Thursday, May 1, 2008

Motherhood...A Picture Post



5 Minutes for Mom is offering several giveaways and contests in honor of Mother's Day. Including this photo contest - the prize is $1000!

If you're one of my usual blog readers, you will know that the last couple of weeks have been a bit crazy for me, but I wanted to post about this. Not really because I think I'll win the contest, but because I have deep feelings about what Motherhood means to me.

Let me start by saying...having children isn't easy for me. It's difficult to get pregnant and it's hard to be pregnant. During both of my pregnancies I have suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a debilitating condition characterized by severe vomiting. We're not just talking morning sickness here...this is a different thing. For me surviving pregnancy is a miracle added to a miracle. I have blogged about this a little bit here.

I have often seen a picture of the Savior, Jesus Christ with the words "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." It is a fairly common image and thought among people of my faith.

This is how I feel when I hold my new baby. When all the pain and torment of the process of getting this baby ends and I know it was worth every moment of all the awfulness it took to get there. This moment when heaven meets earth and a new child rests in your arms and you look down and know they are yours. When you feel your heart melt and feel the unspeakable joy of feeling God's love looking at you through the new eyes of your child.

Breaking from my tradition of not posting pictures of my kids on this site...I decided to give you this little look - yes, the pictures were taken in very different lighting conditions and since it's been a crazy couple of weeks, I didn't have enough time to really make them look great...but hey...what are you going to do?



That's motherhood for me. It's hard. It's painful at times. It's uncomfortable and usually not very glamorous. It's never easy...But it is always worth it.

10 comments:

Chelan said...

Awww! So sweet! I love when they are so brand new. Amazing how much they looked alike even as babies. I love this post :-)

Richelle said...

So sweet! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Those are such sweet pictures.

My aunt had hyperemesis gravidarum through all of her pregnancies and had to be re-hydrated at the hospital so often they brought a nurse and equipment to her home instead eventually. I'm so sorry you have to go through that when pregnant. Pregnancy is hard enough without it.

Cheryl said...

Oh, Leslie! That is so hard. I have a really good friend (actually two of them) who suffer from the same thing. She was like Summer's aunt --and basically would disappear from life for 9 months. People thought she was absolutely crazy to have the four children she did (in 6 years) because of how sick she would get. But it's not really about that, is it?
I love your photos. So adorable!! You're making me baby hungry...stop it! :)

Leslie said...

Thanks girls! I think my kiddies were pretty cute and newborns. Ah...

Summer & Cheryl - Thanks for sympathizing...I had a home IV too and all that stuff. It's not very "convenient" but it's better than the alternative (i.e. death).
:)

Laurie said...

I love this! And I think that quote is perfect for mothers. I'm going to make one of those for me! Today! Have a great weekend!

Carrie and Troy Keiser said...

Oh so true your words are! nice pix too.

Ice Cream said...

That quote has gotten me through many trials in life.

This is so beautifully written and I love the pictures put with this quote. Thank you for sharing your pain and your triumphs.

Jeanette said...

I got a little misty eyed reading this beautiful post.

Dean Family said...

Leslie,
I stumbled onto this blog as I was looking at Richelle's. You have a wonderful thing going...have you considered writing some day? Anyway, I did cry (maybe being pregnant right now) and loved this entry. I think giving birth is a miracle every time no matter how easy or hard it is to conceive. Thanks for sharing!

Love,
Nicole