I'm a Mommy!

Hello friends! It's been quite a while since I've posted a baby blog (I think it was before Lucia was born), and I have a really great excuse: I'm a mommy!

Those words still sound a little strange...I think I always wanted to be a mommy, but now that I am, I can hardly believe it. Part of me still feels like a little kid, when the only mom I knew well was my own mother.

I have two statements that I believe sum up my feelings about motherhood the best: 1) Being a mother is wonderful. 2) Being a mother is really, really, really hard work. Moms of the world, how do you do it? You're all saints. Being a mom is much more difficult than I imagined! I think it's especially challenging because we see so many great moms out there who make it look so easy. It's kind of like when Albert Pujols hits a home run. You think, hey, that doesn't look so hard!

Anyway, back to statement #1. Being a mother is wonderful. I can't chronicle all the events of the past 5 months here (it's hard to believe that Lucia is going to be 5 months old in just a few days), but it's been so wonderful to see her grow and develop a little bit every day. Some of the most rewarding things have been seeing Lucia smile, giggle, and look straight into my eyes. Sometimes she's so cute it hurts!

When I am struggling in my new vocation to motherhood, I try to think of Jesus' mother, Mary. I feel much closer to her than I ever have before. Also, this Christmas has been very special because I feel much closer to the newborn Christ. I can understand just a little bit better what it means that God became a tiny baby for us.

I also understand much more concretely the divine wisdom in how God designed families. I couldn't persevere without my God-given helpmate, Joel! Lucia needs her dad just as much as she needs her mom. Our marriage has definitely grown stronger through the birth of Lucia, although I've found that it takes more work to be sure that we're on the right track.

I hope to post blogs much more often. A new resolution here in Steindom is that I'll have 15 minutes every day when Joel will hold Lucia and I can have a little free time. 15 minutes may not seem like much, but I'm excited about this little break in the day.

Until then, I hope you're having a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year. We're excited about what God has in store for 2007!