book club: week #1

Book Club Week #1
Chapters 1 & 2

{1} Lisa-Jo talks about in Ch. 1 how motherhood was not like it says in all the books.  Her baby wasn't responding like the books said he should and she felt like they were both failing.  How was motherhood different than your expectations or what the books said - especially first time motherhood?
Actually, adjusting to motherhood was pretty easy. Logan was a good baby, very healthy and happy, a good sleeper and eater. I guess, if anything, the thing I was unprepared for the most was, everything in your life now revolves around this little person. EVERYTHING. I know I had read story after story and heard my friends talk about it, but I didn't realize that even something as simple as getting a shower, depended on the baby's schedule or if they were asleep, or someone could watch him, etc. No person or book can really prepare you for motherhood. It is something that has to be experienced, and while it can be exhausting and overwhelming at times, being a mother is the most rewarding thing you'll ever experience.

{2} I loved Lisa-Jo's story of not knowing she was in labor the first time.  Why does it seem that when you get with a group of moms, it's inevitable that at some point - you will all break out your birth stories.  We all have one if we have delivered children and we can't seem to want to share them.  Were any of you in labor and didn't know it?
my labor story: went for a check up on my due date Sept. 2  (which was on a friday-labor day weekend)/ dilated 2 (had been for over a week). Dr. said to come back on monday if nothing happened over the weekend. Around 9 p.m. the same night,  my water broke- by 11 p.m. I was in the hospital......no time for drugs.......pushing.....pushing....forceps were used....at 1:09 a.m.....Logan was born ( all 10 lbs./23 inches)!!!! :0)

{3} The last part of chapter 2 where she talks about realizing for the first time that SHE was the person her baby would need forever - when he was hurt or hungry - SHE was who he needed.  Is that a huge weight on you when you realize your children so desperately need you (and need you EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY if they are young like mine are?) 
I made the huge mistake of not letting Peter help with our new baby! I'm not sure if it was because I was the Mom and I felt I should be the one to give him the most care, or I thought Peter wouldn't do things the "right" way, or it was just the control freak in me coming out, but it was a mistake to not share the care of Logan. When Nathan was born, 7 years later, I had "learned a few things". I had loosened up a bit and while I still wanted to be the main caregiver, I encouraged Peter to take over whenever possible. Nathan was a big mommy child though and wanted me around ALL the time. I often felt like we were attached at the hip. Nathan was very hard to get to sleep at night, and I spent many, many nights laying with him until he fell asleep (many nights I fell asleep before he did..LOL). Being a Mom the second time around was harder since I had Logan to think about too. It's a 24/7/365 job!

It's funny, the kids are almost 19 & 26, but they still "need" me. Sometimes it's only for advice, or just to know I'm here. Then I thought about how it goes even farther than that. I'm almost 50, and my Mom is still there for me. I know I can turn to her and count on her for anything (even when she probably doesn't feel up to it). BEING a Mom never ends.....it just takes different paths.