The Juggle Struggle

A Mama of One Became a Mama of Two…

Month: August 2018

This is 33…

August 19, 2018 The Juggle StruggleLeave a comment

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The Sound of Motherhood: Music for Every Mama
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Most days these two drive me bananas. But it’s because they are strong-willed, strong bodied, resilient, stubborn, smart, curious, risk-taking, boundary pushing, lively and loving humans, and I am blessed to call them my babies. And for that I am always and forever grateful. . . . #thejugglestruggle #motherhood #parenthood #raisingbabies #thanksgiving #happythanksgiving #raisinghumans #love #life #family #happiness #grateful #thankful #blessings

AND WE’RE BACK WITH A NEW BLOG! (Link in Bio)... When we meet couples who have been married for far longer than we have, who have raised kids to adulthood, and have seen more layers to marriage than we probably know exist, and they look at us and say “the secret to our marriage is that we never fell out of love with each other at the same time,” we laugh, and cry, and take that to heart. We know that is coming from a place of true, honest, loving humility. We see the strength in their partnership, and the work they’ve put in to what they have. And we know we are going to be just fine. 5 years married, 2 kids under 4… we’re not even through the tunnel yet. I love you, 5 years. And I love each year still to come. Song: Look At Us Artist: Vince Gill The Juggle Struggle: The Sound of Motherhood (a Spotify playlist) . . . #thejugglestruggle #motherhood #parenthood #marriage #relationships #identity #love #life #family

Doesn’t happen often, but sometime we just need to sleep it off. And that’s ok. ❤️ . . . #thejugglestruggle #motherhood #parenthood #marriage #marriedlife #relationships #love #life #family #happiness #togetherness #happinessis #raisingbabies #raisinghumans #parentalmentalhealth #familylife #honestmotherhood #motherhoodunplugged #butthetruthis #momblogger

We look like babies. And this was only 5 years ago! What the 🤬 has parenthood done to us?! Happy 5th Anniversary to my love. Lord knows this journey ain’t easy, and kids surely don’t make it easier. But every adventure, every up, and even every down, with you, is worth it. ❤️ 👰 🤵❤️ . . . #thejugglestruggle #motherhood #fatherhood #parenthood #marriage #anniversary #fiveyearsofmarriage #weddingday #happinessis #growingtogether #raisingbabies #love #life #family #happiness #partnership #relationships #parenthoodmoments #honestparenthood #momblogger

Teaching our babes to stand by their flag in good times and bad, and to be proud Americans through and through. (1st Lesson: Vote. 2nd Lesson: Never Let the flag touch the ground.) 🇺🇸✌🏻 . Song: Ragged Old Flag Artist: Johnny Cash . The Juggle Struggle: The Sound of Motherhood (A Spotify Playlist) . . . #thejugglestruggle #motherhood #parenthood #raisingbabies #raisinghumans #electionday #vote #love #life #family #happiness #familyvalues #motherhood #motherhoodmoments #momlife #familylife #americanflag #johnnycash #songs #lyrics #thesoundofmotherhood #spotify #feltlikesharing #thelettergrams #letterboardquotes

It’s been one of those weeks... . . . #thejugglestruggle #thejuggleisreal #thestruggleisreal #motherhood #parenthood #momlife #toddlerlife #raisingbabies #raisinghumans #maternalmentalhealth #bekindtoyourself #theresalwaystomorrow #motherhoodmoments #motherhoodunplugged #momsofinstagram #momblogger #truth #honesty #love #life #family #happiness #butthetruthis #momtruth

Happy Halloween to all you Mamas, Papas and Babes!! 👻 What do for Halloween with your littles?! It’s been a month of pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, and *trying* to stay away from candy. But as I’ve been getting excited for our family costume, my son has decided he’s scared of Halloween and just wants to be himself. Well, that WAS the case until he saw his hat and glasses and realized we’d be #twinning. 🎃 But now that the day is here, I have no ideas what’s in store! Once the sun goes down and the creatures are out, I’m sure we’ll be running right back home!! (It’s all good - those sugar highs are even scarier than the costumes out there. So I’m happy to be cozy in bed instead. 💀 How do you trick or treat? How do you do candy? And how do you keep it light and happy among the goblins and ghouls?! 🖤 Happy Halloween! Stay safe, stay sane, stay happy!! 😘 #thejugglestruggle #happyhalloween #familyhalloween #motherhood #parenthood #momlife #raisingbabies #dressingup #familycostume #whereswaldo #familylife #love #life #family #happiness #halloween2018 #momsofinstagram #momblogger

Some days I miss the me before kids and see those broken reflections in the mirror, but most days I live to see a full reflection in the eyes of my babes. Song: No More Darkness, No More Light Artist: Amos Lee The Juggle Struggle: The Sound of Motherhood (a Spotify playlist) . . . #thejugglestruggle #motherhood #parenthood #momlife #identity #selflove #raisingbabies #raisinghumans #motherhoodmoments #motherhoodunplugged #music #songs #lyrics #amoslee #love #life #family #happiness #thesoundofmotherhood #thelettergrams #feltlikesharing

But parent now, friends later, right? 😩 . . . #thejugglestruggle #thestruggleisreal #thejuggleisreal #motherhood #parenthood #momlife #momof2 #sahm #sahmlife #raisingbabies #raisinghumans #toddlerlife #momsofinstagram #butthetruthis #motherhoodmoments #momblogger

I never knew I could feel so deeply until I became a mother. Pain, love, sadness, joy - and not just mine, but everyone’s around me. The practice of staying present in MY story and not getting overpowered by the stories of others is real in this journey of Motherhood. Love to all you mamas and all that you feel. ❤️ . . . #thejugglestruggle #thejuggleisreal #thestruggleisreal #motherhood #parenthood #momlife #motherhoodmoments #love #life #happiness #joy #grief #family #grateful #lifelessons #raisingbabies #raisinghumans #momstrong #amothersjourney #momsofinstagram #happinessis

Lord knows I’ll try, babes. Song: Baby Artist: She & Him @sheandhim The Juggle Struggle: The Sound of Motherhood (a Spotify playlist) . . . #thejugglestruggle #thejuggleisreal #thestruggleisreal #momlife #babylife #raisingbabies #raisinghumans #momof2 #love #life #family #happiness #happinessis #babycuddles #thesoundofmotherhood #mamatunes #music #lyrics #sheandhim #letterboard #thelettergrams #feltlikesharing #momsofinstagram #momblogger

(But it’s always worth the extra calories 😜) #notetoself . . . #thejugglestruggle #thestruggleisreal #thejuggleisreal #motherhood #parenthood #momlife #raisingbabies #raisingtoddlers #motherhoodmoments #sahm #sahmlife #baking #bakingwithkids #sugarhighs #momsofinstagram #butthetruthis #momblogger

Yesterday was Rosh Hashanah, today is 9/11, and today is also my nephew’s 2nd birthday. Individually, these events are each significant, but together, they me think a lot about the world I’ve known as different from the world my kids know, and the world they will know in the future. I will never forget my 9/11/01: the day of turmoil, confusion, sadness and fear. I remember what I wore, I remember what I ate. I remember going to school, and leaving early to be with my family. I remember watching the news, and watching the tears in the eyes of every adult around me. I was old enough to know what happened, not old enough to fully grasp it. Since that day, for me and most Americans, 9/11 has been a day of mourning and a day of remembrance. It has been, and will always be, a day of reflection, a day of camaraderie, and a day of story telling. But two years ago, the focus of this day in my family shifted. Two years ago, my nephew was born, and just like that, this day became a day of celebration. My children will grow up knowing 9/11 as a birthday first, and a heavy day in American history second. The things I watched change in our country in the years following our 9/11 are just the realities our kids were born into. Yet while our present day might look vastly different from our days leading up to that fateful September morning, we have adjusted, we are move forward, and overall, the present day is just as beautiful as it was on September 10, 2001. Yes, we have many problems- but what generation doesn’t? But for the sake of my kids and their childhood, my job is to look at this world through their eyes for as long as possible. There will surely be a time when their image of this world changes - what day, God forbid, will become their “9/11”? Until we must face a new rude awakening and tread those waters with and for our children, we will celebrate this time as a family, and mourn this time privately. This day is the start of two “new years,” and marks another year of remembrance. L’Shana Tovah, everyone. Squeeze your family, kiss your babies, tell them what a beautiful day it is, and make this year a good one. #thejugglestruggle #neverforget #911 #love #family

Never Settle, Little Ones. . . . I recently had a special opportunity to see @nathanielrateliff live in a small & intimate space (thanks to @kcrw and #apogeestudios). If you can, do yourself a favor and go see this band! So fun, so special, always a party. This song, Hey Mama, makes me weepy each time I hear it - and I was so happy to hear it live with them. It’s beautiful, sad, and so heartfelt, every time. . Song: Hey Mama Artist: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats . The Juggle Struggle: The Sound of Motherhood (a Spotify playlist) . . . #thejugglestruggle #motherhood #parenthood #raisingbabies #lifelessons #music #lyrics #heymama #nathanielrateliffandthenightsweats #momsofinstagram #momblog #love #life #happiness #momlife #momblogger #letterfolk #thesoundofmotherhood #feltlikesharing #thelettergrams

But I mean, who can blame the girl? . . . #thejugglestruggle #thejuggleisreal #motherhood #raisingbabies #raisinghumans #parenthood #thesoundofmotherhood #butthetruthis #cardib #love #life #family #happiness #momblogger #momsofinstagram #dance #adancersdaughter #momlife

It was 24 hours into my second labor, I was in the thick of the most intense contractions, and I wasn’t moving past 8cm when my doctor said to me “this is just how your body labors. But you are DOING it.” This was two years after I had the 15 hour epidural free labor I had planned for with my son. And after EVERYONE telling me second times are faster and easier, this was the last thing I expected. But that was everything I needed to hear to help me understand. Everyone knows all bodies are different, all journeys are different. But I could have never expected my own two birth experiences to be almost complete opposites. The first was (almost) what I wanted, and the second was ultimately what I needed, ending with the epidural that gave my baby a speedy entrance, and me a relaxed body and mind. It allowed me to fully let go and listen to what my baby needed - not just what my stubborn heart wanted. They were both wild, they were both difficult, they were both beautifully different. (Link in Profile for Full Story - the one that kicked off The Juggle Struggle) Happy Labor Day, Mamas! . . #thejugglestruggle #motherhood #laborday #labor #birthstory #birthstories #raisingbabies #becomingmother #birth #unmedicatedbirth #naturalbirth #epidural #parenthood #momblog #momsofinstagram #thejuggleisreal #thestruggleisreal #motherhoodunplugged

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