I am ALREADY a mom! Duh!

July 18, 2010

As the days get closer to being placed with our foster child, I am taking in the ever so momentous and fulfilling moments I have with my step-children. On my quest to be a mom, I realize that I am a mom and am counted on to teach and protect my step-children. As they venture into their tween years, and both being beautiful, incredibly smart girls, I realize I make a huge impact on who they become, whether I like it or not.

The tween years are crucial years of shaping and exploring who they are and who they will become. Going into 6th and 7th grade they are no longer protected by the fairly comfy elementary school environment. They will now be forced to rush to their lockers, exchanging a multitude of books, facing a multitude of hormonally challenged peers, and learning how to navigate the hustle and bustle of middle school. They have graduated from toys to texting, and friends over family. They care about what they look like and who likes them. Just like their peers, they are faced with hormonal challenges like acne and the menstrual cycle, not to mention emotional breakdowns, most notably when the phone is taken away!

Because they spend 50% of their time, or more, with their father and I, it is my responsibility to help their self-esteem flourish! I have a new found joy in teaching them how to take care of themselves: from their skin when they get zits and the importance of showering and deodorant, to boys, sex, and the dangers of drugs and alcohol. My openness and calm demeanor today about girl stuff and peer pressure have allowed them to come forth with these more superficial issues. I can only hope that they trust in me enough to accept my invitation to talk when the more critical issues arise.

I have grown to love my role as their step-mother and grown to love these precious and unique little ladies. I am constantly thankful to their mother who loves them dearly which has allowed me to just be that little extra safety for them. And thankful to their father, my awesome husband, who has always respected my step-mothering skills, which continue to be refined.

As we get closer to receiving our first foster child, I feel a new found confidence in motherhood.
From step-mother, to foster mother, to, one day, an adoptive mother, my journey to and through motherhood is becoming an extraordinary experience! I am so thankful to have a supportive husband and two beautiful step-daughters to support and share in my quest through motherhood! My desire has been to be a mother, and that desire is already being satisfied in the most uniquely fulfilling ways!