Keeping it real.

I stumbled upon a blogger message board last week. The topic of discussion was if mommy bloggers are “real” and do they make other moms feel crappy about themselves. At first I was stunned to read this. There were HUNDREDS of comments. One person said that some new moms blame the “my-life-is-perfect bloggers” for their own post-partum depression. So which is it: are mommy bloggers really that happy or is it all just for show??

I’ve been thinking about this non-stop and I see it from both sides.

On the one hand, blogging is a sort of ‘highlight reel’ from someone’s life. Lately I’ve seen a lot of “WHY I BLOG” posts from other people. Why do people need to justify why they blog? I don’t get it. Do what you want. I blog for my family…and that’s it. Sure, I’ve been given some fun opportunities, but whether you all were reading this or not…it would still be the same. I want to document our journey. End of story.

I say all this because I believe MOST people want to remember the fun stuff. The good stuff. The happy memories. Why would bloggers spend all their time documenting and writing about really bad days, meltdowns, fights, etc? What’s the point in that? Why air out dirty laundry for the world to see?

I’ve tried my best to be transparent and genuine on this blog. I talk about the good and the bad sometimes. Motherhood is many different things. It’s rewarding, it’s fun, it’s special. But it’s also REALLY HARD WORK. There are no days off. No weekends. No holidays. This blog is a place to document it all.

Readers, I HOPE DEEP DOWN that none of you compare yourselves to me or any other blogger you see out there. What you are reading is real, but it’s not the whole picture. Do I write about family issues, work drama, sex life, fights, grudges, or the really boring days? NO! Why would I share on my blog what some of my closest friends don’t even know? I hope this is making sense.

But I see the other side. There is a lot of pressure on moms.

I’ve felt the pressure too! To be super mom. To have a 100% natural birth. To breastfeed for a full year or more. To lose the baby weight quickly. To keep the house clean. To involve Tinsley in one hundred activities. To read her a book every single day. To not use Nick Jr. as a babysitter while making dinner. To wash my face and get dressed in the morning. To be more crafty. To cloth diaper. To make organic baby food. To SHAVE MY FREAKING LEGS and always look polished.

I’ve failed at almost all of those. But now that I am a mom, 7+ months going strong, I just don’t care anymore. THIS IS ME. Will my next birth be all natural? I have no idea and I’m not going to worry about it.

Sometimes women will email me. They ask questions, ask for advice, look for answers. And I am always 100% real with them about my own experiences. Life sucks sometimes. Relationships are hard. People let you down. You let yourself down. But there is so. much. good. So much to be thankful for!

Do I have a wonderful life? Yes I do. It’s not about the people I know, the things we have, where we live, or what we do. It’s about love. Matt & Tinsley are the reason I have a wonderful life. We could be living on an island eating crab and coconuts and I would be just as happy and fulfilled.

So where am I going with this?

Moving forward I will make a conscious effort to always keep it real on this blog and maybe show even more of the “not so fun” moments that come our way. There will always be quirky stories, cute pictures, product recommendations, and the occasional opinionated post. I will share my faith. I will ask you to pray for people or read a funny article about some crazy mom in Idaho. And one day, when I’m good and ready, I will stop blogging altogether.

I promise to keep it real. Promise me you’ll do the same. Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Be the best mom you can be for YOUR family. And realize that every.single.person has troubles in their life whether you see them or not.

In the spirit of being real, let’s take a look at fussy Tinsley:

Is it terrible that I recorded this? Probably. But she was in such a weird mood! After a nice, long nap it was time for dinner. She ate a few peas and then got really angry for no apparent reason.

So this is what a snotty, pea-covered, angry baby looks like. Just a typical Thursday afternoon.