will be breastfeeding her around the clock, changing her diapers a thousand times more than Levi’s, ooo-ing over her little infant milestones like her first smile, holding her head up, and rolling over… while Levi, no doubt, will be vying for some of his old attention back.

It will be a tension to work out then, but it is not one to worry about now.

And I guess parenting is like that. Being a mom is like that.

There will always be a tension between all that I desire to do and the reality of what I actually can do.

I will never think of my babies enough, pray for them enough, nurture them enough, train and teach and coach them enough, listen to them enough, spend time with them enough.

But this I know – I will always love them enough. My love will be as deep and as wide as is humanly possible from a dedicated—yet imperfect—parent. And where I fall short there will be others there to fill in the gaps: their daddy, extended family, dear friends, even God himself.

And that is what gives me comfort when I have those “I will never be enough” thoughts.

Because the amount of my headspace taken up by thoughts of my new baby is no indication of how I feel about him*. As simplistic as it sounds, it really is just a casualty of a very busy, very emotionally and physically draining, and very intense (yet still precious and fun!) season of life that I'm already in as a new(ish) mom of a toddler.

My new baby is loved, incredibly loved, and that—combined with my commitment to parent to the best of my ability—is enough.

Dear friends, do you ever feel like your ‘enough’ isn’t enough? If so, what do you do to tame the negative, guilt-ridden thoughts running through your mind?

loving my babies, parenting as best i can, and believing it's enough,

*Since I don't yet know the gender of baby #2 (and since I don't like to call him/her "it") I have alternated between masculine and feminine pronouns by paragraph. Hopefully it's not too confusing.

Are you an expecting mom? Have you linked-up yet?

Join the Bloggin' Babes and Babies of 2011.

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

hey little cowboy, i would lasso the moon for you

Lasso the Moon Written for By Billy Simon and Lowell Alexander (for Art Garfunkle)

If I were a carpenter


I'd build a world of love


Where we would always be together

If I were the captain

Of
 a ship of happiness


I'd sail away with you forever

Close your eyes


And know you are safe with me

If I had a lariat


Made of dreams come true


I would lasso the moon for you

If I were a rocketeer


I'd scale the universe


To bring your heart a star each 
morning

If I were an angel 

In 
Heaven's Holy host


I'd sing to you a verse of glory

Close your eyes


And know you are safe with me

If I had a lariat


Made of dreams come true


I would lasso the moon for you.

Art Garfunkle | Songs From A Parent To A Child Album |
 1997 | Sony Wonder Entertainment

love,

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Are you pregnant? Link up with the Bloggin' Babes and Babies of 2011.

Share your creativity and Easter inspiration by submitting your Easter card to our Easter card linky (closing April 21).

Linking in with Faith... for "Two".

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

a day for love

It's love day. Instead of focusing on who is loving me today... I'm focusing on who I love. 

Because there are so many people in my life that are so... love-worthy.

Dear friends, I hope you are not only feeling incredibly loved today, but that you are absolutely full of love to give away - both to those who mean the most to you and to the stranger you pass on the sidewalk. Whether you are dating, married, or single... childless or surrounded with children, may this be a day that resounds with love triumphing over loneliness.

with love,

P.S. 

{to my darling husband}

{to my sweet mom}

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011 
do not reproduce without written permission

in love

I am in love.

In love with this boy.

His smile. Those perfect lips. His long, straight lashes. That vanilla skin. The sparkle in his deep, dark eyes. His sweet giggle. His funny hair-styles that are birthed from days spent sweating in the tropics. The chubby little fingers that can often be found intertwined in miniature guitar strings these days.

I love that he loves music and comes alive when he's given a guitar or a drum or a little piano. I love that he can't hear music over the radio or on the stereo or on television without stopping whatever he's doing and dancing... or just waving his little hand in the air as he gets his groove on.

I love that when he's dancing--or jamming--he glances at me with a glimmer in his eye to make sure that I'm watching, approving, admiring.

I love that he is not only my boy but he is the son of my husband - my beloved, the man of my dreams, my Gift From Heaven.

I love that he is a part of me, that he is from me, that he represents the best of me.

I love that he is a part of us, that he is from us, that he represents the best of us.

I love that God trusts us enough, believes in us enough, to let us care for and shape such a precious being.

I love that he's taught me how to be a mom.

I love that he's teaching me how to love more, believe in myself more, and enjoy the small things in life more.

I love that he's paved the way for our Newest Joy to enter the world and grow my belly--and our hearts--even more than we've already known.

I love that his guitar was a gift from my parents and that he sits in his "big boy chair" - a gift from Ryan's parents. Four more of the extra special people in my life.

Yes, I love this photo--and all that it contains--for so many reasons.

In love, I am.

Dear friends, there is so much to love... I've only skimmed the surface here with this photo and its description. What are you in love with at the moment?

in love,

Linking up with the lovely Jhen:

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

worth staying up for

There was a night recently while Levi was sick that he woke a dozen times (or so it seemed) between 7:00pm and midnight. He couldn’t sleep for more than 20 minute stretches without gagging and choking (on his excess phlegm, I think) and waking himself up. He’d wake up crying – in pain and also perhaps a little frightened from the choking – and would need lots of help to get back to sleep.

Ryan and I took turns soothing him and rocking him back to sleep. As the clock shifted from PM to AM I took over and let my working husband get some sleep before morning.

In the quiet of the night I sat up with Levi. I rocked him, whispered to him, sang softly to him, held him tight in the darkness, and wished there was something more I could do to relieve him of his misery.

I wondered if I’d need to stay up with him in the chair through the night so that he could sleep upright and breathe more freely. I gladly would have (and so much more).

I was tired—dog tired—and yet something kicked in during those late night hours – that ability as a mom to put yourself aside and give yourself freely to your child.

I could have held him there all night. And really, I secretly wanted to hold him there all night.

A mother’s love… It runs deep doesn’t it?

Doesn’t it hurt to see your child in pain? 

I’m well aware that this is only the beginning of my journey into motherhood. *ouch*

That night I nursed him and rocked him and gently wiped his constantly dripping nose… As I did so I thought about the fact that each time we nursed, it was one time closer to when he would no longer want to hold still long enough to receive from me.

And I’m torn.

I have days where I wish that my body belonged to me again. And yet, I know it will never belong to me like it once did… And that too, I’m grateful for.

But I'm torn because right now I want him to keep receiving; I have so much still to give.

Yes, a mother’s love runs deep.

I know that it won’t be long until my baby will ask for his milk “to go” so he can be on his way to the next little adventure.

Time. Goes. So. Fast.

I love watching my sweet boy grow and develop and change.

But it’s bittersweet isn’t it?

How do you continue to let go of the precious little soul entrusted to you when everything in you wants to hold them close? How do you burn those late night moments into your memory to be recalled in years to come? How do you make the most of the time you have? How do you continue to find ways to give expression to the love that overflows?

I love my baby.

He’ll forever be my first-born love.

He’ll forever be worth staying up for.

Dear friends, how are you coping with all the love stored up in your heart and the emotional rollercoaster of parenthood?

overflowing,

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adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

so this is what it feels like to have someone call you 'mama'?

Today I reached a new high as a mom. My boy... my sweet little baby boy unmistakably said my name.

It's hard to imagine that this little boy:

has turned into this little boy in just under six months:

It feels like he just arrived... And yet it feels as if he's always been. {I'm so a mama in love, aren't I? *gush*}

During the last week I've noticed Levi starting to say "ma-ma-ma-ma". As fun as that is, it has definitely been random - just another sound to add to his growing little vocabulary along with: "blah blah", "da-da-da", "ga-ga-ga", and lots of other little baby chatter cuteness. I figured it would be a while before he would say  'mama' (or anything else) with any level of comprehension.

And besides, I was fully prepared for 'dada' to be his first "real" word. After all, we've been practicing.

In saying that, there were a few times during the last day or two that he said "ma-ma-ma" while looking at me... a bit differently... as if he knew.

I've wondered... {could it be?} but then quickly dismissed the thought not wanting to live in false hope.

But tonight was different.

My little teething boy was crying in daddy's arms, and--in a moment that will forever be burned into my memory--he looked over at me with longing in his eyes and arms outstretched and said, "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma".

Still hesitating a little in my heart to believe it (in case I was just projecting my hopes onto him), I took him in my arms and held him close.

Immediately he stopped crying.

Ryan and I looked at each other. "I think he just said my name," I murmured to Ryan, almost afraid to speak at full volume for fear of the burst of my bubble.

"He sure did," grinned Ryan. {Oh how sweet those three words of confirmation were!}

And since daddy is usually the one with the unfailing touch (unless it's boob time of course), I was even more shocked and surprised and in awe all mixed up together. My heart was melting in puddles all over the floor and my eyes were filling with 32 years worth of mama-in-waiting tears... Oh, the magic of that moment.

So this is what it feels like to have somebody call you 'mama'?

I never thought my name could sound so sweet. {Say it again dear baby boy.}

I like it. I really, really like it.

Dear mommy-friends, what are your most precious mommyhood moments... your mama highs thus far?

Love us? Vote here!

these are a few of my favorite things {sweet, sweet baby}

Five months old. As tough an age as this is in some ways (can anyone say teething, developmental leaps, and nap time dramas?), this is by far the best age yet. SO. MUCH. FUN. 

Here are just a few of the reasons why:

1.            Pulling off for a moment while nursing just to look up at me and smile before continuing on with business as usual.
{OhMeltMyHeart.}

2.            Being able to toss baby in the air during playtime.
{WeeeItsSuperbaby!}

3.            Helping momma by putting his legs up in the air and lifting his bum while getting a diaper change.
{SoFreakingCute.}

4.            Toes in the mouth!
{EnoughSaid.}

5.            When being held by someone else in a crowded room… turning his head to make eye contact with me when he hears my voice.
{NewMommyGushing.}

6.            Uncontrollable baby giggles when I say anything with an excited expression and raised eyebrows.
{WhyHelloTherePoopyPants!}

7.            That look of wonder and awe when he watches mommy and daddy eating “big boy food.”
{PleaseLetMeHaveSomeNowMomma!}

8.            The “drunken sailor wobbling hula” when he practices standing up while holding onto my hands.
{DontGainYourBalanceTooQuicklyCauseMommasLovingThis.}

9.            Thirty-second 360’s on his tummy.
{WhenTheHeckDidYouGetSoFast?!}

10.        Screams of delight when being mildly (deliberately) startled.
{WhoKnewPeekabooCouldBeSoHilarious?}

11.        The frustrated arm-waiving when throwing a fit.
{FunnyExceptForThoseTimesWhenMommyIsSuperTiredAndOverIt.}

12.        Having his arms stretched out to me when he wants to be picked up.
{IsItWrongThatISometimesPutHimDownJustSoHeCanDoItAgain?}

13.        Head resting on my shoulder and super sweet cuddles when he first wakes up from naptime.
{GetsMeEveryTime.}

14.        The skin… oh, the skin.
{ICantStopTouchingYourChubbyLittleThighs.}

15.        That little baby sigh of relief and pleasure that comes about thirty seconds after nursing has begun.
{TooCuteForYourOwnGood.}

16.        The after-bath hair styles.
{ThankYouDaddy.}

17.        That priceless look of “I-just-accomplished-an-incredible-trick-did-you-see-that?” while making splashes in the bath and saturating daddy.
{YesSweetPeaMommysProudOfYou.}

18.        Being able to sing baby to sleep in five minutes tops if he’s crying in the car due to over-tiredness.
{IKnewIShouldHaveBeenARecordingArtist...ButWhyDoesntThisWorkAtBedtime?}

19.        You know those sneezes that start and then stop mid-sneeze? Baby’s getting those.
{LittleManIsSoFunny.}

20.          When babe sticks his thumb in his mouth while nursing... thinking more is better?
{YouKnowThatIKnowYoureDoneEatingWhenYouDoThatRightSon?}

21.          The paci is no longer for sucking and calming but for chewing and playing.
{SoothieTurnedTeether2For1Deal.}

22.           Those precious moments while nursing that babe reaches up to touch my face or to stroke my chest.

         {PleaseBurnTheseIntoMyMemoryForever.}

Dear mommy friends, I could have gone on and on with this list! Don’t we have so much to enjoy and be thankful for? What are your favorite things about your child at his/her current age?

P.S. For any of you following me that read Dear Nap Time, I've just gotta report back. Two days of perfect naps since then. Can't believe I'm doing this but... kudos to the postal system! That letter was received! {*grin*} I'll keep that in mind for next time.

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