Motherhood is...

plodding through 5 loaves of Wonder Bread by the August 1 deadline, just to feel completely scammed when notified that due to " an extraordinary response", your one year old will not receive his free Buzz Lightyear light-up lunchbox.

wondering how on earth God saw fit to bless you with the most wonderful creature ever born, despite all of your mistakes over the past 30+ years.

daydreaming of pedicures, massages, etc, then spending the entire 60 minutes wondering where you left The Big Red Barn and whether or not your child will notice it missing before you find it.

welling up with tears when your son whimpers, "Mama it huuurrrts," after you wipe is raw, runny nose.

upon realizing that you need an umbrella stroller, deciding to go with the same brand as your big stroller, but then conducting hours of online, in-store and Baby Bargains research and test drives, only to end up buying the stroller you planned to buy in the first place.

negotiating individual bites of oatmeal for songs, grapes, dances, etc, just to get that all-important iron into your one year old.

wearing a swimsuit in public, sans cover up, despite the cellulite on your thighs and not caring who may see you or what they may think, because your baby loves the beach.

spending valuable pillow hours trying to figure out how to make sure your one year old knows just how loved, cherished and adored he is without turning him into a spoiled brat.

remembering Saturdays full of nothing more than sleep, books and Starbucks and not understanding how you didn't get bored by 10 AM.

laughing uproariously when someone lifts up your shirt and makes loud, obnoxious, embarrassing zerbert noises on your stomach in public.

wishing you could sit down with your 30 year old child and look back on all the growing pains, life lessons and heart break that made him into an empathetic and wise adult without him actually having to go through any of it.

crying at every country song that talks about babies, motherhood, weddings, being born, growing up, going to college, etc, just because it's sweet.

debating whether or not to wake your baby up from his nap because you miss him, but then convincing yourself that it's ok to put him down for bed 30 minutes early because you're exhausted.

looking through all the pictures and wondering where on earth you were...only to realize that you're the one behind the camera.

truly believing that deep down inside all other moms must be just a little bit jealous that Charlie calls you Mama and not them.

what I was born to do.

(Dedicated to my mom, the best mentor a mother could hope to have.)

My mom capturing my dreams of motherhood on Polaroid

Me capturing my dreams come true on SD