A Gift for Mom! 🤍

Right Now, These Kids Are All Mine—And That’s All I Need

4 Minute Read

By Casey Huff

Mother with 3 kids — Image via Highway Ten Photography

My kids gave me a run for my money today.

There were lots of fights. Lots of tears. Lots of not listening. Lots of He touched mes and She took my toys. Lots of tantruming and wildness and negotiating.

By the time my husband arrived home from work I was done. I excused myself to our bedroom for a little bit of alone time while he ate with the kids, just so I could hear myself think.

So I could breathe.

I need those refreshes often in this phase of life, I’m finding.

But later, after three bedtime stories and three forehead kisses, I sat in the stillness of the kids’ room listening to their breathing grow deeper. And just like every other night, the sight of them sweetly tucked in and peaceful stirred an overwhelming wave of gratitude within me.

For all of its hard, messy exhaustion, I have to believe this season truly is the sweet spot.

RELATED: Motherhood is a Repeated Offering of Love

Because these babies? Right now, they’re mine.

I take that for granted so often I’m ashamed to admit it.

I look forward to the days of less needing and more independence. I salivate over the thought of being able to sit and drink my hot coffee in peace while they sleep in until 10.

I’m exhausted. The kids rarely all sleep through the night . . . so neither do I.

I’m knee-deep in potty training—which is pretty much the bane of my parenting existence.

My ratio of adult conversation to kid conversation is way skewed in favor of long philosophical discussions about Mayor Goodway’s pet chicken in Paw Patrol.

I have neglected myself and my needs for so long I’ve almost forgotten what they even are.

I feel undervalued and unappreciated, even if it’s all in my head.

I am touched out, overwhelmed, and tired.

But even so, right now these kids are mine—and there’s a lot to be said for that.

Right now, we fall asleep under the same roof every single night.

RELATED: Lord, Please Don’t Let Me Forget

Right now, the worst choices they make are to yank sister’s doll from her hands or smack brother on the head, or yell, “no!” in utter, toddler-like defiance.

They aren’t navigating broken hearts.

They aren’t overwhelmed with peer pressure.

They aren’t battling mental illness.

They aren’t dabbling in dangerous experimentation.

I don’t toss them the car keys and pray they’ll return to me in one piece.

I don’t lay awake across town . . . across the state . . . across the world from them and wonder if they’re making good life choices.

I don’t worry about them every second of every day, because for now they’re here in my arms.

RELATED: Today I’ll Hold You Close

So yes, this season is hard. And I think that’s OK to say out loud.

It’s OK to feel beaten down and exhausted.

It’s OK to feel frustrated.

It’s OK to not enjoy every moment.

It’s OK to wonder how the years fly by so quickly when some days draggggg on.

But tonight I’m so, so very thankful to have these babies right here with me invading my space, driving me a bit insane, and asking me to love them with everything I’ve got.

It won’t always be this way—one day I’ll have to turn them over to the world and pray they’ll be OK—but for now they’re mine.

Thank God for that.

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!

Casey Huff

Casey is Creative Director for Her View From Home. She's mom to three amazing kiddos and wife to a great guy. It's her mission as a writer to shed light on the beauty and chaos of life through the lenses of motherhood, marriage, and mental health. To read more, go hang out with Casey at: Facebook: Casey Huff Instagram: @casey.e.huff

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

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

Letting You Go Is Still So Hard

In: Grown Children, Motherhood

Nothing really prepares you for the day your child leaves the house. Last September, my husband and I moved our 18-year-old son into his dorm room. Right after that, he was swept away into all things orientation, and we began our 1,000-mile journey back home. Leaving this beautiful human I raised and spent all those years with felt foreign. During our final hug goodbye, despite trying to hold in my pain, I broke out in huge, ugly, guttural tears. Our drive home was a long two days. It took every fiber of my being not to turn around. Returning to...

Keep Reading

Behind Every Smiling Graduate Is a Mother Letting Go

In: Grown Children, Motherhood

Every year, millions of American families send their children off to their freshman year of college. Their pictures dot our social media feeds. Images of excited students holding collegiate pennants, maybe wearing a hat or holding up their school’s hand sign with beaming smiles. Their parents post excited words about futures and hopes and dreams. One chapter closing. Another opening. A new beginning. So why am I struggling so much? Why does this feel more like a loss than a gain? Why are my tears always on edge, threatening to spill over each time I think about August and what...

Keep Reading

Life Lessons from My Grown Children

In: Faith, Motherhood

“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” – Rabindranath Tagore Quietly communing with a loved one in the early morning hours is such an intimate and precious time. Visiting with one’s grown child when all is dark and still is one of life’s purest pleasures. I remember the conversation clearly. My daughter’s husband, small children, and father were all asleep as we whispered and chatted. She and I are both fidgeters by nature, unable to be still for long. This inner restlessness must be remedied, and we are compelled by biology to...

Keep Reading

As a Medical Mom, I Measure Growth Differently

In: Kids, Motherhood

In most homes, the marks on the wall are a simple celebration of time passing. They are pencil lines that track how many inches a child has gained since their last birthday. But in our home, those marks represent a much deeper, more complex story. When your child lives with multiple hormone deficiencies, growth is never just “natural”—it is a carefully managed medical achievement. However, as any medical mom knows, the story doesn’t end at the top of the head. It begins deep inside, with a tiny gland that isn’t sending the right signals. Having multiple hormone deficiencies is often...

Keep Reading

Hannah Harper Is Every Mom with Babies in Her Arms and a Dream In Her Heart

In: Living, Motherhood

Hannah Harper American Idol winner sings with her young son on her lap

By now, you’ve probably seen the posts flooding your feed: A young mom. Three little boys. A guitar strap embroidered with her children’s drawings. And a crown. When Hannah Harper won American Idol this week, moms everywhere erupted. And honestly? Same. There is something collective about watching a stay-at-home mom win on such a large stage. The celebrations have been pouring in. Moms, we can do it. She didn’t abandon her dreams. She went for it. And all of that is true, and all of that is worth celebrating. But I want to add something to the celebration. Not to...

Keep Reading

I Was Four the First Time My Innocence Was Stolen

Living

I Was Four the First Time My Innocence Was Stolen

My Wife is a Teacher and This Year is Going to Be Hard

Tough Times

Right Now, These Kids Are All Mine—And That’s All I Need

I need those refreshes often in this phase of life, I’m finding.

RELATED: Motherhood is a Repeated Offering of Love

But even so, right now these kids are mine—and there’s a lot to be said for that.

RELATED: Lord, Please Don’t Let Me Forget

RELATED: Today I’ll Hold You Close

But tonight I’m so, so very thankful to have these babies right here with me invading my space, driving me a bit insane, and asking me to love them with everything I’ve got.

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

Casey Huff

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

The Invisible Pain after IVF Stops

The Final Out

These Holy Small Things

The Pressure to Do Everything “Right” Is Crushing Us

Letting You Go Is Still So Hard

Behind Every Smiling Graduate Is a Mother Letting Go

Life Lessons from My Grown Children

As a Medical Mom, I Measure Growth Differently

Hannah Harper Is Every Mom with Babies in Her Arms and a Dream In Her Heart

Get It Now

So God Made a Mother

Right Now, These Kids Are All Mine—And That’s All I Need

I need those refreshes often in this phase of life, I’m finding.

But even so, right now these kids are mine—and there’s a lot to be said for that.

But tonight I’m so, so very thankful to have these babies right here with me invading my space, driving me a bit insane, and asking me to love them with everything I’ve got.

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

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

The Invisible Pain after IVF Stops

The Final Out

These Holy Small Things

The Pressure to Do Everything “Right” Is Crushing Us

Letting You Go Is Still So Hard

Behind Every Smiling Graduate Is a Mother Letting Go

Life Lessons from My Grown Children

As a Medical Mom, I Measure Growth Differently

Hannah Harper Is Every Mom with Babies in Her Arms and a Dream In Her Heart

Previous Post

Next Post

You May Also Like