Youth Pastor's Life

 As I sit typing this morning, my oldest - 22 months old - is growling at her Bible because she see a lion. I have grown to find Joy and Excitement in the strangest places and of the strangest things that would have never brought those emotions before motherhood. Let me list just a few things:  Poop. Big Beds. Sitting on a potty but not going. Words. Messy House. Each has brought its own excitement as well as dread at times. I'll explain the lessons I have learned in the past 2 years with each.  Poop. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought this would bring excitement and joy. Let me tell ya though, when you almost 8 week old son doesn't have a bowel movement in almost 3 days, concern and irrational thoughts begin flooding a moms brain. All the what is wrong with him. Will I end up in a Children's Hospital room again? So when 2 blowouts happen in a day - plus more - it is very welcomed and joy erupts in text messages to dad and friends. Big Beds. Hearing my daughter

  Life with 2 under 2   It’s been a whirlwind. From brother arriving about 2.5 weeks early, mom wasn’t ready for that at home, to learning a new routine for everyone. It’s been well whirlwind feels like the right way to explain it. Most days I don’t know up from down but somehow by the end of the night everyone is feed, alive, ready for bed, and the house is still standing.   As this first month has flown by, I’ve come to realize that I have a very unpopular opinion about newborn/infant stage. It may come from PTSD of NICU/Children’s hospital stage with Acelynn or it might come from that one thing no one likes to speak about or it may I’m a Youth Pastor and love teenagers: Postpartum struggles.   Are ya ready for it? Newborn/infant stage isn’t my favorite stage of life. Yep. There I said it. It’s not my favorite in any capacity. I would rather have the toddler days of fits and tantrums and coloring sessions and walks at the park over the sleepless nights. I feel guilty even thinking ab