Motherhood Series- part 5 Julie

I would like to introduce you all to Julie! This sweet mama of 2 girls just moved to Oklahoma from LA where she was a news caster. Wanting to give their children a better quality of life they packed up and headed to the sooner state! Heres a little more about this beautiful family!

Tell us a little bit about your journey to motherhood I wasn’t really a kid person before having my own. I was a dog mom, career woman, and a little on the fence about having children. The older I got the more I realized having a baby or two was something I probably wanted to do. I also knew my husband would be an amazing father. I was in my late-20s and a couple of my friends had starting getting pregnant. A few of my family members had lots of trouble getting pregnant. My husband and I were not totally ready for the experience but we got pregnant instantly and were caught off guard. We had been married five years at that point without even a scare. I never would have dreamed it would happen so quickly.

Think back to your life before kids, how did you picture motherhood? I thought I would be the strict one and still a workaholic. It turns out neither of those are true! I’m the softy in our family who constantly has to hold myself back from spoiling our girls. I had no idea I would be so attached and sentimental. Before having kids I thought they would be in childcare when while I worked. I never dreamed I would leave my job as a tv news reporter to work from home as a magazine editor. Once I had my oldest it was just too hard to leave her so I changed careers and started working from home to be around her more.

Is your reality of motherhood how you pictured it would be? Yes and no. The exhaustion, craziness, and never-ending diapers are just as bad as people joke about before you have kids. However, the delight and love is greater than I could’ve imagined. I never dreamed I would change so much and all of the suddenly enjoy all things children.

Describe your feelings the day you became a mom I was instantly SOOO in love. I know a lot of people experience the same feelings but it was true. The minute I met my tiny, screaming daughter I became a different person. It was as if I had never really cared about anything before in compared to how much I loved her. I cried pretty much 24/7 for a few days after having her out of love, exhaustion, and hormones.

tell us your funniest parenting moment? My older daughter was a late talker. She’s fully caught up now but she didn’t say a single word until 18 months. Somehow though she started saying the word/sound “bwee.” She said it plain as day dozens of times daily for months. In responses to things, as a question - it was super weird. It wasn’t quite as funny at the time but to this day our family will say “bwee” as a joke. We never found out what she was trying to say!

tell us your grossest moment? Ohmygosh I gag thinking about it and of course it involves poop. During potty training my daughter went on the bathroom floor and by the time I could get in there my dog had eaten most of it.

What scares you the most about raising your children in the world today? The things that scare me are probably similar to the things that have scared moms for centuries – all the unknowns. I don’t want my children to ever experience disease, violence, or war. I think about Syrian moms all the time and how they don’t want that life for their child. There are so many things we can’t control.

What kind of obstacles do you as the mom experience being a mom? Being a work-from-home AND stay-at-home mom is sooooo challenging. I definitely choose this for myself and feel I have the best of the both worlds. But sometimes I can’t help but feel I also have the worst of both worlds. Constant multitasking, stress, and people pulling me from every direction.

What obstacles do you think your children face? Well they are girls and they are going to be small because their parents are. They are definitely going to have to face the world with confidence and character.

Do you ever fear you're not enough for your children? Ugh, constantly. Motherhood guilt is real and daunting. I want to be so many things I’m not and most of them have to do with homemaking. I wish I were more punctual, tidy, a better cook, etc.

What are some ways your kids show you that you are enough? I love them unconditionally. I give them my undivided attention, provide for them financially, make decisions I know will benefit their future.

is there anything you wish you had done differently before having kids? This might sound rude but I wish we had waited longer to start our family. A lot of things changed for us when we had babies and I wish I had taken a few more years to get a little more stability in our life before bringing babies into it. The first few years of my oldest child’s life were chaos. We are in a better, calmer place now but I wish we had been able to have this kind of lifestyle for her when she was a baby.

what do you wish you had done differently as a new mom? I wish I had a little more confidence. Everything was new and I was constantly looking for advice and direction from other people. People would say “sleep when baby sleeps,” and that is great advice – but I feel like I didn’t snuggle my baby enough when she was tiny because I was trying to hard to follow that advice. With my second baby everything came so much more natural.

What is the most important thing you want your children to know? I want my children to know there is a God and He does love them. I also want them to know that their parents love them fully and eternally.

What would be your number 1 piece of advice for a new mom? Try to stay moderate on all the major divisive issues. There are people that are going to want to debate you on car seats, sleep training, vaccinations, screen time, cosleeping, schooling, discipline – you name it. Passion about your point of view is awesome, but understanding the entire spectrum of mommy disputes and giving people grace makes for a much more relaxed and enjoyable parenting experience.

What has been the hardest part of motherhood? The hardest part of motherhood for me has been the lack of me-time and my identity. Before I had kids it seemed like I was confident in my choices and how I spent my days. Now I’m always worried sick about everything little thing surrounding my kids and questioning myself. Finding downtime to rejuvenate is next to impossible.

What has been the most rewarding part of motherhood? Having my girls and watching them grow into tiny humans BLOWS MY MIND. I am so proud of them and honored to be their mom. There is no one else in the world they need more than me and the weight of that fulfills my soul. I love seeing how unique they are and imagine the amazing things they will do for the world one day.

Lastly, if you could put an end to the mommy wars by saying 1 sentence - what would it be? View each person’s point of view with empathy and understand that they, like yourself, only want what is best for their child and family.