Journey To Motherhood, my first year being a mama...
Vanessa was a friend of mine from high school and while we weren’t the best of friends (she was one year older than me) I do remember her being rad & playing volleyball. Part of me is jealous that she gets to raise her boys in El Paso. Its such a magical little town but I see that magic translated into her blog Tried and True. I’m sure you will too! In fact, I saw one of her posts while I was pregnant with my second and had no idea it was Vanessa until I clicked through the About page!
Hometown: Sunny El Paso, Texas
How Long Have you been living in El Paso? I grew up in Austin, Texas but I’ve been here long enough to consider myself a native of El Paso.
Occupation: SAHM and Craft Blogger
When did you first become a mother? Was the reality close to your personal image/idea? Jack was born just days before 2009 and here I am, more than three years later, still trying to figure out the motherhood ropes. This job is harder and yet, more rewarding than I ever could have imagined!
Before becoming a mother what did you know about motherhood? Not much at all. For nine months during my pregnancy with Jack and then later, when I was expecting Max, all I did was read and research what it was going to be like, how I was going to feel, what my life was going to become. While some of that information was helpful, most of it was thrown out the window once the reality of being responsible for a new life set in.
How would you describe first year as a mom? Amazing, exhausting, transforming. I don’t know if it takes this long for all mothers but I spent a good part of the first year learning how to trust my natural instincts and intuition, learning how to forget everything I may have heard or read and trust that I know what’s best for my son. I think that’s a really tough lesson in a time where we have, for better or worse, an almost endless supply of information is at our fingertips.
What helped you to get through it? Long walks along the canals behind my house.Conversations with other new mothers. Dates with my husband. Squeezing in some sort of creativity whenever possible.
Did you have a support system near by? I’m so lucky to have both my parents and my sister in the same town as us. I love knowing that my children are making memories to last a lifetime with people who adore them while my husband and I catch a movie. It’s a win/win for everyone.
We really love your blog Tired & True. Is there anything you can share with us that you’re currently working on? What can we look forward to? I have a guest post on another blog coming out later this week that includes two of my favorite things right now…washi tape and instagram! Who doesn’t love those, right?
When I get a little bit more free time (in, um, four years), I’d love to write a book on robot crafts. I have a ton of projects I’ve been saving.
Tips for new moms? Go easy on yourself and try to stay away from comparing your house/your children/your marriage and most importantly, yourself with anyone else. You are, quite simply, amazing.