Reflecting on the holidays and the new year

December has been a month of firsts for our little man. He had his first haircut, first time meeting Santa, first Christmas Eve church service and of course he turned a year old. He has even begun taking his first few steps. Before we know it, he’ll be running around the house finding as much trouble as he can.

Needless to say, it has been a busy few weeks for this mama. There is nothing quite like celebrating Christmas with your babies. It is both magical and very stressful. Children are often up late, in unfamiliar environments and around people they may not see very often. It can lead to a cranky kid situation in no time.

For my son, Christmas was a mixed bag. Although he’s not old enough to truly appreciate the family time and the traditions associated with the holidays, he did enjoy the food and destroying wrapping paper.

It is amazing to me all the time and money you spend on those brightly wrapped gifts and sometimes they’d rather play with the box it came in. But as long as my baby gets enjoyment out of it, so do I.

Now that the pressure of the holidays has been lifted and we prepare to pack up all those pretty decorations, all of us moms can take a collective sigh of relief. I am just now letting it sink in that I have been a parent for a year, which in itself is quite the feat.

Being a mom has been my biggest dream for as long as I can remember and at one point in my life, I was afraid it was never going to happen. It just goes to show that we are not in control and sometimes things in life require a little patience.

With the new year approaching, my heart goes out to those who are still waiting. I’ve been there -- hoping that this is the year your dream comes true. I often find myself reading over journal entries I wrote during those years of longing. I think it makes me appreciate what I have that much more.

Motherhood isn’t easy. There are tough decisions to be made, messes to be cleaned and mouths to be fed. Moms get a lot of criticism, and are often the hardest on themselves. You worry, you cry, you second guess yourself. But at the end of the day I can look back and be grateful for it all.

My resolution this year is to never take my journey for granted and to always be looking for ways to help those who struggle the way I once did.