Becoming a mom, no matter how that looked, has always been something I wished for. It sounds dramatic and maybe not even the most “2021” thing to say, but I genuinely feel like motherhood is a calling. I vividly remember going to visit my mom in the hospital to see my little sister Stacy for the first time. At two and a half, I didn’t exactly have the vocabulary to know what I was feeling, but my memories were something akin to feeling responsible for her, like she was my own.
And I’ve just always been drawn to caregiving for babies and children. I started as a mother’s helper in fifth grade when my sister’s best friend’s family had a newborn. Then my best friend and I would babysit one of our teacher’s daughter together in sixth grade. And by seventh grade, I was fully on my own babysitting my neighbor’s newborn son, and then their two daughters, too.
I did question motherhood when I was in my early 20s… but looking back, I think I just didn’t feel “settled” in that age and was going through an identity crisis of living this city-life that I was, on paper, I was supposed to love. In reality, it just wasn’t for me. It’s not as sexy, but I just know I’m 1,000% happier in the suburbs and once I left the city, the desire for children returned with no doubt.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO
The fact that I am going to have my dream baby this August…. I’m just in disbelief, really. It’s been something I wanted for so long, I can’t believe it’s happening. I wake up every morning and just rub my stomach and think, “Hi, I can’t wait to meet you.”
I’ve been in full-blown day-dreaming mode lately. I’m so curious about our child. What life will look like; how their personality will bloom; what they will look like. It just fills me with joy thinking of all the wonderful things-to-be.
When I’m driving around town, I find myself thinking about the baby the most. I think it’s because I’m alone in the car and I feel this very selfish thrill that I’m not actually alone and that the baby is right there with me, and only me. It’s gotten even more intense because we found out the sex of the baby last week (!!!) and now my brain is in overdrive getting excited for the future! Sometimes I am so caught up in day dreaming that I don’t even remember what happened in my audiobook and have to rewind to get back up to speed.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO
Anyway… There’s SO MUCH I can’t wait for, but I wanted to share some of the fun little things I’m looking forward to.
– Fuzzy baby head:
This is so random and may not even make sense typing it out. Whenever I hold a baby (literally any baby), I just have this overwhelming urge to kiss and nuzzle their head. I just love that sweet fuzzy baby head feeling. 😅 There are so many pictures of me holding my sister just nuzzling her head. (Okay confirmed, this sounds crazy typing it out.) When we saw the baby in the 12-week scan, my first thought was that the head looked so perfect and I just wanted to kiss it!
– Long walks:
My daily walks are something I cherish so much. The dogs and I love getting out there and pounding the pavement. Now every time we go out, I just can’t stop thinking about having a baby in a stroller join the crew.
– Family dinners:
When I think about the traditions I want to do with our family, I always think about how they don’t need to be grand gestures. We ate dinner together every single night, really no matter what (even if it was 15 minutes between my sister’s soccer practice and my crew practice). Excited to do that with our family, too.
– School carpool:
Right now the local schools are all on different schedules with COVID/virtual learning. I always find myself stuck in school traffic. And it dawned on me a couple of weeks ago that at some point I’ll be one of the cars lined up to pick up our kid! Oh, I can’t wait for alllll the minute details of the school day.
– Reading together:
Mike and I both love to read, and I’m thinking about how I hope we can nurture our child’s love of reading too!
– Play groups:
I assume these are still a thing? Or will be once life gets back to normal? Music classes, little events at the library, meeting up at the park.
– Vacations as a family:
Maybe this is the lack of vacations from the pandemic, but I’m totally looking forward to family vacations. Trips to the beach, the lake, and the mountains for skiing.
This is so sweet! I’m sure baby R can already feel the love and excitement!
So precious, Carly! I’m so excited for you and your growing family.
This post is just incredibly cute! You guys will be the most amazing parents.
This is so sweet. Motherhood is that much and more. It is a beautiful gift and even on the hardest, sleepless days, there are little moments you are reminded of this deepest love you feel for your child. I have a baby so I am very familiar with the fuzzy head :)… and the smiles and laughs! You just melt.
So often I read articles about the drudgery of motherhood so this was a lovely reminder of the joys. Best wishes!
I love this so much!!! So many fun things to reflect on! I’m so happy for you and Mike!
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I’m expecting my first too, and I also just can’t wait to bring the stroller on daily walks!
This may seem crazy, but when my daughter was about a week old I started a tradition of reading to her every night while she falls asleep. I stick to children’s classics and read from my Kindle – everything from The Secret Garden to the Harry Potter series to A Wrinkle in Time. Obviously my one year old had no idea what was going on in Harry Potter, but it made for a nice bonding time (she always fell asleep to the sound of my voice) and has made bedtime such a pleasant experience for me – it’s one of my favorite times of day. She’s three now and is just starting to get into the stories (we’re on the Little House on the Prairie books now). I’m sure we’ll keep this up for many years. Highly recommend.
This makes me so happy for you! I’m a few years behind you in terms of getting married and being ready to have kids, but the closer I get to my wedding date, I get more excited about becoming a mom too. Did you know before getting married that you wanted children soon after vs. waiting a year, or did you decide after getting married?
Mike and I both felt very ready. I’m not sure if it was fully tied to the wedding exactly, but we both knew it felt like the right time for both of us. We also didn’t know how long getting pregnant would take, so we wanted to start trying sooner rather than later
Aww!! You’re so cute. This was so fun to read. I have been a pt working mom/rest of the time stay at home mom for the last 8 years since my first was born, and I am so thankful to have had/made the financial flexibility to make this decision. All the things you mentioned are sweet moments, and it’s nice to have the mental bandwidth to appreciate them. Playgroups, music class, park visits, sharing a bakery visit with my littles and practicing manners, library story time, meeting a friend and their child for a picnic, taking my babies to explore the world (beach! Hiking! Local farm! Museums) are such cherished memories for me. Car line is not one of those cherished moments but I actually think it IS for my daughter, so I’m glad I can be there for her!
I’m glad you are thinking ahead to all these moments. Your baby is lucky to have two parents who are so excited about him/her! You are going to be a wonderful mother.
One of the most special things to me about becoming a mom was (and still is) that I was the first person to know my daughter. I don’t think it made sense until I was pregnant, but no one else had that time except me.
I love this! I’m 24 weeks pregnant and so often when I talk about being excited for motherhood, people can be so negative about how hard it is instead of pointing out the good parts! I understand it will be hard but I’m also looking forward to so many of these same things.
So sweet!!! I totally empathize with the fuzzy baby head nuzzling. This actually makes me want to go over to my 4yo and sniff her hair. It’s just so perfect!
The fuzzy baby head thing is real. Reading this with my 3 week old on my chest kissing and nuzzling her fuzzy head ❤️ And my 2 year old is always asking to kiss her sister’s head!
Congratulations, there’s no love like it!
So exciting! Regarding reading: start reading to the little one now if you like! He/she will be able to hear you soon, if not already, and it’s so fun to choose books to introduce them to early!
Motherhood is the best. I’m only six months in, but it’s been life changing. I totally get what you mean about not being alone. I found out I was pregnant at the end of January 2020 and my son was born in September. 2020 was the craziest year, but my little guy kept me company through it all— absolutely the biggest blessing. Oh— and pick a song on your drives! One song I played/sang to him in the car while I was pregnant is the ONE thing that can calm him down now! Isn’t that funny?!
I can’t wait to hear more about your pregnancy journey!
This is such a cute idea!! Stealing it!
Oh I love this! I’m sure it will produce the most wonderful memories too — my mom always had the same 3-4 CDs on rotation in her car when I was growing up so those albums feel extremely formative to me. I think it is so sweet for mother/child to have a song to share! Imagine one day dancing to it at their wedding 😭
I could have written this 11 years ago! My children are now 10 and 4. I had picked the (bilingual) school before they were even born… Needless to say, life turned out very differently. My youngest has behavioral problems and we were turned away from several toddlers’ activities. None of them goes to the bilingual school. Family vacations feel like more work and more hazards to be mindful off. Even if we have a big garden and live next to a forest, lockdown and forced homeschooling of a nearly teenager were not a piece of cake. I enjoy books and so does my eldest. The youngest enjoys ripping the pages off. Motherhood is different from our expectations, in every way possible, good or bad. We stopped with mandarin lessons and other fancy activities and are already relieved when we make it through the week without major crisis. Before having kids, I was the kind of mother who just knew her children would never watch TV or eat fast food 😂😂😂. Now I give them my phone so I can take a shower.
I agree 1000 x’s over with this. I had all these ideas in my head of how things would be when I was a first time mom. Now with an almost 14 year old and 8 year old , I laugh at my naive self. While being a mom is wonderful it is full of stress that only multiplied as they get older especially middle school aged. There are so many more things you have to deal with: A child’s mental health , their struggles in school (especially when one has a learning disability), friend drama , and more . I am not sure how I survived The pandemic with virtual school and working a full time job . School drop off has never been fun as you are rushing to get kids out the door and to work on time. But it was fun to day dream how I thought it would all go down . Now I just collapse in bed at night after a long day at work, homework, sports , and your day to day life and laugh And count down the days for a vacation.
Just chiming in to say – make sure it’s a song/album you can tolerate hearing over and over…when my mom was pregnant with my brother my sister and I were obsessed with the Lilo & Stitch soundtrack and that was legit the only thing that got my brother to not scream in the car. I think it ruined Elvis for my mom forever hahaha.
Side note – Carly, this is so so so cute. I’ve been following you since I was in hs and now I’m 24. I feel like a friend is having a baby!!!
Omg hilarious!
This was so sweet Carly. We lived in a multi-generational household growing up and ate family dinner, every. single. night. I truly believe it is foundational to who I am as a person now. Glad to hear its important for your future family too. Can’t wait to watch Baby R grow
This is the MOST wholesome post.
Your bump is so big!!!
It really popped!
Ugh my son is 6 months old and reading this just had me relive all those pregnancy feelings!! I will say how that he’s here, I’m still so excited for all of the things you mentioned. There’s nothing better than kissing him 8,000 times a day and playing with his little hairs haha. The love seems unreal. I’m always questioning “is he really here? Is he really mine?!” And no matter how tired I am, when I peep into his crib and see those eyes and that smile, I forget it all. Y’all are gonna be wonderful parents and I’m so excited to follow along in your journey. I think the one thing that really surprised me is just how instinctual a lot of it is. I was scared up until the day I went into labor about how am I going to be responsible for a whole human. But once he was in my arms, all that worry went away. I didn’t (and don’t) know everything but I knew way more than I thought I did. Enjoy that daydreaming and soon enough it’ll all be reality!
Oh, Carly!!! I already have two kids and this post gave me intense baby fever. 😅 Love hearing your joy over this magical stage!! I agree completely that motherhood is a calling, a vocation! Doesn’t it feel incredible to physically get to experience exactly what you were made to do?
My best advice for reading is to literally start a routine reading to baby from day one. Our first day home from the hospital with our daughter, my husband and I started reading The Hobbit to her 😂 At first we read mostly for ourselves, just to develop the habit. Now she’s 2 and can read on her own, and honest to goodness reading is her favorite thing to do. So glad we fostered that in her!
Agreed! Reading to your baby is so important. I’m an empty nester now, but this is my biggest parenting advice is to read to your baby. You won’t regret it.
One of my earliest memories is my mom coming back from the library with a canvas bag stacked full of picture books, and me demanding her to read them to me one after another on the couch, haha. I think that’s such a nice timeless way to spend time with little ones.
Even as a non-mum this post was really sweet to read, and as a longtime follower I am excited for you to get to meet your baby/start this new chapter of life!!
Ahhhh love this! I just had my first on Saturday morning and I cannot cope with the fuzzy head 😭 my husband and I are basically fighting over her at the moment as we both want the snuggles non stop! 💕
The little things like reading together and long walks don’t seem like much, but that’s where life happens. Simple, small, everyday pleasures. And I can’t wait for holidays: dressing up for Halloween and watching Hocus Pocus, baking pies for Thanksgiving, watching fireworks on July 4th. You get to relive all the things you loved as a child with your own children!
Oh, Carly…this is just so sweet! You will find that when your sweet LO is here, it’s so much better than you could’ve ever imagined! Take it from me…my 9-month-old son made my heart grow in size.
beautiful post! Add “take a music class” to your list…and find a Kindermusik program near you..best thing I ever did with my children (from ages 3 months until 6 yrs) and travel travel travel!! No better gift!
This is so sweet. Everything changes once you have the baby- it sounds so corny, but it really does!
My son is 7 months old and family dinner together is already my favorite time of the day! Our bedtime routine is my husband reading him and I chapter from a book before bed – we are on Alice in wonderland right now! You won’t have to wait very long at all for some of these things you are excited for!
Motherhood is the best. Don’t blink! I wish I could make my grown children small for a day or two. My husband and I tear up when we talk about our boys when they were young. It goes by so very fast so cherish each moment (good or bad). Congratulations and best wishes for a wonderful pregnancy.
Every single one of these are some of the best things about having kids. Especially the fuzzy baby heads.🥰
Oh Carly, this just made me smile ear to ear. You’re going to be a great mom.
I LOVE kids, but I’ve never really wanted my own. I often question this/my sanity. If you love them and are so obsessed with your nieces, why not have your own? Reading this post was actually comforting to me . I just don’t share your passion for being a mom, and it makes me feel more secure in my choice to know some people really feel that spark and I’m not expecting too much from myself.
My daughter has loved her books since she was 6 months old! She prefers them over most of her toys- I love sitting and “reading” with her! Bonus points from her if the stories have dogs in them!
Congratualtions Carly! This was so sweet to read. I’m a week away from my due date with my first! I love “reliving” the early stages of pregnancy through your posts 🙂 Cannot wait to find out the sex! and if your gut feeling was right. Mine was off! lol
This post is so sweet and beautiful. It is such a pleasure to see your life, so wonderful and pleasant. You will be a lovely mother.
I genuinely enjoy you sharing these experiences, I cannot deny that I look forward to them myself. I think about family traditions regularly, it’s what I look forward to the most. Hoping I’ll be blessed with a family one day too.
Congrats Carly!! Can’t wait to follow along on this journey with you! Will you be sharing the sex of the baby or waiting until he or she is born to share
Love this post. You are going to be a great mom…wait, you already are! xoxo
Wishing you all the blessings as you embark on your motherhood journey! It is the most challenging, yet most wonderfully amazing experience. You have many joy-filled days coming your way! 💕
So excited for you- I’ve been following this blog since 2014 and I know this will be the best chapter yet!
This is so lovely. First of all, huge congratulations! I’ve followed your journey for many, many years and I am truly delighted for you. But I also wanted to say thank you for this post. It has reminded me of all the things to cherish about motherhood, even though mine are not babies anymore (well, they’re 5 and 2 so they’re not big either!). It can get overwhelming. The little moments that you describe in your post are what make it all worthwhile. Sending love, from Australia.