This past week as I showered and kept peeking out to check on my 7-week-old while my 2-year old was safely baby-gated in the room across the hall, I stopped and thought of moms everywhere. Embracing their chaos.

What a time we are in when we have littles.

Often we’re feeling physically and emotionally fizzled out, experiencing a sense of fullness and emptiness at the same time. Feeling insanely tired at the start of every day, powered by numerous cups of cold coffee, and trying to navigate a pocketful of new emotions as they often nail us straight in the face (sometimes literally, because TODDLERS).

Here’s to the moms who rarely shower in peace. Instead, they are constantly checking their newborns breathing and making sure their toddlers aren’t destroying everything in sight. The ones who literally hear their babies call out for Mommy over and over and hurriedly bathe and throw shampoo in their hair, often finding unrinsed shampoo residue lagging behind. Isn’t that the new look anyway?

Here’s to the moms who barely slept the night before because they were cluster feeding newborns or tending to snotty-nosed and hacking toddlers. The moms who assured their toddlers that the “mean dreams” were gone and they should snuggle up to momma to feel safe once again.

Here’s to the moms who spend their days scrubbing dirty dishes, tending to baby-vomit covered laundry and toddler dirt-stained shirts. What was the original color of that shirt, anyway?

Here’s to the moms who try to plan creative and healthy meals for their picky eaters. The moms constantly picking up mountains of drool-covered toys and finding toddler booger surprises in WAY too many places. Really, the baseboards?

Here’s to the moms who are striving, behind-closed-doors, to work on themselves and make time for Jesus, work projects, and try, ever-so-difficultly to continue dreaming their own dreams, even when the time to achieve those dreams seems out of reach.

Here’s to the mom who is trying, often unsuccessfully, to have conversations with her husband without a toddler or baby screaming in the background. The one who craves just that second of raw connection with him, knowing in her heart that the passion is still there and the fire hasn’t completely fizzled out.

Here’s to the moms who are still rocking that mom bod and extra pounds because of the trauma their bodies experienced birthing those little souls. The ones who feel insecure and just dying to get back into those flattering blue skinny jeans and leopard print top again. Oooohhhlala.

Here’s to the moms who battle baby blues or postpartum depression, feeling the need to be perfect in an imperfect world. The moms who feel ashamed for just praying for a minute alone to breathe, inhale a Little Debbie brownie, cry, or just be.

Here’s to the mom who feels lost in the trenches, drowning in self-doubt, often crying for just seconds at a time, feeling like a failure. Knowing she is blessed, but overwhelmed with where the minutes went in the day. Or how fast her children are growing.

Here’s to the mom who promises that she will never give up. Because her children and her husband are her entire world.

I see you, mommas.

I am you, momma.

Let’s support and encourage all moms in this crazy journey of motherhood.

May we give “Girl, you are awesome” power nods and fist bumps as we pass one another in the grocery store during a toddler meltdown.

May we avoid the thief of joy—comparison—and know that every mother is fighting her own battles.

May we all do our best, each and every day, to raise humans who can make this crazy world a better place simply by being in it.

You can do this, momma.

Grab that Little Debbie brownie you’re gonna inhale as you vacuum crushed Cheerios, brew a fresh cup of coffee, and keep raising and loving on those beautiful little humans. You are their world and you are raising world changers.

Originally published on the author’s blog

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