Mud Pies & Minivans: The Beautiful Balancing Act of Being Mommy

Just starting to settle in to being the mom of 4 under 4 years old. Thoughts? I am absolutely in love with these lil' ladies! Adley fits right in & it seems like she has been around forever. Life before her is now a very distance memory. Being a mother is the greatest honor I have experienced by far & I DO NOT take it lightly.

Aidann is definitely "Miss Helpful". She wants to go grab bottles, diapers, bibs, wipes, & so forth. She has even dared to take on a poopie diaper (Those fabulous newborn yellow tinted ones), without so much as flinching & mommy obviously close by. Mentally this child has always seemed like an "old soul", so wise & grown-up for her age, but she has taken it to a whole knew level with this baby. Sometimes her insight & tender heart even has me stopping in my tracks, jaw wide open. Other times that same innocent insight has me rolling on the floor laughing. Like back at my last Dr. appointment she saw a poster of the inside of a woman's anatomy hanging on the wall & asked, "What is that?". As often as we can we try to keep it real with our kids so we told her what it was. She then proceeded to tilt her head to the left & then the right with an inquisitive look on her face before proceeding to ask, "Why does that vagina have ears?" (ovaries, lol). I just couldn't contain myself.

Asher has completely taken on the roll as "Mini Mama". She has always been a lil' mothering, but it has definitely gone to brand new heights since Adley's birth. She wants to look after, take care of, everyone. Its definitely not a know-it-all attitude, but she is honestly a mini-me not just in looks now. I watch her play with her baby dolls & she does & says everything I do & say. She even holds her baby on her hip as she "tries to talk to daddy on the phone & make lunch", lol. She is constantly around Adley ready to meet any of her needs or protect her if she feels needed. She loves kissing her, holding her, & feeding her bottles. She also tries to mother Austin more by feeding her from her own plate with her spoon (so cute). She also tries to innocently mother me. After I set their food on the table, "Your turn to eat mommy so you can make food for Addy Bear". Lol.

Austin, my lil' firecracker, suddenly became very quiet & observant the first 2 or 3 days after the new baby arrived. She was so quiet that I really missed her loud & expressive self. We made sure to give her that extra attention & love that she might have needed for a lil' reassurance those first few days until suddenly our lil' spark plug was back on the scene. She adores Adley & is so intrigued by her. First thing she does when she wakes up is ask for "Addy Baby". As soon as Adley lets out so much as a peep, soon after Austin Rose will come around the corner with a binky loudly saying "Go, go, go!" (translation: "Here you go"). She also loves to just look at the baby & laugh. I have been so blessed not to see any sign of jealously from her which makes us definitely go that extra mile to show Austin a lil' bit of extra love & attention wherever we can.

Juggling 4 has not been too bad. Meeting all of their basic needs is definitely do-able if you plan ahead has much as possible (pre-pack diaper bags & set out outfits the night before, start on lunches & dinner prep a lil' sooner than you normally would, etc.), when everyone simultaneously needs something just take a deep breath & "attack" 1 thing at a time (starting from most urgent need first & working your way down. "How do you eat an elephant? 1 bite at a time"), & don't psych yourself out (if you are going to have to go out somewhere by yourself with all the kids, don't over think it & stress yourself out about all the things that could happen. Just do it, you can do it!).

The emotion that swept over me right when I finished giving birth this time was, "Now I have 4 beautiful lives I am responsible for!". What a huge job. The thought of anything happening to 1 of these precious gifts honestly brought me to tears. The first 2 or 3 nights, I tossed & turned just thinking about it. My heart was now stretched to being thoroughly head over heels in love with 4 lil' ladies & my husband & I felt overwhelmed at the thought of their safety & well-being ever being threatened. But soon I also came to the realization that I have never been the 1 solely responsible for caring & looking after my great family? Thank goodness He has it all under control so I can just enjoy life & cast my cares on Him.

Meeting the emotional needs of 4 under 4 years old, to me, is way more of a challenging task than getting all your kids fed or dressed from day to day. I am definitely having to become even more creative to find the time to make some 1 on 1 time happen for each child. When it is time to feed Adley, I will call 1 kid over to sit in my lap & help hold the bottle or bring over a book so I can read to them special. If Daddy or I have to run a quick errand we try to take 1 kid with us so they can get a some 1 on 1. Sometimes letting a child know that they are important just takes you noticing something wonderful they have done & simply acknowledging it or just listening to what they have to say.

Making a place for quality time with your significant other also takes some prioritizing, especially as you add more kids into the equation. But that 1 on 1 with your husband is vital to a marriage & will help in making you a better team, parenting together. As a mommy we tend to make it all about the kids 24/7, but our husbands need us to hang up that hat from time to time & give them the attention they also need (not just physically).

You are also important. Your health, happiness, & sanity will help contribute to making you a better wife & mother. Take time out for you & don't feel guilty about it. What do they say, "If mommy isn't happy than nobody is happy!".

After just giving birth & midnight feedings I definitely do not always feel like getting up & dragging out the watercolors or doing a cooking project, but children are SO worth it. What an honor to be able to shape these lil' lives. I know not every day is going to run perfectly & I might not always be able to squeeze everything in, but that is why we are so blessed to get a fresh new start the following day-a clean slate.

I am definitely enjoying the present, but also so looking forward to what lays ahead for our expanding family. :)

-M&M Momma