Motherhood

Motherhood.

How much I wanted it. 

How little I knew.

How much I have learned.

How wonderful it has been.

How I look forward to the future!

I am blessed to have an amazing mother who took time away from her career to be home with my sister and me when we were young.  She is the reason I knew I wanted to spend my days at home, nurturing and teaching my own children. 

So much has changed since my first Mother's Day in 2007.  My journey of motherhood has had it's ups and downs, but today, as I look back at these pictures (all taken on Mother's Day), I see how much that journey has shaped my life.  Today we thank our mothers, but I also want to thank my children.  How wonderful to experience childhood twice in one lifetime!

2007 - Gwenyth is 11 months old and I was finishing my final year of teaching before staying home with her.

2008 - Gwen is now almost 2 and I am pregnant with baby #2, who was due on January 16, 2009.  We would lose this baby 3 weeks later. (Anyone notice the due date ended up being Luke's birthday?!)  I didn't even realize it myself until I looked at this picture.

2009 - Gwen is now almost 3 and Colin is 6 weeks old.

2010 - Gwen is almost 4 and Colin just turned 1.  Matt was on call that morning, but I was determined to take the kids to church on my own.  (What was I thinking?!) 

I can't remember if we made it through the service ... 

2011 - Today I am the mother of 3 beautiful children. 

Of all the adventures in my life, motherhood trumps them all.

I also want to open the discussion of Down syndrome up to all of you.  The two most common questions I have been hearing from readers that I will be addressing in upcoming posts are:

#1 - Luke doesn't look like he has Down syndrome.  Are you sure he has it?

#2 - What are the "superman" pants for?

If there are other questions you have - please email me or post a comment.

Happy Mother's Day!!