As I embark upon my fifth year on this solo mission called
parenting, I reflect.
I think about my pregnancy and it being one of the happiest
times in my life. The tiny person
growing inside of me and the miracle I was put in charge of. The simplest
things like the best sleep I’ve had in my life and the movement of my curved belly
after a generous meal. At the hospital, I panicked. The pain was overwhelming and realistically
unpredictable but the joy shortly after gave me full satisfaction. Returning
home to my tiny unprepared apartment made me emotional. Nothing was ready. The
new apartment I had moved into at almost 7months pregnant 3 months prior was
still not completely unpacked. The first night alone with the tiny human became
the first feeding to the first bath, the first tooth, the first walk and the
list goes on, and I became better at being a mom.
I even created an alter ego of the person I’d become while in
mommy mode multitasking my way through life. Her name is Obstacle Anne. She is
a fierce superwoman. From carrying a dozen grocery bags along w a stroller with
a sleeping baby strapped in, to shoveling out a Honda buried in snow with a toddler
safely warm inside. I’ve owned this character. I became her.
I look back at the struggles and triumphs with laughter and
fight back a few tears.
The birthday parties I’ve managed to pull off seem
effortless now. Countless last minute details forced me to forget something
each year. Our dynamic duo costumes at Halloween have proven to be exceptional.
We debuted in Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion complete with our own little black
morkie. Jessie and Woody one year, Princess Leia and Darth Vader the next, one
crowd favorite was his choice of the Stay Puft Marshmallow man (myself) and he
was my little Ghostbuster. This past year our costumes couldn’t have been a
better fit. My little superhero has no idea how he has saved me. He chose to be
Wolverine, claws and facial hair, plaid and leather, and I did not feel like I had
a costume on. A silvery white wig, white contacts and a black cape, of course
people got it, but I feel like the person I was dressed as meant so much more
to me than any person could tell. We are a team, and as Storm and Wolverine it
made me realize how much I depend on the little guy.
On this journey we
have had the pleasure of meeting several amazing people who have impacted our
lives. An art instructor who fell in
love with Aurum and his sweet and kind personality; a summer camp teacher with
whom we’ve forged a bond with long after
the summer came to an end; and a grandmothers special connection with the
little guy that adores her. The people who have crossed out paths lead me to believe
that I am doing something terribly right on my solo mission.
Pride overcomes me.
Thus another year has crept up on us, but the same hope
remains.
I have conquered much in these past 4 years and as he grows
taller, we both grow stronger.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, maybe in our
case the village means the many people who have touched us in passing, held a
door open, flashed a friendly smile or simply took the time to enjoy a special
moment with us, but at the end of the day it will always be JustMommyNme.
