Mama Speaks

Migraines are the bane of my existence at this moment.  They rob me of so much...the ability to work out, the ability to run and play with my daughter...the ability to function properly.   I often wonder, when seeing an advertisement for migraine remedies, why do the models look like this... Source Or this... Source And this... Source     Seriously folks, I don't look like any of these lovely ladies on a GOOD migraine-free day, so why on earth would we depict a migraine like this?  It looks somewhat glamorous.  It looks less than painful...more of an irritation or annoyance.  Anyone who suffers any kind of headaches/migraines/tension headaches/cluster headaches/sinus headaches knows that a migraine looks more like this... Source  And this... Source     I swear the next time I'm writhing in excruciating pain, I'm going to have Brandon snap a few photos so that people can see what a migraine really looks like. I fi...

There are some things in life that I feel uncertain about, such as career choices and what purpose I am supposed to be fulfilling.  Most of the time, I have a feeling that my career is not the finite, end-all-be-all of who I am "going to be" when "I grow up." One thing I am certain of is that I always wanted to be a mom, for as far back as I can remember.  Not once did this desire waiver of the many years of my life, selfish teenage years included.  Year after year, I struggled to find someone to love who would love me back, and even when I found Brandon, it was not without many challenges ahead.  All around me, I watched girls become mothers.  Some of them were literally just that-young girls, that despite my love for them as people, were not yet ready to become mothers.  For some of them, motherhood was the best thing that could have happened.  It helped shape them into the people they were, hidden under layers of other "stuff."  Others I've w...

My mom has always told me that I have a story to tell.  A book to write.  Of course, she's my mom so she has to say that.  Incredibly, this spur-of-the-moment blog I created has been well-received.  I wasn't even sure if I was going to put it out there, but I've gotten such encouragement and even praise that I'm driven to continue.  Somehow, my thoughts out there on the 'net have been validated by the people in my life who took a moment to read something I wrote, for whatever reason.  I'm a terrible critic of myself, so it is no wonder I find it surreal to experience such positivity out of the rubble and ashes and ramblings of my exhausted, incoherent mind. Honesty is so important.  This is a lesson I learned from my mom.  Many parents of her generation have detached themselves from sharing who they are with their children.  On the other hand, my mom has told me everything from the tragedies in her life to the greatest joys and triumphs....

I took a day off work to prepare for our garage sale tomorrow.  Actually, both of us did!  We've been meaning to have one, but it seems like we never get around to getting it done.  I am amazed at how many precious baby clothes I am going to sell, but I have saved my very favorites, certain ones I'll probably never part with.  The bad thing about keeping clothes, is you put them safely in a nice bin, and when you take them out-BAM!  There are stains on the clothes that never existed when they were being worn.   Let me get off track here for a second.  I am the queen of laundry, second only to my mother.  Do I get it all done and keep my laundry room empty?  No.  I'm the queen because I can get almost any stain out of almost any item of clothing.  Years of being my mom's understudy has prepared me for any clothing catastrophe to come my way. Back to the point, the clothes get stained magically.  I feel like it is bette...