Your Questions, Answered {part one}

When I put out the call for questions, I had no idea what to expect. But the response was surprising! First, I received a lot of questions! Second, most of you asked the same general questions. At the end, it was pretty telling about what I might not be sharing enough about, namely motherhood and work life balance. So without further ado, your answers

What do you think is the hardest part about being a Mom?

I am not sure there is a hardest part. Motherhood offers an extra component to every single thing you do. There is always another life to consider, plan for, or accommodate. It is very rarely ever easy. That being said it is still good. Just because something isn't easy, doesn't make it bad.

For me, personally, having patience is what I struggle with most. I would say I've got it 70% of the time, but when I don't, it is really bad. No one in our house is happy. I get frazzled, I lose my temper, I forget to take a deep breath. That is hard when you are a mom. Not having patience often means Behr is paying the price. After the fact, that causes a lot of guilt.


How many kids do you hope to have?

A full quiver! I hope and pray that we are blessed with a full family. I used to say I wanted seven or nine kids, my mom is one of seven, but now I think my heart has settled around five. Five seems practical. You can still fit in a small home, drive a normal car with each family member securely buckled in, sit around a table together, play games with everyone included. Yes, five; a fun brood, but not totally overwhelming.


Why did you start potty training Behr so early? Do you think you are forcing it? 

We pulled out the potty we had received off our registry to show a friend, and Behr loved it, so we kept it out. We don't make Behr sit on the potty at specific times or even daily, instead we let him show us when he has to poop. He usually goes over towards the bathroom and starts grunting. The whole process has been totally led by him and is also quite humorous.


Since you've been a Mom for a year now, could you make a list for Mom's to be on your fav products, what Behr loved as a baby, etc?

Well, when I first saw this question, I thought I had answered it here, here, here, or most recently, here. But then I realize there isn't a good all encompassing post. I will work on that. Expect it to be coming in the next month or so.

Do you work because you "have" to, or because you "want" to?

I work because I have to.

But I have to work because of my own decisions. Although we are fairly financially responsible, I still have a pile of student loan debt from my undergrad. Until just recently I have been feeling rather entitled. My thoughts went along the lines of..."Since I work, I have a right to buy a new pair of black heels." or when getting starbucks or eating lunch out, "These are the luxuries I grant myself for being such a hard worker."  This line of thought has made me, what my husband jokes, "a money pit." Recently, as I have been struggling with leaving Behr and missing out on fun activities, I have been striving to make an effort to think about him before spending money.

That said, I like my work. And if I do reach the point where I have a choice to stay home, it will likely be a short term decision. I can see myself coming back to this sort of work again, later in my life.


Is it tough to balance working full-time and a family?

This is incredibly difficult for me. Especially because most of the moms at our church and in our community stay at home. I am still working through my own thoughts on this one, and will be writting about it more soon.

How do you balance working full time and serving your family?

Things don't always go smoothly, and I have to be okay with that. I hae learned to turn more invitations down and to volunteer for less. Everyone goes through different seasons of life, and currently I am in a season that is stretched pretty thin.

For a while we had our groceries delivered. I didn't have the bandwidth to make it to the grocery store. Now I go super late at night during the week, the store is less crowded and I get in and out faster.

I only cook 2-3 times a week, the rest of the nights are some form of leftovers from these meals.

I have embraced clutter.

I avoid clothes that need to be dry cleaned. I am loving Boden and Ann Taylor Loft for their high quality items that look dry clean only, but actually go through the laundry surprisingly well.

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Stay tuned, the second half of the questions will be answered next week.

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Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a copy of our favorite book!

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We hope you all have a lovely memorial day weekend.

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