{Alex} Project Empowering Motherhood

Today we hear from my friend Alex. I met Alex right before I started undergrad and it's always fun to think of how she knew both Alex and me before we were even a couple. A lot has changed and happened in all the years that I've known her; we've both become domesticated with husbands and babies. Her son, Nicolas, is 2 months and every time I see him I am amazed at how small babies are in the beginning. I'm afraid to touch him for fear that I might hurt or break him. I guess one of the things you forget as your baby gets older, is how small that baby once was.

Here are Alex's answers:

1. One ugly truth about motherhood. Well, I'll give you two. (A) Your body will never feel like it did pre-pregnancy. True I haven't started trying to lose the remaining 15lbs of baby weight I have on me, but things feel off. My milk has pretty much dried up and my breasts are back to the normal size, but they feel so empty and saggy now! I have stretch marks on my breasts that will probably never go away. And I think so areas of my legs and stomach will always have a little extra jiggle. (B) Sleep will never be the same again once you become a mother. With a newborn, no matter how many naps you take and how long your baby sleeps at night, you will always feel tired. You will never have those deep sleeps you used to take, not having a care in the world, because you now always sleep in a semi-alert state.

2. What does motherhood mean to you? Being a mom was something I've always dreamed of. When people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I didn't have any career in mind. I would just say I wanted to be a mother and to have a job where it would allow me the time to be the type of mother I wanted to be. I always thought there is no job more rewarding than being a mother. And now that I have a child of my own, I see that motherhood lives up to the hype. It's something I wouldn't trade for the world. "Mom" is a title that will stick with you to the grave and beyond, and it's a title to wear proudly. I will never be the same person I was before. Anyone I meet in life from here on out will associate me with being a mom. It really is the best feeling in the world, to know that Lenin and I were able to take the best of both of us and create another life. And the amount of love that you feel for that little person is immeasurable.

3. How has motherhood empowered you? No matter what happens in our lives, that one thing will always remain constant. That bond between you and your child will always be there and its something that can never be taken away. So no matter what negative things may happen in life, everything will be ok in the end because I still have our family. Being a mother gives me more confidence to meet anything life throws my way. Also, being a mother almost gives real meaning to your life. It's not some meaningless job you go to every day to pay the bills. It gives me a sense of real purpose.

 Thank you Alex for sharing your love of motherhood with us. I hope motherhood continues to live up to all your hopes and dreams!

Project Empowering Motherhood is an ongoing series in celebration and honor of Cati's 6 months. For my responses to the questions and more about the series, go HERE. To read Jenn, Melisa, Esther, Andrea, Jenny, Jen, Mollie, Jamie, Charlotte and Erika's answers, go HERE. If you are interested in participating and being featured on the blog send your answers to the three questions to steppystar@aol.com.