A Mommy Story

Today marks the one year anniversary of when I first got up the guts to sign up for Blogger, pick the first blog name that came to mind (well, fourth actually – the others were already taken), and take the plunge into blogging.

Before that, I had been reading a few blogs for a little over a month, thanks to stumbling upon Blogging Baby earlier in the fall and clicking over to read the personal blogs of the writers there. I had a LiveJournal at the time, but it was for friends-only, and there was little more than a bunch of personality tests and a few random updates on my life here and there.

It’s hard to believe it has only been a year – I feel like I’ve been doing this for such a long time. In that year, I’ve written 315 posts, and who knows how many words. I’ve met some amazing people (both virtually and in person), and I am so thankful to have them in my life. Yes, I’ve met some trolls, too, but I’ve learned there really are nice people on the internet, and many people who have been through or are going through many of the issues I have had to deal with. It’s nice to not feel alone in battling those issues.

Looking back over the year, I can now safely say that I think I’m an OK writer. Not someone who can regularly bring people to tears or belly laughs, but I can get a story across decently without boring many readers. I see plenty of room for improvement, but hey, I have my own space to write here, so I have an endless supply of time and computer memory to work on my writing.

What a year it’s been. It all started just before Thanksgiving last year, when Cordy was 14 months old and still not walking yet. She had far less hair back then, and drove me insane with her refusal to take naps. When she did fall asleep, she did so with stealth, or just an inattentive parent. She got to play in the snow for the first time, and as Christmas drew near, we decided she was buying for all of us this year. We made it through the Christmas marathon, and I introduced you all to my crazy great Aunt Dot and her bad gifts. Just before the new year, Cordy made some big developmental leaps that made my life a hell of a lot easier.

The new year had a bite to it – well, actually, the new year started off with Cordy biting, and I shared with you how not to travel with toddler. I also made a big decision around that same time that my life clearly wasn’t busy enough, so I went back to school. My blog became my confessional as I told you about my toddler who wouldn’t hold her own sippy cup, my struggle with depression, and the fact that Cordy is TV junkie.

I’ve given my thoughts on mommyblogging, as well as on the stupid debate between stay-at-home and working moms, and wondered why there isn’t more part-time work. I’ve ranted about Babycenter, ranted about women peeing on the seat in the bathroom, pondered how we lived without cell phones, and shown you that when compared to kids 300 years ago, we’re easy on our kids. You also read of the disappointment I felt regarding having c-section with Cordy, and why I don’t understand how women could willingly choose to go this route.

In the spring, you got front-row seats for the wrestling match of the century, and held my hand through breast lump scare. You shared my fears of being stalked by the Avon lady, and gave me advice on what it was like to be sibling or have more than one child. You learned I am a natural worrier, especially as mother, and that I have a secret obsession with Maury Povich. I’ve also proven that I am now starting to look old.

I’ve dealt with parents treating my daughter like a freak because she’s big, store employees telling me my child is pain, and dealing with the fallout of my daughter frightening other children. At the same time, I’ve also felt helpless to step in when someone else is treating child badly. I also risked the ire of some bloggers to confess I gave Cordy scotch to help her teething pain.

July was a month of ups and down. You witnessed my first ever offline blogging post, written during boring Chemistry class. I got a mid-month BlogHer test run by meeting a group of local bloggers, which has now turned into a monthly event I always look forward to. Then, two days before getting on that plane for BlogHer, I had the shock of coming home to find our house had been broken into and robbed in the middle of the day. I considered canceling the trip to BlogHer at that point because I was so upset, but in the end I decided I needed to get away. And thank goodness I did! BlogHer was so much fun!

In September, we experienced two happy events. First, I found out I was pregnant (and later reminded myself to never do this again), and then later in the month we celebrated Cordy’s second birthday. I also gave my tips on Halloween costumes and toddler clothing to avoid, and asked all of you to reflect on if you’re really happy.

It’s been a busy year here. Cordy has gone from crawling to walking, and from wisps of hair to a full head of curls. I started as a lonely mom, working part-time to make ends meet, blogging to get thoughts out of my head and hopefully find other moms to commiserate with, and now I’m back in school for a new career, expecting a second child with my loving husband (who graciously puts up with all I do), and I’ve found a wonderful, supportive community of moms, dads, and friends thanks to blogging.

Thank you for reading what I have to say, and thanks for those times when you leave a comment. Without people reading this and responding to my thoughts, I probably would have shut this personal project down long ago.

Here’s hoping for an even better second year.