"Mama's On Maternity Leave" Guest Post: Featuring CAMILLE

Hello!

My name is Camille and I am one of the sisters who blogs at SixSistersStuff.com. I am so excited to be here today . . . not only because I love Aleisha, but because that darling baby girl of hers is also my NIECE!

That's right . . . Mama Leisha and I are sisters!

Sometimes we tease that Aleisha is the 7th sister that we don't talk about . . . ha ha! But we are really just in-laws (I married Aleisha's cute brother).

Anyway, enough with the family tree talk . . .

Now that Aleisha has had her third child, I wanted to talk about my third child.

Bear with me because I am not an eloquent writer like Leish. I usually only post recipes, so getting up close and personal like this isn't the norm for me!

Introducing Taylor Joy:

This little sweetie just turned 1 year old. 

She is probably the most easy-going baby you will ever meet.

And she fits her name perfectly- she has brought so much joy into my life and into our family.

It's amazing how much a little person can rock your entire world . . .

And as hard as having kids is, it's also the greatest blessing in my life.

To be completely honest, Taylor is actually my fourth child.

About 2 years before she was born, I lost a baby girl a couple of months into my pregnancy.

The story behind that pregnancy was miraculous- I shouldn't have ever have gotten pregnant. We didn't want to be pregnant. We were doing everything we could to prevent pregnancy.

And yet, by some crazy miracle, it happened.

And I don't care who you are- the second you see that positive pregnancy test, that baby is yours and you are a mother.

Losing that baby just a couple months into the pregnancy was devastating.

Coming home from the hospital without a sweet baby swaddled in a blanket was one of the most low  and empty days in my entire life- there is no other way to describe it. It was heartbreaking.

The weeks and months that followed were pretty crazy. I had some complications with the miscarriage and blood loss and then they discovered a blood clot in my leg, along with diseased veins that wouldn't have been able to support me through my pregnancy. After two surgeries and lots of doctor appointments, they told me that I was in the clear to try again for a baby (even though they didn't recommend it . . . but who listens to doctors anyway?! Ha ha!).

Fast forward a year and a couple months and sweet baby Tay was part of our family . . . and life has been so crazy and hectic ever since!

However, everyday that I see her sweet smile or squeeze those chubby thighs, I am reminded of how precious she really is and how precious motherhood is. Every sleepless night is worth it. Every poopy diaper is just fine. Every spilled cup of milk or bookshelf that she has emptied is really not a big deal. 

My parenting style has changed a lot from my first child to my third- I have learned to not sweat the small stuff, but rather enjoy this crazy journey of motherhood and appreciate those hectic times and even be so grateful for the chaos! I have learned not to not care if my baby's outfit doesn't have a matching bow or cute shoes. Heck- Taylor is lucky if she has clean clothes on! :)

When Aleisha asked me to guest post on her blog, she said to share something that I have learned from being a mom. I have learned so many things, but lately, I have really been reflecting on how the joy in motherhood comes from little moments. There will be chaos and craziness, tears of frustration and times when you want to throw in the towel . . . and yet through all those hard times, there will be these little moments of joy and happiness. 

It's those little moments that make it all worth it.

So bring on the booger noses and the sibling fights;

bring on the mom jeans and the stretch marks.

Those little moments are what keep me going.

And I wouldn't trade them for anything!