Tag: Parenting

Best life, Motherhood

Take three slow breaths.

by laurenwesley62804 Comments on Take three slow breaths.
Take three slow breaths.

A wise leadership coach once told my team at work and me no matter what our day looked like, no matter how tired we were, how stressed we were, how hungry we were, or how annoyed we were with our day, to take THREE . SLOW . BREATHS . before walking in the door when we got home.

Since I work form home, for me it was actually three slow breaths before I walked OUT the door of my home office and into the rest of our home. When I learned about this practice, it was before we had kids. It was just Dustin, Coop (our dog) and me. I think it’s even more important once you have a family. But, the reason for doing it was the same then as it is now: to stop, transition from hectic day, and approach the people you love as the person you most want to be. Not as the tired version. Not as the stressed version. Not the hangry version of yourself. But, as the one your loved ones signed up to share their lives with. To show up as the best version of you.

So, I did it back then. Three slow breaths before I finished work and joined Dustin in out in the kitchen. I showed up with a smile. I showed up with energy. I consciously showed up without complaining about whatever stressed me out that day. I tried, when I remembered at least, to show up consciously as the best version of me.

Flash forward to present day, and this is more important than ever. For many of us, we’re parents now. And, when we walk in the door, it’s not just to our partner. But, it’s to our family. Our people. Our teeny tiny tribe. The ones who call us “Mom.” And, because of that, I’m doing it again: Three. Slow. Breaths. before I walk in the door. I had lost touch with this practice for a while. But, it’s back because I want to show up for them. It’s back because walking through that door with positive energy, will lead to positive vibes for everyone. At dinnertime. At bath time. At bedtime. It sets the tone for the whole routine. It sets the tone for the night.

And, the night may seem like just one night. But, when you really think about it, we live that night every night. And, those repeat nights become our life.

After all, life is not about big things. It’s not the birthday parties, or the vacations, or the long weekends at the lake. It’s not the days at the zoo, or Paw Patrol Live shows, or anything else big, cool, or monumental that we do together. The moments that make up our lives are the things we do repeatedly. The moments that happen over and over, day after day, night after night. These are the moments ARE our life. So, with that, I’m going to show up.

I’m not going to get it right every time. I’m not going to be perfect. But, I am going to try. Because as much as all the other stuff matters…. What matters the most is how I show up for my family. What matters are the moments with them. So, moving forward, night after night, I will take those three. slow. breaths. I will SHOW UP as my very best me.

So, before you head home from work, or your work out, or errands, from volunteering out of the house. Before you come home from whatever it is, try the three.slow. breaths. ❤ I hope it works for you, like it has for me before.

xoxo,

Lauren

And, P.S. Dustin does this so well too. Better than I do, and I admire him for it. Hence the pic on instagram sending you here for the read.

Motherhood

For the first time mamas.

by laurenwesley6280Leave a Comment on For the first time mamas.
For the first time mamas.


This is one of my favorite pictures, but I never shared it…. mainly because I’m wearing Costco Christmas pajamas in the middle of summer and my glasses are out of style. 🤣

But, I was with a group of girlfriends recently, and when I asked a new mom how life with a newborn was, she said it was good, but that “no one talks about that it’s hard.” And, she‘s right.

We all post our pretty pictures. Our smiling babies. Our letter boards. But not enough of us talk about the rest. So, here I am sharing a photo from the newborn stage, and saying IT IS HARD! This picture is one of my favorites, but it’s also of a time when I was exhausted.

And, while I love a beautiful Instagram feed as much as the next gal, here’s some real life stuff to go along with my real life picture: Nursing was really hard for me with Jack. And, pumping was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Sleepless nights made me crabby, and my hormones were out of whack. I think I had postpartum depression after my first baby, but didn’t know it at the time. And, while it almost seems like taboo to admit it, teeny tiny babies were hard on our marriage. Why does no one talk about that? It was a time when I was covered in spit up, and blowout diapers, and spilled milk that I would – for real – cry over. A time when I’d be awake at 3am searching google when the rest of the world seemingly was asleep. And, it was a time when I sometimes felt isolated… even though I now know there was a tribe of other moms out there, going through the same things.

I share this today to say to other mamas out there, you are not alone. ❤️ There is so much joy in motherhood. So much love. So much good. We all share that on Instagram all the time. But also know, in the middle of the night, when you’re holding that baby, exhausted, you are not alone. There are other mamas out there doing that exact same thing, even if their Instagram feed only shows that smiling picture in the morning. ❤️👊🏻 And, for the record, you’re doing AWESOME, mama. People don’t say that enough.