Signs you are a new mom

1. You have made peace with the fact that nothing short of a barber's cape will keep you from getting spit up on your clothes.
2. You no longer wear earrings.
3. Your nails haven't had a good manicure since the baby arrived.
4. You haven't turned on your alarm clock in months.
5. Your adult conversations focus on poo.
6. The diaper bag is now your purse.
7. Your memory card is always full.
8. Your living room is now full of baby equipment.
9. Eating a meal uninterupted is a luxury.
10. Your hair is a mess but your heart is full.

Heartache

How is it that those we love most deeply, who even share DNA with us, can cut us the deepest? I learned the hard way a long time ago that people come into your lives for a season. Someone I love has chosen to walk away from our family. It hurts me that this person is hurting not only me but all my family members as well. I know the mistake is huge and yet there is nothing I can do in my power to stop it. At times I want to yell and others simply cry. I long for connection and when I reach for it, I am iced out. I thought family was forever- isn't that what all the cards say? My guess is that after some time has passed this person will come back like the prodigal who lost his way. But what about all the things in between the departure and the homecoming? Moments my son is having he will never have again. Memories being made without that person's presence. Can you get over a cut this deep? Is it possible to close a chapter on a loved one and move on? I don't think so. I think my only option is that of the prodigal son's father. Pray every day for the homecoming and when it happens stretch out my arms in a welcoming embrace.