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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / family / {What it means to be a mom for the first time. // by Arianne Segerman}

{What it means to be a mom for the first time. // by Arianne Segerman}

March 19, 2013 · 7 Comments
Filed Under: family, friends, guest bloggers, inspiration, mamahood

I’m so very honored that my friend Arianne Segerman is guest blogging for me today. She’s sharing her heart on the thought, “What it means to be a mom for the first time”, and her words are so, so beautiful. :) Thank you Ari for letting your fingers fly with the wind…

[Click to see Lisa Leonard’s and Naomi Davis’ response to this same question.]

+ + +

first time mom belly pic

It was 2002 and I distinctly remember sitting on the beach in the Spring, a good 6 months before my first baby was expected. I was attempting to take in the fact that I was not going to have another Spring with only my husband and I. Not even another Christmas. I couldn’t fathom my belly growing so big (like me in that photo above at 38 weeks with baby #1).

How does a woman wrap her mind around such a thing?

The truth is, you can’t. No one can. No one can possibly explain enough, no book can teach enough, no video can prepare you enough. Sure, you’ll have all the tools you need to deliver a baby and be a first time mom, but there’s nothing and no one out there to say, “Hey, this is what it will feel like!”

I didn’t know that my soul would break, but break open. I didn’t know that I would grow up overnight (no matter what my age was). I didn’t know that life was really beginning for real.

being a mom to four

So I offer this to you, dear Maggie, as you enter into this new unfurling of God’s incredible metaphor of (let’s be clear, super fun and super hard) creation and life — don’t forget to embrace the uncertainty. Lean into it, surrender to where this already much loved baby takes your heart. Find who YOU are as a mother. Receive advice, opinions and instruction (plenty of people will have these for you), but filter it all through the lens of Maggie. Make your own mark on motherhood, and let it be real and true and completely surprising to you.

being a mom-1

Being a mom for the first time feels like velvet, and chocolate, and running a marathon with no preparation. It feels like you can taste the Spirit on your lips and hear Him in your heart and like no one and everyone in the world understands you. It feels like a new era, a new club, and like you never lived before the day the baby was born. It feels like love.

Arianne is a mom of 5, with three boys and a baby girl here and one baby girl in heaven. She could talk about motherhood all day long. Ari and her family live in Phoenix, Arizona. She also blogs at Mabel + Riv and can’t wait to meet Baby Whitley. xoxo

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7 Comments
Filed Under: family, friends, guest bloggers, inspiration, mamahood

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« {A fresh start.}
{Our first week as a family with Maxwell.} »

Comments

  1. Ambr C Haines says

    March 19, 2013 at 5:54 am

    Love this.

    Reply
  2. Kelly @ Love Well says

    March 19, 2013 at 7:32 am

    The running a marathon with no preparation part made me giggle, because it’s so TRUE. You may have read books about running and had friends who’ve run and you’ve bought shoes and sweatbands and water bottles. But once that baby is born – bang. You’re off. And you learn as you go. By the time they all leave the house, you’re a pro. But it’s truly the journey that makes us.

    Reply
  3. sarah says

    March 19, 2013 at 11:08 am

    Great way of explaining it!

    Sarah=)

    http://www.etsy.com/shop/owleyevintage

    Reply
  4. Megan (FriedOkra) says

    March 19, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    Beautiful and true.

    Reply
  5. Kassie says

    March 19, 2013 at 8:10 pm

    Love this! Beautiful and true!

    Reply
  6. Andrea says

    June 15, 2013 at 1:35 pm

    How true this is! I’ve learned so many things through motherhood, but one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that you can’t prepare for everything. You just have to sit back, trust God and enjoy the ride! :)

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. On being a mother for the first time says:
    March 19, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    […] am guest blogging over at Gussy Sews today – click here to read the rest of my answer to “what it feels like to be a mother for the first […]

    Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

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Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect o Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect on the moments I’ve felt my mind spinning, my emotions swirly, it’s almost always when I’m not feasting on the word of God. Not that reading scripture is the cure for anxiety —no! Rather, it’s hard to worry when we’re worshipping.
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A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is hot, and the whisper of a page turning. ♨️☕️📖 // We are breaking from school this week, my plan is to read a lot, walk a lot, and rest a lot. How about you?

#mothersofinstagram #tea #winterreading #hygge
I fought every internal comment I could think of a I fought every internal comment I could think of and took my kiddos for a looooong walk today before dinner. ❄️✨ There’s just so much work required to raise children! I’m feeling like a tired lady. But sunshine & fresh air are good companions to keep around. 

We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
How about a little Wednesday night introduction? 😘Social media sure has changed over the years and we don’t always SEE who we’re following or remember WHY we’re following certain accounts. 

So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

Motherhood has been very hard on me. (And not just because of how close in age our four children are.) It’s been hard for me because I fought for years to accept that *it’s supposed to be hard*. 

I mean, how do you effectively teach another person to know and love the Lord? Bc that’s how I think of motherhood: a calling to nurture others by studying the One who nurtures me. So I gotta make the first move: study the Bible and seek Him first. As my friend Autumn reminded me, vulnerability births transformation. 

(I’ve had to be really vulnerable!)

So, yes motherhood has fully transformed me. But even more so, Christ has fully transformed me. My list of “all that He’s done for me” is off to a beautifully long start.

Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

But my friend Jesus walks alongside me. He’s already done a mighty work in my heart, including helping me process my anger in healthier ways. I’ve also adopted a heart for sisterhood, mothering, and Titus 2 mentorship.

Sometimes our greatest losses are our greatest gains? That’s what I’m clinging to!

How about you? Tell me something about yourself so I can get to know you on a deeper heart level. 🖤🖤
How do you play in the winter? // We had a really How do you play in the winter? // We had a really great time visiting family in northern Michigan. On my blog I share a few ways we played outside, plus I describe a memorable childhood game ❄️☃️. Did you play it as a kiddo?
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seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming the Laundry Beast (as a family of 6). Who wants the inside scoop? ✔️🧺👏🏻
Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomo Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomorrow :) small celebrations like this are very life giving! PS. thinking of starting a zoom book club — I need more sisterhood in my life. 👏🏻📖
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Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his ful Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his full costume and laser blaster and of course the Buzz action figure he flys around 🌟💚💙💨someone has discovered a superhero crush! #joyinmotherhood #slowmornings #surprisedbymotherhood // Landon @ 2.5yo
Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to read this year. Plus my reading goal for the year. And a few practicals ways I fit in reading as a mama of four young children & homeschooling them. Basically, all the good stuff ☺️💓📖 #maggiewhitleydotcom #readersofinstagram #read #readmorebooks
It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the fu It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the furniture as we took the tree down Tuesday midday. Def one of my fav things to do.🎄👋🏻 We made it through our first week back to school since mid-December! It was rough to begin but ended with high fives. ⭐️✏️This morning I zoomed with a mama friend and I’m impressed with the many topics we covered. Sisterhood is sooooo necessary! ☕️👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏼

Just a few cheery memories from my week! How about you?
Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activiti Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activities. I finished my last book moments before 2020 ended, which brought my started list to a close. Small joys add up to big joys ;)

What are you reading this year? Currently?

How many books are you planning to read? What’s your goal?

I’ll share what’s on my list for 2021 soon as I received some nice titles at Christmas. 📖✨🤍
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