Changing Seasons in Motherhood
If you have been through any changes during your motherhood journey, then you know that there are many times we welcome change, but there’s also times we wish to keep things the way they are.
When we have newborns, we can’t wait for them to start sleeping longer stretches but that also means the things we love about the newborn stage will be gone. Babies go through times of teething, sleep regression, rolling over, crawling, pulling up, and eventually walking on their own. Mother’s go through things postpartum. There are times when we pray for the next season because we feel like we can’t take another day of the one we are in.
There was a short time when my son turned one that he would let me lay him down and then tell me to leave his room so he could put himself to sleep independently. I was so excited when that season arrived. I was able to have evenings with my husband again, sit on the couch and enjoy a quite night to myself before going to bed, and get housework done. While my child still woke to nurse during the night, he would let me leave his room when he was done. However, that season didn’t last long. He went from putting himself to sleep independently, to not allowing me to leave his room until he was asleep. He didn’t fall asleep easily. Some nights I would be in his room for over an hour waiting for him to fall asleep. By the time I could finally leave his room, completely exhausted mentally, I had no energy to clean the house, limited time with my husband, and very little time to myself before he would wake up again for me to do it all over. I ended our nursing journey the day after he turned two but that didn’t stop his constant night wakings proceeded by a 6 month period of separation anxiety.
I just came out of a hard season of motherhood. By just, I mean barely a week on the other side. While the season of life for our family may look different right now, I have a renewed strength going through this season because of the one I just came out of as a mother. Let me tell you, I am welcoming this new season with open arms!
I’m not going to tell you that it gets easier because that is probably one of the most annoying things I have heard since becoming a mother. Truthfully, I don’t know that it gets easier so much as things change as our children get older. However, I can encourage you to try to see the mundane through the tough seasons. Take photos, make core memories, and reminisce on the joyful parts at the end of the day. The season you are in will not last forever.
Motherhood is a ministry.
God chose you, momma.
God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave you that child, and He will be right there through each and every season of motherhood you encounter.
My time with God looks different now than it has for the past two years. There’s something extra special about my time with Him since I transitioned into this new season. It just shows me that the season He was there for all along grew me in ways I never realized until I was on the other side of it.
Numbers 6:24-26: “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace.”
Praying for you in whatever season you are in!
