Becoming a Mother

Being a mother is something I had always dreamed about and Nate and I knew early in our relationship that children was something we both wanted. From the day I took a positive pregnancy test in June 2017, I had begun reading and researching and “preparing” for the transition to a family of three. 

Our daughter, Riley Marlys (my grandmother’s name) Kirchenwitz was born at 12:28 PM on February 25, 2018 (her due date). In the first moments that I held her I was in complete shock of what my body had just accomplished and also was flooded with overwhelming emotion for this little person. Becoming a mother has been beautiful, utterly exhausting, challenging, rewarding, and all of the emotions one person is able to feel. 

As a person who has struggled with a number of mental health issues, becoming a mother did test me mentally and emotionally more than anything else. Postpartum anxiety and depression were both something I had to work through for the 15-months or so after Riley joined us. Daily tasks seemed overwhelming, I barely felt some days I could get out of bed, but yet I did 98% of the days. I did end up seeing a therapist who truly helped me sort out and find myself again in all the hustle and noise that motherhood had brought. Riley also wasn’t the best sleeper and did not sleep through the night until she was a little over a year old, so pure exhaustion began to improve around this time as well. The past three years have truly made me a more complete person. I feel that the transition into motherhood has helped me identify my strengths and flaws and own that. I feel proud of the journey I am on and where I am at. In the past three years I have really learned to give myself grace, to let go of things not serving me, and invest in the things that fuel my spirit. 

Today our little girl turns three. She is truly a remarkable human being, confident, goofy, smart, funny, I hope that these are all traits she never lets go. She radiates positive energy and makes everyone around her laugh. This year she has really begun the journey to becoming her own person, with attitudes, opinions, interests, and I relish in watching her develop and grow. 
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Riley Marlys Kirchenwitz, you are a dynamite gal and I feel so lucky to be your mom. Cheers to the big ‘3’! 

Xoxo, Morgan