If you could go back and talk to yourself just before you had your first child, what advice would you give?
Danielle: Please remember. You CAN get pregnant while breastfeeding.
Aimee: say YES to everyone that offers to help & hold the baby!!
Katie: No day is ever the same so have some patience.
Dorian: Relax, you’ll do just fine.
Heidi: Keep a journal of your favorite moments.
Rebecca: You know your baby best. Do what makes sense for your baby.
Julie: Take whatever advice others give you with a grain of salt. Don’t forget about your marriage, either, because you will need that hubby of yours!
What one word would you use to describe your mothering style?
Danielle: Sargent (hey, it works with all boys)
Aimee: Scheduled
Katie: Relaxed (not too relaxed though)
Dorian: Trying
Heidi: Firm but loving
Ruth: Go
Rebecca: Goofy (if you’re weirder than your kiddos, you have a unique advantage in disciplining!)
Julie: Structured but with room for flexibility.
What three things should every Mom have?
Danielle: A good coffee maker, a megaphone (best Christmas gift EVER!) and a crush on Daddy.
Aimee: package of wipes in the car, a good camera & a sense of humor.
Katie: Patience, ability to laugh at yourself & your kid, a pacifer (and a lot of backup ones).
Dorian: besides love, patience and playfulness? a camera, a big bed to snuggle with the hubby AND kidlets in, and lots and lots of bandaids. They love those things!
Heidi: A day off once in a while, a sense of humor, a prayer journal, and a BFF.
Rebecca: Great silly faces that you can break into at a moment’s notice, know how to say “no” in sign language so you can be “heard” across a crowded room while protecting little egos from embarassment, and lots of photo albums (old school!)
Julie: Patience, laughter, and strong arms for comforting with! And a good camera 🙂
When you get a rare break from being ‘Mom’, what are you doing?
Danielle: Scrapbooking weekends with friends, and sometimes we even scrapbook :-).
Aimee: I go to a Pinterest party for HOURS!!
Katie: I usually craft or mess around with my camera.
Dorian: Craft or sew or crochet. Or nap. Naps are always good!
Heidi: HA! 🙂 Read, craft, garden, and work out. Oh, and spend time with hubs.
Rebecca: Ideally, I am holding a microphone somewhere embarrassing myself. If not that, then I am reading, writing (no ‘rithmetic, though!) or loving on that Daddy person that I sometimes catch glimpses of in my house from time to time.
Julie: Writing, date night with the hubby, editing photos.
What has surprised you most about motherhood?
Danielle: That being a stay-at-home Mom would be so fulfilling for me. I never thought it was my ‘thing’, but God had (and has) other plans for me. And I’m learning to trust that. His plans always seem to turn out better than mine.
Katie: How much I would actually love being a mom. Even though it’s hard at times it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever done.
Dorian: As a special needs mom (and seriously, also as a mom to my oldest as well), I never imagined I would have the strength to go through everything we’ve gone through with my lil’ guy. I was right, I DON’T have the strength. But GOD did, and I what has surprised me most is to learn what an incredible partnership there is between us mommas and God. It such a comfort. It’s not really even tho. He does most of the work ;).
Heidi: How much fun I have with my kids — and how much I miss them when we’re not together.
Ruth: How much love is in your child’s eyes. He is so in love with Mommy.
Rebecca: How much I can learn about God, life, and myself from little people who aren’t even 7 yet.
Julie: The overwhelming love. It’s a tough gig, 24/7, no paid days off, no vacations- its constant and ever changing, and a lot to adapt to – but it is SO worth it.
What is your favorite bible verse about parenting?
Danielle: “Now then my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say.” (Proverbs 5:7) Or my paraphrase “BOYS!! Please listen to your mother! What did I say?”
Aimee: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Give thanks in all things for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — remember to be thankful for EVERYTHING… yep, all of it.
Dorian: “Fear not, for I am with you. I am your GOD, I will stregthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” – Isaiah 41:10 and “Let all that you do be done in LOVE” – 1 Cor. 16:14.
Heidi: Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” HIS plan is always more powerful than mine.
Rebecca: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 Something I say to my kids, me, other mothers…Amen!
Julie: I would have to agree with Heidi- Jeremiah 29:11 is my favorite!
What do you really want for Mother’s Day?
Danielle: My favorite activity for any good Sunday afternoon…a nice nap. Okay, maybe with a backrub thrown in. And dinner ready when I wake up.
Aimee: flowers, a dinner straight from the BBQ and a day off! {1 of the 3 would be great}.
Katie: A Mothers Day Card, a clean house, and just some “me” time.
Dorian: A nice card (love handmade ones!), a clean house, and the kids in bed early (and to sleep through the night and sleep in the next day! One can dream….).
Heidi: A clean house, a simple supper prepared by my peeps, and an afternoon on my back deck.
Ruth: Breakfast out, park time, movies on the couch with hubby. A ‘no cooking or cleaning’ day!
Rebecca: Please don’t judge me, but I love Olive Garden. 🙂 Throw in a beautiful handmade card (and maybe an hour to myself at Barnes & Noble?), and I’m set. Don’t forget a few extras of those yummy Andes mints.
Julie: A nice day at HOME with my little family. Playing outside, reading a good book, and maybe smores around the fire to top it off!
“All women are not mothers, but all women are called to mother. To mother is to nurture, to train, to educate, to rear. As daughters of Eve, all women are uniquely gifted to help others in their lives become more of who they truly are – to encourage, nurture, and mother them towards their true selves. In doing this, women partner with Christ in the vital mission of bringing forth life.”
– Stasi Eldredge, Captivating
Happy Mother’s Day to all the woman of FancyLittleThings! Those who read us, those who support & encourage us, those who inspire us, those who help us to become more of who we truly are, those who have mothered us. Thank you!
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