Mornin’ glories, I’m Kelly.
I have been a stay at home mom for 9 years with who I affectionately call my “spawn” and the time is coming for me to put my youngest down from my arms to let her make her own footprints in the sand. People keep asking me if I am going back to work, what will I do with all my free time or do we plan to have more kids (HA!). And I realize, I have no idea what I want to be anymore.
Throughout the posts on my blog you will read about my life as a special needs mom, a MOPS mom, a Army wife, a advocate, a insecure extrovert and a mom trying to find herself as a person again. I don’t sugar coat my life or glue a fake plastic smile on my face. Outsiders seem to feel my life is stressful, emotional and hard to manage and wondering how I am not in a straight jacket yet. I tell them this is the only life I know how to live. I have discovered in order to balance the doctors visits, therapists, absent husband and normal mom guilt, I have become the champion of creative ideas, master of procrastination, and collector of unfinished projects. For all you visual folks here is a quick cheat sheet about me-
“Before “the mom”
A long long time ago, in a Midwest state, I grew up a block from my husband; unknowingly. We went to school together, played sports together and are even in the back ground of old family photos (creepy huh?). Our lives always led linear paths, until one day they finally crossed. High school sweethearts married in college and entered the world of parenthood and active duty military at the same time. Luckily by then, I had finished college with my bachelors in communications. I volunteered my time and talents helping to create and publicize the Blue Star Mothers of America organization Missouri chapter and later on local chapters in Alabama. I attempted to take on the world and motherhood simultaneously. I planned on going back to work soon after the birth of our son. I felt I could not keep my sanity and still be a good mom if I had to stay at home with him. I was determined to keep myself as me and not be defined by parenthood. 9 years later, I am still a stay at home mom. One day I will get back to finishing my masters, writing that book and reading the dozens I have saved on my “to read” list. However, the “before mom” had to be wrapped up in a nice little box to memorialized.
“Being “the mom”
Being promoted to “mom” was lighting fast. One minute we were having a blizzard, the next my water broke on my doctor. No contractions and having to be told when to push- spawn #1 was born. Then eventually #2 and #3. Of course, these events were not without their nightmares. My definition of “the mom” morphed into “the special needs mom”. No longer was I worried about playgroups and preschool, I was worried about if my son would be alive until his next play date. Yes, is is that serious. Welcome to the world of rare diseases. Yet, I didn’t get a welcome packet or university tee shirt.