Category: Raising Girls

  • How to Manage Being a Work-at-Home-Mom

    Welcome to our series, Motherhood: More than Meets the Eye, where every Monday until December 18th eight bloggers explore what the world of motherhood truly looks like and how even though each unique, we’re all on a mission! Please join us!

    Being a work at home mom presents many challenges. It’s a blessing most definitely, being able to care for my toddler while earning a little income on the side from the comforts of my own home, but it takes a lot of intentionality and discipline to make it work.

    When people find out that I stay home full time caring for an almost two year old, co-own an online Women’s ministry, run multiple websites, write eBooks, and still manage to have any sort of social life they inevitably ask me, “How do you do it all?”

    Well, duh! I don’t, but what I do manage to get done I manage by the grace of God, no doubt! Let me share some nuggets of advice that I think will help you manage being a work-at-home-mom. Read more here!

    Want to read all of the posts in this series? Check them out by clicking here!

     

  • Being a Stay-at-Home-Mom and Then Having to Work Outside the Home

     Welcome to our series, Motherhood: More than Meets the Eye, where every Monday until December 18th eight bloggers explore what the world of motherhood truly looks like and how even though each unique, we’re all on a mission! Please join us!

    I recently wrote about my very busy day and how at this time in my life, whether I want to or not, I am  called to be a help-meet to my husband, surrendering to God and sometimes do what in my heart I don’t want to for a season.

    But what if it’s not my dream? How do I not get resentful? How do I fully trust God? Why God?

    All these, questions flutter through my mind from time to time.

    You see, it’s not at simple as you are a mom, you should just stay home for some of us. Some of us make it work through hard financial circumstances, or even leave careers, but sometimes we have no choice. We have to work. It is what God has called us to do at this moment in time.

    I hope you’ll join me over at day2day joys today where I’ll share a bit about my journey!

    Want to read all the posts in this series? Be sure to check them out by clicking here

  • Deciding to Leave an Awesome Career to Be a Stay-at-Home-Mom

     Welcome to our series, Motherhood: More than Meets the Eye, where until December 18th eight bloggers explore what the world of motherhood truly looks like and how even though each unique, we’re all on a mission! Please join us!

    What makes a woman earning six figures a year walk away from her career to stay at home full time?

    A dream.
    Love.
    Maybe a touch of insanity…
    I wish I could tell you that I was really organized in my pursuit of stay-at-home motherhood, but I wasn’t. I read a couple of books on being a stay-at-home mom. I read a couple of blogs. I discounted half of what I read because I didn’t like what they had to say.
    My decision-making process was emotionally charged, volatile even, and went kind of like this:

    I’ve dreamt all my life of owning a farm on top of a mountain and raising my children there. I can do that. It will be easy – serene and gratifying.I will have so much more free time – I can finally work on that scrapbook of our wedding and concentrate on working out and losing weight.I love my daughter SO MUCH. I HATE leaving her at daycare while I go to work. When I am at home I can spend all day with her – playing with her, teaching her, loving her. It will be amazing.My husband can make the mortgage payment.Cool.I QUIT.

    Oh wow. Today I laugh so hard at myself that I could cry.
    Come join me over at “From Cube to Farm” so that I can share with you a little of my journey, how I fared and what I learned…

    Heather Bryant

    Heather Bryant is a Christian, devoted wife, mother and author. Although she had a career at the intersection of finance and technology, Heather now stays home on a farm to raise her children full-time.
    Heather recently published her first book, “From Cube to Farm: Surviving and Thriving as a Stay-at-Home Mom.” Heather’s website and blog are also dedicated to supporting and encouraging stay-at-home moms.

    Want to read all the posts in this series? Be sure to check them out by clicking here

  • Career Woman to Stay-at-Home-Mom

    Welcome to our series, Motherhood: More than Meets the Eye, where every Monday until December 18th eight bloggers explore what the world of motherhood truly looks like and how even though each unique, we’re all on a mission! Please join us!


    I thought I had it all figured out. I was going to have my baby and then, once I was recovered and refreshed, I would head back to work.
    Boy was I in for a surprise!
    Sister, just because we stay at home doesn’t mean we aren’t working our heineys off. It is hard. Really hard. And so is the decision to commit to staying home!

    The decision to actually stay at home didn’t happen overnight, but it didn’t take much time to see why I needed to stay home.

    How was I to train my children in the way they should go if I wasn’t home? I was perplexed…join me, Nikki, over at Christian Mommy Blogger where I share the reasons and motivation behind leaving my “real” job for a really big job!

    What to read all of the posts in this series? Click here!

  • Working Outside the Home Before Becoming a Stay-at-Home-Mom

     Welcome to our series, Motherhood: More than Meets the Eye, where week until December 18th eight bloggers explore what the world of motherhood truly looks like and how even though each unique, we’re all on a mission! Please join us!

    By Erin Odom of The Humbled Homemaker

    There was never a doubt in my mind that I would be a stay-at-home mom. Oh, I prepared for a career, but once my babies arrived, I knew I wanted to be with them 24/7.

    But our hopes and our dreams are not always reality. And when my first baby arrived in June 2008, staying at home was not a choice. My husband was in seminary at the time, and I was supporting our family.

    I’ll never forget leaving my 6-week-old newborn in her swing the first morning I left for work. My friend Lexie had come over to watch her. And saying goodbye to my sweet little babe tore at my heart.

    Hop on over to The Humbled Homemaker to read the rest of this post!

    Want to read all the posts in this series? Be sure to check them out by clicking here

  • You’re a Watermelon! :: Pregnancy at 9 {or 10} Months

    Wow! Everyone was right! The last few weeks are HARD! I’ve been blessed with such a wonderful pregnancy that I guess I really didn’t think I’d get this uncomfortable. But, yes, it happened to me, too – clothes that just don’t fit quite right anymore, inability to tie my shoes (or even put them on for that matter), and bathroom breaks with some sleep tossed in between at night.

    As I write this, I am already three days past my due date. By the time this post publishes it will be a week. Earlier in my pregnancy my gut feeling was that she would come after her due date. I only thought that because she seemed like such a chilled out and content baby. I wasn’t sick much, she didn’t worry me with lack of movement, and overall it was just an enjoyable, wonderful experience. Then, two of my friends’ first babies came early – by a few weeks – and I became convinced she was going to come early too. So now that her due date has come and gone, I don’t know what to think! But I do know that I am really excited to meet her!

    Here’s a glimpse through this exciting exhausting month!

     

    How Big Baby Is Now: 

    Our sweet baby girl is the size of a watermelon now, but believe it or not she still finds plenty of room to do her Olympic-style gymnastics in there. According to our latest ultrasound she is about seven pounds!

    How Baby Has Changed:

    She’s all done at this point! Except that she’s really comfy in there and not quite ready to meet the world yet! I must have made a good home for her over the past nine months! In her ultrasound picture her arm is in front of her face, and she’s just hanging out!

    How Big Mommy is Now:

    Huge! In the past two weeks I’ve gotten my first, “Wow! You look like you’re ready to go!” comments from strangers in public. That was my clue that I do look as big as I feel.

    How Mommy Feels:

    I feel uncomfortable. Some days are better than others, but overall I am ready to feel back to normal. One of the biggest frustrations is terrible, terrible acid reflux/heartburn. Oh, it is so bad! I hear that this means she has a lot of hair. I hope so (and I secretly hope it’s dark like mine)!

    What Mommy Eats:

    Same as always! Maybe a little less than I was earlier, but I still eat anything that I normally ate.

    Our Doctor Visits:

    We have been going to the doctor every week, and I will go again at 41 weeks. At that appointment they will do a non-stress test on the baby to make sure she’s doing well. At our last ultrasound she was doing really well, moving and growing like she should. We are blessed that she is so healthy!

    The Birthing Plan:

    The birthing plan is the same at this point. I will have a water birth as long as she comes before the 42 week mark and there are no complications making a different plan medically necessary. If she has not come by 42 weeks, then I will have to be induced. I do not want this at all, but the research shows that this is probably best for her. If I am induced, then I will not be able to have a water birth.

    Decorating the Nursery:

    The nursery is completely finished! I sit in there every morning to have my quiet time, and I love it! We have also prayed over her room to get ready for her arrival. You can see pictures of the nursery in this post.

    Daddy News:

    Well, Daddy knows that Baby Girl loves him lots since he made it through the Georgia/Florida football game with no emergencies! No, for real he wants her to come whenever she’s ready. He did mention that he is ready to not have to bend over to talk to her and feel her and is ready for her to just be in his arms! He is gearing up and getting a lot of rest for his all-important job of labor coach and sanity keeper for me!

    Thoughts on Being a Mommy:

    I think that God is ingenious with causing more discomfort at the end of pregnancy so that women are ready to say, “I want this baby out!” Only about three short weeks ago I was mourning my pregnancy almost being over. Now granted, it was an easy, lovely pregnancy, so I had no complaints. I thought about how I would miss feeling her move and kick and having her so close to me. I imagined the fact that for the rest of her life she will move further and further away from me, in a physical sense, as she gains independence and becomes an adult.

    Then, the last few weeks happened.

    And I got bigger and bigger, so it seemed. I could no longer reach to get dishes out of the cupboard or wash my hands without drenching my shirt. And eating. It’s just plain messy! So at this point I am ready, and I think that is God’s perfect plan so that we’re ready to work hard and push this baby out during labor!

    So here we are. Patiently waiting for our baby girl to make her debut! I am sure the announcement will come soon!

     

    If you haven’t read, I’m planning a water birth in the hospital, and this book, Unbound Birth, has been so helpful! If you are planning or considering a natural birth in the hospital I highly recommend it! You can get it here for only $4.99!!

    And have you checked out Deborah and Co. yet? They offer comfortable, modest clothing for women including maternity clothes! Some of their most loved items are their fleece lined leggings, modest layering shells and cami’s, and custom made maternity skirts. Be sure to check out their website! This is the perfect gift for Christmas!

    Wanna see our progress from the beginning? Check out these posts:

    You’re a Honeydew! :: Pregnancy at 8 Months

    You’re a Butternut Squash! :: Pregnancy at 7 Months 

    You’re an Eggplant! :: Pregnancy at 6 Months

    You’re a Girl! :: Pregnancy at 5 Months

    You’re an Avocado! :: Pregnancy at 4 Months

    You’re a Peach! :: Pregnancy at 3 Months

    Did any of you go past your due date with your babies? What was that like? How did you cope? Share with me!

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