I would like to introduce you all to Sherri! Sherri is an amazing mom with a heart tugging story and genuine love for her girls! She tells is beautifully so, I am just going to let her take over!
Tell us a little about your journey to motherhood:
I knew it would be hard to get pregnant before we even began. I did not ovulate on my own and that’s pretty important when trying to have a baby! So we started trying a year into being married and used Dr. Reshef, a fertility specialist, located in Integris. Our first daughter was conceived after four months on Clomid, a fertility drug. We experienced an early miscarriage prior to conceiving Savannah. Our second took a bit longer. We tried to get pregnant when Savannah was about 6 months old. Clomid was not working and we switched to Femara after about 4 months. We also did monthly injections, the trigger shot, and a few IUI’s but 10 months in and it was not happening. Seeing a negative pregnancy test month after month is just about the worst feeling in the world. I knew I should have been happy because I had one child but I desperately wanted one more. Our family was not complete. Our 11 month of trying my grandmother passed away and I had to fly to Las Vegas for her funeral. It was around the time I was ovulating and due for my shots. I missed the window for my trigger shot so we tried the old fashioned way and I got pregnant that month. I have always felt like my grandmother was part of that happening. She so badly wanted us to have another baby and when Brynnley was born with her beautiful blue eyes, I just knew it was meant to happen exactly as it did.
Think back to your life before kids, how did you picture motherhood?
I always knew I wanted to be a mother. This was going to be my calling, I really did not aspire to have a career. I went to college, earned my degree in education but always knew that I would be a stay at home mom. I pictured myself loving every moment and never wanting anything more. I thought I would be the pinterest worthy mom, the one who was super organized and planned the best activities. It didn’t happen that way, I didn’t account for how tired I’d be every day. While I have loved being home, the truth is the older they get, the more I realize that I do want more. Once your kids are in school full time it becomes hard to say you are a stay at home mom. You become just a housewife and while that works for some, I now find myself wanting to pursue work outside of the home. I’m looking forward to finding a career I am passionate about. I would have never thought that before having children.
Tell us your grossest parenting moment:
It would have to be the poop explosion. When our oldest was very little she was always constipated. I want to say she was about six months and had not pooped for a few days. Our doctor told us it would be okay to give her an enema or suppository, I can’t remember which kind. I had no idea what I was doing or how quickly it would work. I remember undressing Savannah and laying her on a towel. I gave it to her and placed the diaper back on her. Within minutes she exploded. Poop was everywhere!! It shot out of the diaper, up her stomach and back, all over me. We took photos because even gross moments make the best memories.
What scares you the most about raising your children in the world today?
Not being able to protect them. That is my job, my sole purpose is to keep them safe and I know this is never fully within my control. I worry when I drop them off to school that this could be the day a person with a gun could enter the building. Our parents didn’t have to think about that when my generation was little but our world is not as safe as it once was. I think it is terrifying to be raising children today.
Is there anything you wish you had done differently before you had kids?
I wish I would have waited a bit longer before having kids. Not because I wasn’t ready, but because my husband and I really could have enjoyed more time before becoming parents. We were young; I was 23 and only married for a year. I wish we would have traveled and soaked up more time with just the two of us. It is so hard to find the time once becoming parents. You have to make time and there always seems to be something that gets in the way.
What kind of obstacles do you experience?
I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma in October of 2016. My world changed in an instant. I had just celebrated 10 years of marriage and we were even discussing the possibility of having one more child. I didn’t know how to come to terms with the cancer diagnosis. I was instantly filled with fear and didn’t know how I would go through six months of chemotherapy while still being a wife and mother. I kept thinking “What if”? What if the chemo doesn’t work, what if I can’t be there for my children, what if I die? One might think that feeling this way should make you want to soak up every moment you have but I felt the opposite. I would try to enjoy moments with my girls but would end up crying because it made me wonder if those moments would be the last. It was hard to live in the present without worrying about the future. I wish I could say I faced cancer with a positive attitude but I was scared out of my mind. I worked very hard to not let my kids see my fear. I still went to all their class parties, after school activities and did my very best to keep our daily routine. If they saw me crying I did my best to explain it in a way they could understand. I never wanted them to be scared. I guess it goes back to wanting to protect them. I finished my last treatment on April 6th and I am currently in remission. I still worry about it coming back, I suppose I will for a long time but right now I am on the road to recovery and feel blessed every day.
Do you ever fear you are not enough for your children?
I really don’t, children don’t expect too much. I do worry that I don’t always give them enough of my time. That is definitely something I am working on currently. When your children tell you that you are on your phone too much, it is time to put it down. My oldest daughter was physical with my youngest last week and I got pretty angry with her behavior. I explained that she needed to tell me when she is having a problem with her sister so I can help. She said “I did, but you were on your phone”. That was a wakeup call to me. I am guilty of this and I know I am not the only one. Facebook can wait, emails can wait, but listening to the stories your kids tell you just can’t. You may miss that moment and not be able to get it back.
What has been the most rewarding part of motherhood?
Just watching my children grow and achieving different milestones and accomplishments. Sometimes I say that I am sad they are growing so fast and then my husband will remind me that it would be worse to not be able to watch your children grow. So true, that is what they are supposed to do, grow up and find their own way in the world. It’s my job to be there when they fly and when they fall. My children are an extension of my husband and myself and knowing we created these amazing children is rewarding in every way.
What would be your number one piece of advice for a new mom?
Enjoy every moment. It really does go by so very fast. The saying “the days are long but the years are short” is so true. Don’t stress the messy house or the fact that you haven’t washed your hair in several days. You really do blink and all of a sudden they are not so little anymore.
What is the most important thing you want your children to know?
That they can talk to me about anything and everything. I never want them to be afraid to share with me. I am very open with my children and I hope our communication will be an asset as they get older. I want them to know that they will make mistakes and I will be there to help them and they may even make some choices that I may not like BUT even then I will be a safe place for them to land.
What is one thing I tell my kids every day? (I added this)
When my kids leave my car every morning before school I always say “Be kind”. I truly think this is one of the most important things we can teach our children. I want to raise kids to look for the child on the playground or in the lunch room who appears to be lonely. I want to raise my children to be “includers”. I always try to set that example when I’m in public. We have to model the kind of person we want our children to become. Smile at strangers, make conversation, ask people how they are doing and how you can help. You never know, that small interaction could make the difference in that person’s day, maybe even their life
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