Pregnancy Story from Jennifer Warner

I am days away from birthing my first bundle of joy so my story is more of a pregnancy story or a mommy story:

Concrete Things

I am believer in concrete things. I am skeptic of ghosts and psychics and sensing things. But sometimes something happens that makes me realize that not everything is black and white and crystal clear.

I think before my mind knew that there was a teeny tiny life in my belly, my heart understood exactly what was going on. When the wee one had been around for just ten days and we were seven days from finding out that he was on the way, my mind was going at a breakneck speed thinking about a thousand possibilities while my heart calmly decided it was time to put pen to paper (actually, fingers to keys).

And this letter of intention came to be…ignoring the minutia of my mind and simply saying what my heart truly knew was already real.

I will teach my child the best life lessons I know. I will teach them the importance of service, strength of character, deep faith, abiding compassion, intentional action, beauty of spirit, and that, in the end, it only matters that we have loved each other and cared for one another. That things, and titles, and numbers, and status are irrelevant. And that when you leave this world, whether at 9 years or 90 years, you must have made a difference.

I will be the keeper of memories for my child. I will record their milestones, their funny stories, their triumphs, their stumbles. I will take lots of pictures and write lots of clever and witty things. I will create books of memories that they will treasure when they grow old and nostalgic. And I will share these photos and videos and writings with the friends and family around us so they can be a part of how special my child truly is.

I will give my child a beautiful home with his or her own little space in our world. It will be colorful and creative. It will be a retreat that fosters fantasy, imagination, wonder, and growth. And it will be okay to be whatever and whoever you want to in that place. No apologies or excuses necessary.

I will play with my child. I will take the time to turn off the tv, close down the computer, take time away from work and errands and adult things to spend time laughing and playing and creating and living life with my child. We will be so silly together and not have a care in the world. We will make all sorts of things like toys and crafts and books and funny little keepsakes. It will be okay to make a mess. We will plan great adventures and go on fantastic journeys. And we will sing songs loudly and off key. And we will dance with no rhythm. And it will be so much fun.

I will be patient. I will be understanding. I will speak kindly. I will be respectful. I will be firm. I will guiding. I will listen. I will require good manners. I will cry. I will celebrate. I will give. I will care. I will love. And I will be a wonderful mommy.

From Jennifer of Wee Warner.

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Note from Design Mom: for the duration of my pregnancy, I'll be posting advice, memories and stories about pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and growing a family on Wednesdays. You can find them all by clicking here. I'd love to hear your story or memory or advice, feel free to submit it to gabrielle@designmom.com.