The Motherhood Mission: #18

Number eighteen on the list asks me to think of a mother I admire. Can I just be honest here? This is a tough one for me....a really, really tough one. You see, I've been blessed to live in lots of different places and to meet lots and lots of people, so trying to choose just ONE mom that I admire-- that's tough stuff. I also blog (obviously), and I follow some of the most amazing MOM blogs ever. It's true. I checked. I mean, I could go with Kelle Hampton, who accepts her children and loves them and fights for them and embraces motherhood for all it's worth. Or I could talk about Emily Anderson and how she manages to love and nurture all five of her little ones while I sometimes struggle with two, and yet she STILL finds a way to look so stinkin cute all. the. time. I could talk about this mom, whose little girl is fighting for her life as we speak, and how she's sacrificed so much for her children. I could also talk about my own mom, who made single parenting look like a walk in the park and always put me first and has never not supported me, even though sometimes I was more than undeserving.

But today I want to talk about my friend Heather.
If you've been hanging out here since the start of this blog, then she's no stranger to you.
 I talked about  her here, here, here, and here, starting with her pregnancy (with triplets. Can you even imagine?) and took you through the hardships she faced while on bed rest and then the struggle of having her babies at a mere twenty-four and a half weeks of pregnancy.

 At birth, Mary Louise weighed one pound, six ounces, while David weighed only fourteen ounces.
And then the trauma of losing her precious jellybean, Kuylen, who was born weighing only ten ounces. However, it's not what she's endured that makes Heather a mom I admire; rather, it's her selflessness, dedication, and perspective on it all that leaving me wishing I had even half of what she has.

For starters, Heather runs.
 We're not talking about a quick jog around the block, we're talking miles.
Every day.
With two kiddos.
Wow.
 I can't even find/make time to do some sit ups before bed each night,
 and Heather is out running or cycling for over an hour each day
...with TWO TWO year olds!

And I did I mention that her kiddos aren't necessarily fans of sleep?
I sometimes find myself getting selfishly frustrated with Hollyn when she wakes up in the middle of the night. Granted, Hollyn sleeps through the night FAR MORE than she doesn't, but no one likes to get up in the middle of the night and then get up at 5:45 to start her day, right?
Well, Heather's kids rarely sleep through the night
...and aren't great nappers
...and yet she doesn't complain.

She's a stay-at-home mom who still finds time to cook healthy, homemade meals, including pancakes from scratch. She's done absolutely everything she can possibly do to help her babies grow and be as successful and happy as is humanly possible, despite so many odds, so much judgement, and so many hardships. I kid you not when I say that every time I think about how easy it would be to Happy Meal it one night, I also think, "If Heather can find time to cook with two two year olds, I can find time to cook with one".

Don't get me wrong, I believe God gives us all gifts and that we are good at something; it just so happens that Heather is good at the things I happen to struggle the most with as mom. Sometimes it's hard for me to give up my 'me' time. I could blame this on the fact that I was an only child, but it's probably more likely because I'm just selfish by nature. And while I love being a mom, the thought of getting ready without interruption or having a Saturday morning to do as I please or getting to sleep in or being able to come home after a long day at work and go straight bed sounds mighty tempting sometimes.  That being said, seeing Heather thrive as a selfless mom is oh-so-inspiring to yours truly. I work daily to be this kind of mom for my girls. I want them to know that they are my priority and that everything else on this earth is second in my eyes.

And boy oh boy, does this girl have some cute bebes.

And I'm sure her newest addition, the one that is still in her belly at this very moment, and whom I pray will be there until forty weeks are accounted for, will be just as adorable.

So, to Heather-- thanks for showing me how I believe it's supposed to be done. Thanks for being honest about how it's sometimes hard and yet still rockin' at this whole mom thing. Thanks for being an example and a friend. Much, much love, and here's to another twenty-seven years of friendship.

And if you want to know more about Heather, come back soon-- she'll be guest-posting during my I Am That Mom week next week. Also, she has a fabulous blog that you can find here.


Speaking of I AM THAT MOM week, let's take a little peek at the line up, shall we??????

Monday- Camille from Embracing the Odyssey
Tuesday- Jane returns for a second year from The Life of Jane
Wednesday- Dara from Keeping Up With the Campbells
Thursday- Kim from Let it Snow
Friday- Heather from LeBlanc Triplets
Saturday- Edi from I'm Mama Y'all

I'm so excited. The posts are wonderful, and inspiring, and full of motherly insight...just like I'd hoped they would be.


Today I'm linking to here, here , and here.

Here's hoping your weekend is fan-freakin'-tastic, as all weekends should be.