A Gift for Mom! 🤍

My sweet child, when I found out I was pregnant with you, I knew life would change dramatically. I knew pregnancy would be tough, labor painful, and motherhood exhausting. I knew I would love my little human a lot and that he would bring boundless joy into our lives. But one thing I never knew was simply how much I never knew.

I never knew someone could need sautéed asparagus until that middle of the night craving.

I never knew one month could last for an eternity until I was 36-weeks pregnant.

I never knew I would miss being kicked in the ribs and awoken in the middle of the night to baby wiggles until you were no longer in my belly.

I never knew I was strong enough to endure labor until you put me through 43 hours of it.

I never knew I could miss someone I’d only met that day until they took you away while I was in recovery.

I never knew the deep sense of privilege and responsibility that comes from someone trusting me entirely for everything until they placed your helpless body in my arms.

I never knew the darkness of postpartum depression until we were fighting against it.

RELATED: Postpartum Depression is a Liar and a Thief

I never knew how unprepared I was until my perfect parenting strategy plan failed in the first week.

I never knew how expensive diapers were until you went through a million and a half of them in a single day.

I never knew how many clothes we had until I no longer had the time to do laundry and I saw the huge mound of dirty clothes.

I never knew how many Google images there are of poop until I found myself searching “Is this normal newborn poop color?”

I never knew I could be so immensely proud of a person just for rolling over until I was cheering you on. 

I never knew I could run on so little sleep until you tested me during the long nights of teething or sickness.

I never knew how a baby’s laugh could cheer the darkest day until your belly laugh filled our house.

RELATED: I Don’t Love Every Moment of Motherhood, But I Love Being Their Mom

I never knew how dirty my floors were until you started crawling and tried to eat every tiny speck of dust you found.

I never knew how a mama’s heart explodes when their baby learns to give kisses until you soaked my cheeks with them.

I never knew how bittersweet it would be to watch you take your first step until my heart both soared with pride and twisted with sorrow that you were no longer a baby.

I never knew how many lines we could make up for “Wheels on the Bus” until it became your favorite song.

I never knew how terrifying it was to have something medically wrong with my child until I was sobbing in the surgery waiting room.

I never knew how fast time goes by until I was celebrating your first birthday.

I never knew that footsteps could be my favorite sound until I heard your clumsy toddler trot running down the hall.

I never knew how precious post-nap cuddles were until your fuzzy head was nestled against my neck.

I never knew how hilarious a person blowing their nose was until your uncontainable laugh filled the sanctuary every time you heard a nose blown in church.

RELATED: To the Distracted Mom at Church: it’s Worth it

I never knew how fast a 2-foot-tall person could run until you found something you weren’t supposed to have.

I never knew the simplicity of forgiveness until you gave me a hug after I lost my patience with you.

I never knew how much I could learn from such a tiny person.

I never knew how completely someone could take over my heart. I never knew that a child could forever become a piece of me. I never knew how much brighter my life would be.

I never knew . . . until I knew you.

So God Made a Grandmother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Order Now!

Brianna Forsman

Brianna is a stay-at-home mom to three young, energetic, and personality-packed kiddos. As a former preschool teacher, she is a Pixar enthusiast, eats way too many Goldfish crackers, and prefers socks with characters on them (generally mismatched because who really has time to pair socks?). She has loved writing for as long as she can remember, and she always strives to write authentic, humorous, and encouraging pieces. Her greatest passion is to write in a way that supports young moms and reminds them they're not alone in the battles and triumphs of this beautiful road of motherhood.

The Hardest Part of Divorce Is Being Away from My Kids

In: Living, Marriage, Motherhood
Woman in driver's seat

I’ve written several times about how divorce has allowed me to find myself again, and how that version is even better than the one I was before I was married. All of that is still true. I am happier than I’ve ever been. More confident and sure of myself. I understand my emotions and how to handle myself when things get tough or scary. I am more grounded and calm than I’ve ever been. Truly, I have come out on top. I’ve received comments about how happy I look, how I’m “living my best life with kids only half the...

Keep Reading

I May Let Go of the Baby Things, but I’ll Hold the Memories Forever

In: Baby, Motherhood
Woman looking through closet of baby items

It’s easy to think of multiple sayings and mottos about how invaluable earthly possessions are. “It’s not what you have, but who you share it with” “Worry less about things and more about experiences” “Who cares what you have, you can’t take it with you when you go” And trust me, I know these to be true. I am not a hoarder of hotel pens or mini shampoo bottles or every receipt and coaster from my favorite restaurants. I don’t care much for name-brand shoes or designer purses, yet there are a few things I just can’t easily let go...

Keep Reading

Mom Showed Us Love that Lasts

In: Motherhood
Vintage photo of mother and three young kids

We moved a few years ago, and we had a closet that needed some reworking. In doing so, my husband found some old photos. He pulled out an album that held this vintage photo of my mom, my sisters, and me. It was probably circa 1983 when prints were made from Kodak. I actually don’t remember seeing the photo before. But I love it. In the photo, my mother’s eyes are shut with a blink because those were the days when blinks weren’t edited. It’s beautiful, and I can’t stop thinking about the captured connection. She was showing us something...

Keep Reading

This Is How I’m Raising My Sensitive Son

In: Motherhood
Little boy hugs a cat

When I was pregnant with my son, everyone warned me of what was to come. “Just you wait,” they’d say with an underlying schadenfreude, “you’ll never sleep again.” I fully expected sleep-deprived days and long, unrelenting nights, calming my son down from tantrums, trying to keep the peace with my marriage. But I got lucky—my son sleeps through the night, doesn’t throw tantrums, and my marriage is stronger than ever. I didn’t expect that, especially because I struggle with my own mental health and assumed I’d be in the weeds during my postpartum period. Now that my son is almost...

Keep Reading

It’s Time for Us To Start Talking about Menopause

In: Motherhood
Midlife woman selfie

Disclaimer: The information included below is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.   Menopause. Growing up, this was a mysterious subject spoken about in hushed tones. When I approached this transition, I didn’t know what to expect. It began during a dinner with old college friends. Suddenly, I was overcome by heat and nausea. I left early, missing time with friends I rarely see and the beer sampler I ordered. Driving back to the hotel, I realized I had my first major hot flash. This was just the start of unexpected changes. In the following...

Keep Reading

I Didn’t Know You Were My Last Baby When I Had You

In: Baby, Motherhood
Mother holding newborn baby, black and white image

I didn’t know at the time that my last baby would be my last. Those late nights with little sleep. The days that felt so long, yet so full all at the same time. The pain that came with trying to breastfeed and wanting so badly for it to work. Learning who was truly there for you in moments that felt lonely. I didn’t know my body would never feel those first flutters again—or experience the emotional joy of meeting your baby face to face after nine months of waiting. I think that’s why I want so badly to experience...

Keep Reading

The Invisible Pain after IVF Stops

In: Motherhood
Woman holding pregnancy test with head in hands

There is nothing “basic” about stopping IVF and returning to the so-called natural route. There is no guidebook for what comes next. The protocols and procedures that once dictated every step suddenly disappear. The appointments, alarms, and instructions are gone—but the emotions and unknowns remain. There is no protocol for going back to the basics. When we decided to stop IVF and try naturally, I wasn’t prepared for how difficult this next part of our journey would be. During IVF, everything had structure. There were calendars to follow, medications to take at exact times, appointments that filled the weeks. There...

Keep Reading

The Final Out

In: Motherhood
Baseball game as seen through the fence behind home plate

Tonight I watched him step up to the plate for the last time. Play-offs. Single elimination. Down by one. Last inning. Two outs. And the batting lineup just happened to fall to him. Nothing prepares you for that. He took a breath. The weight of an entire lifetime spent in red dirt hinging on this moment. He set his face like flint to that pitcher. The ball left the glove, and he swung. Strike one. He stepped away. Reset. Tapped the base. Then set himself once more. He swung, hit a line drive, and sprinted headlong towards the base, setting...

Keep Reading

These Holy Small Things

In: Faith, Motherhood
Children sewing at machine

My 8-year-old-daughter has recently taken up sewing, to my simultaneous delight and chagrin. My delight because I too love sewing; my chagrin because her enthusiasm often outpaces my own abilities, namely, in the undertaking of tedious projects with no pattern. Take, for example, the cloth doll diaper we designed and stitched up together. Granted, the design was fairly basic to draw up and scale. But the minuscule nature of the work, both for my hands and head, was enough to throw me into existential questioning. It was one of those moments when you wonder how the sum of your life...

Keep Reading

The Pressure to Do Everything “Right” Is Crushing Us

In: Motherhood
Tired and stressed mother sits in hallway with toddler across from her, black and white image

I don’t remember when motherhood started to feel like a test I didn’t study for—but somehow, I’m always convinced I’m failing it. It’s in the quiet moments. Standing in the grocery store aisle, overthinking every label—organic, non-GMO, dye-free, free-range, grass-fed—like I’m one bad decision away from ruining their future…while also trying not to take out a second mortgage just to afford my ever-rising grocery bill. Sitting on the couch, wondering if the show they’re watching or game they’re playing is rotting their brain. Lying in bed at night, replaying the way I handled a meltdown, picking apart every word I...

Keep Reading