Thursday, October 4, 2012

Mama Perfection



I truly love my network of mom friends. I honestly think I would have gone insane long ago without them. Whether they are texting me advice or sending me wonderful articles they are always there for me. I received two spot-on articles this week. The first from my friend Sarah about Why Women should stop trying to be perfect. I have had a hard time with the work/life balance and just this week when presented with a chance to have more hours back at home I was stunned. Less work? What will I do? Should I try to do this, try to make up for it with that. It didn't even occur to me to do nothing. And then there is the perfection we try to achieve socially. When I walk out of the door in my pajamas and acne covered face to run to the Teeter, I am insanely embarrassed. Shouldn't I look like Heidi Klum or Bachelorette Emily? Moms in Charlotte don't always look disheveled, typically they look put together in their workout outfits and makeup.

The second article The Mom Stays in the Picture was sent to me by my friend Erin and I am completely guilty of this. There are next to no pictures of me snoozing on the couch with F or changing his diaper, bathing him...etc. I was always in my glasses with my hair piled on top of my head and in nursing tanks. I have a 5-head instead of a forehead and I hate pictures of myself with my hair up. I was picked on in Middle and High School and told I was short, had a "Neverending" forehead, and that I had fat knees. This is all true. And at 32 I STILL see these things and wish I could change them.

So today, in this image-driven society we live in..I'm going to quit. I'm going to quit picking on myself and stay in the picture. I'm going to take a deep breath and relax. My OCD makes me slightly neurotic on top of trying to achieve perfection so this will be a hard battle but at the end of the day, F could care less if his Birthday Party had monogrammed koozies.  This will not be easy with my personality so maybe I will still make itineraries as my form of therapy, but when I type them up I will not wear makeup. :)

To start...here are some pictures of F and I that most people have never seen.

Is there anything cuter than a sleeping baby??

Hospital for his "Febrile Illness" 105 and no clue why.

Mama sick with Mastitis


Ear Tubes! (Early Morning hair)

Snuggle-bug. No, I don't sleep with him in my bed, this is early morning after he woke up

My peanut. Ah, these pictures are making me want to go steal him from Daycare!

xoxo

5 comments:

  1. I absolutely adore this post. I find myself trying too hard sometimes...to do too much, to be too much, etc. When everything gets too hectic, my Mississippian father always says, "It's time to let the loose end drag." I love that...reminds me that I can't do everything and I shouldn't always try to!

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  2. Funny, I just read that second article today too. It motivated me.
    Great pictures.

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  3. Awwww love these pics!! You are a great mama!!

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  4. Those photos are fabulous!! And "comparison is the thief of joy" is one of my favorite sayings ...

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