"Today I will not fold the laundry...
Today I will not make the bed...
Today I might not wash my face...

But today I will rest.

I will not be supermom,
and I might not look my best
but I choose to hide the to do lists, and rest my baby on my breasts.

We breath together, giggle, snooze and munch,
Have goat yogurt and bananas, no cooking for lunch.

Stretch, breath, cry, laugh, set my hormones free
today is dedicated to healing me." ~ Mommy Misty Jame

One of my greatest lessons learned as a mother is the importance of self care and sufficient rest. The need to know when to disappear from all of life's requests and take care of yourself.

The pressures of our everyday lives, expectations, jobs and roles can often take a toll, leaving us drained and unfulfilled. Taking the time to heal yourself and nurture your needs is a priority. A strong, balanced, rested mother is needed for anything else around her to go smoothly. I hear many women complain day after day, year after year, of how tired they are and they come up with endless excuses and reasons why they can't take care of themselves. Or the typical "i'm a mom now, i'll rest in 18 years if i'm lucky!". What these mother's are not recognizing is they are just as important as the baby they are exhausted from. After you have a baby you don't just disappear, your natural needs as a human need care now more than ever! Please tend to yourself Mommas, you are important and essential!

I have learned that everyone including myself greatly appreciates when I care for myself well. It makes for a sweeter more present me, a happier partner, a loving baby, and smoother interactions all around. It isn't always easy to find the time or get the help, and it takes courage to speak up and ask for help, but it is possible! When things around my home start getting tense and out of balance the first thing we as a family check in with is making sure we are each individually being given the time to care for ourselves. Shane and I have worked hard at being mindful about each others needs and for the sake of all of us, we are mindful and proactive about our own needs. When I say I am tired Shane never underestimates this statement. If he is home he takes Juniper and encourages me to nap or do whatever is needed to nurture myself. I am extremely appreciative of this practice and do my best to do the same for him. With Juniper's needs, and a new baby on the way, times can get tough and exhausting, making it extremely important to put rest and self nurturing as a high priority.

Some of the things I do during my self care time is nap, lay around with Juniper, watch a movie, snack, meditate, read, or catch up on things that make me feel good like doing my eyebrows or taking a long shower and shaving my legs. These things easily disappear from my life if I don't act and make the time to do them. Thankfully I have a wonderful family and support team and couldn't do it as well without them!

Inspire yourself, recharge, love yourself, and remember- you are the foundation for your child, you are important~

Lots of Love,
Mommy Misty Jame