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You are here: Home / family / {Silent lessons on work + mommyhood.}

{Silent lessons on work + mommyhood.}

May 6, 2013 · 20 Comments
Filed Under: family, Los Angeles, Maxwell

Oh weeee, things sure have been different around here. Not only do we have an [almost] 8-week-old babe but my mom was here last week and all three of us soaked up her goodness. I knew from her last visit in March she would be back “soon” but soon came sooner that we thought — yeow!, total happiness. Last week we had a follow-up appointment for some nasal congestion Max has been having, we went out to lunch a few of times [here, here + here], we walked the promenade and alongside the Pacific together. And, we chatted all week long as I watched her snuggle my son :D It was a perfect week with my mom visiting, and totally different since last time she was here I was recovering from a c-section and we were doing the whole eat/sleep/poop/repeat thing with Max.

Her flight back to Michigan left out early Saturday afternoon so to take my mind off my mom leaving Zack + I headed outside with Max and Bauer to enjoy the sunshine. It was a gorgeous day, too! Here are some photos from our little adventure around Los Angeles…

+ + +

flowers-gussy-sews

^ Fresh, colorful flowers always catch my eye. I’d like to take them home with me.

flowers-gussy-sews

^ I spy a little tea party…

maxwell-gussy-sews

^ Is it just me, or is holding a baby WAY more fun than pushing one in the stroller? ;)

zack-gussy-sews

^ Walking the Santa Monica promenade on the weekends is one of our favorites.

menu-gussy-sews

^ Dinner at Plan Check? Yes, please! Their burgers + waffle fries are absolutely delicious.

great+wide

^ So completely, absolutely, wonderfully true…

paci-gussy-sews

^ We never need this for very long, but ohhh my! does it calm Max down quickly…

maxwell-gussy-sews

 ^ My sweet, chubby, healthy, snuggly son :) I am so proud to be his mommy.

+ + +

Well, I think we’ve turned a corner with week 7. Maxwell suddenly started sleeping 5-6 hours at a time, he’s been having less nasal congestion and he’s been even more active with his kicking/reaching reflexes + baby coo’s. It was a double blessing having my mom here with us to experience these things. My mom is such a great communicator. She thrives on cultivating a relationship and so having her here to experience these fun milestones was really wonderful. Max is her third grandson and so she’s basically a pro at being a grandma :) Zack + I always look forward to her visits and I know Max does, too. [She visited us often in Minneapolis. Even if my dad couldn’t join her she wasn’t shy about driving solo to continue cultivating our relationship.]

Last night Maxwell was fussing so I went in and picked him up. Even swaddled, his baby bum stuck right out as I placed him on my chest. His body melted into mine and I sang him a couple of songs. It was such a sweet moment. While I was singing to him I was looking around at the art on the wall, pieces we hung before he was born — before we knew if Baby was a he or a she, and — I know I’ve said this before, it was like a slideshow of my pregnancy flashed before me. All of the conversations I had with my mom about what it would be like to become a mommy, how to care for a newborn, how my relationship with Zack would change, the furniture + decor we arranged in the nursery. All of it snapped into place once Maxwell was born. :) And each week since then we’ve been perfecting this parenthood thing just a little bit more. But week 7 has been especially monumental for our family, and it’s absolutely wonderful.

maxwell-gussy-sews

Max’s personality is starting to form: he smiles when he sees the ceiling fan, his toes flex when Bauer licks them, he absolutely loves bath time, and he holds on to our shirt sleeves when we carry him in our arms. His favorite is to be upright over our shoulder so he can look around. It’s adorable and every single day with Max is a gift.

I also feel a turning point within my own self. When my mom was here last week I made some serious progress with some projects for the Gussy shop and I’ve implemented a new workflow thanks to my mother-in-law. I’ve given myself a lot of grace since becoming a mommy. I didn’t want to put any extra pressure on myself, I knew in time I’d figure out a beautiful way to balance work + mommyhood, and I really feel like I have — even though it is different than it once was.

What I’ve been learning is I simply needed to soak up this new life before taking any steps forward. Some days it was hard to just be and not work on anything, but I have no regrets. Sometimes silence can be just as beautiful as something that reverberates. For nearly eight weeks I though that my focus was solely on Maxwell. Little did I know God has been quietly teaching me how to mesh work + mommyhood, I just didn’t realize it at the time.

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20 Comments
Filed Under: family, Los Angeles, Maxwell

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Comments

  1. Trinity says

    May 6, 2013 at 3:26 am

    Gorgeous pictures! He is precious! And congrats on getting 5-6 hours at a time! (I’m a little jealous!)

    Reply
  2. Kristin Smith says

    May 6, 2013 at 3:32 am

    He is adorable and it sounds like you are doing exactly what you need to do to enjoy this precious time with him!! Good for you! :)

    Reply
  3. Katy says

    May 6, 2013 at 3:58 am

    Happy {very} 1st Mothers Day to you! Enjoy the quiet and yes give yourself grace and relax.

    Ps. I live his little wrinkled forehead in the picture. So cute!

    Reply
  4. Southern Gal says

    May 6, 2013 at 4:00 am

    Such sweet photos, Maggie. It’s such a magical time. I’m glad you’re enjoying every little minute of it. And I’m thinking Max looks a lot like his dad in the profile pic. ;)

    Reply
  5. Nester says

    May 6, 2013 at 7:01 am

    beautiful post mags. LOVE your take on motherhood.

    xoxo

    Reply
  6. Susan Benson says

    May 6, 2013 at 9:17 am

    New life and new pacing; love the rhythms and your understanding of God’s perfect plan.
    Blessings,

    Reply
  7. Monica @ The Writer Chic says

    May 6, 2013 at 10:05 am

    Oh, my goodness. This line in regards to you mom: that she was intentional about her desire to “continue cultivating our relationship.” SO. SPECIAL. I want to be that — have that — for my children. To never be “done” being their mother, but also to always be getting to know them better, more intimately, as they continue to grow and evolve as people. So special. I’m glad you had that sweet time with your momma.

    Reply
  8. The Chatty Mommy says

    May 6, 2013 at 10:08 am

    Love this post! He is so beautiful!
    And about the nuk?
    I said I would never give my kid a pacifier, but it worked so well when I had my first child and I don’t regret letting her have it.
    Do as you have been doing- whatever works for you guys! Great job!

    Reply
  9. Megan Lane says

    May 6, 2013 at 11:28 am

    wow, i still can’t believe you guys live there! those flowers are beauuutiful! i would have a hard time not constantly buying flowers there. also, love your new blonde locks! so pretty. and Max is just the cutest.

    Reply
  10. Erin @ Isaboo Designs says

    May 6, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    Work and mommyhood is definitely a tricky balancing act. Every season brings new adjustments and sometimes just as soon as you feel like you got thew swing of things, You find you need to make adjustments. Like when your preschoolers decide to quit taking naps! EEK! Give yourself lots of grace constantly!

    Reply
  11. Nicole says

    May 6, 2013 at 1:39 pm

    The idea of your mom “cultivating a relationship” with you and your little family is such a beautiful one. I’m going to tuck that little bit of mothering inspiration away and try to remember as my kids grow older comtinue to intentionally cultivate a relationship with them. Thanks, gussy! It’s sweet seeing you and your hubby just soaking up parenthood; it reminds me of how I felt with my first newborn. xoxo

    Reply
  12. Andrea Howe says

    May 6, 2013 at 2:42 pm

    I’m so happy for you and your journey so far. Although when I read that he’s already 8 weeks old I got so sad knowing that I haven’t met him yet! Wahhhh!!! I need to come visit you guys soon!

    Reply
  13. Katie says

    May 6, 2013 at 2:47 pm

    What a sweet, sweet post. I love your mothering style of rolling with things and embracing every moment, big and small. BTW, you look absolutely fabulous!

    Reply
  14. Kacia says

    May 6, 2013 at 4:12 pm

    I love everything about this post. So beautiful.

    Reply
  15. Annie Barnett says

    May 6, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    You’re such a beautiful, Mama, Maggie. And this post was full of beauty too. I have those “slideshow” moments with my littles too – so get that. Happy Mother’s Day!

    Reply
  16. krystina says

    May 7, 2013 at 12:33 pm

    oh my gosh! he is so cute. look at that face of him in the bath. gah! adorable.

    Reply
  17. sarah says

    May 7, 2013 at 9:14 pm

    Goodness, he really is adorable. :) And I’m glad you have taken the time to soak up these first couple of months… they are magic.

    Looking forward to seeing him (and you) grow! :)

    PS You look amazing!

    Reply
  18. Yolanny says

    March 18, 2014 at 5:52 pm

    I think the jurors just cldoun’t believe someone could be so shallow that they would even consider killing their baby just to be able to continue living a party lifestyle. Unfortunately I believe its possible so I feel differently than the jury pool but who knows I only caught coverage in passing so I’ll accept they know better than me.

    Reply
  19. Andrey says

    March 19, 2014 at 1:11 am

    I think there are leaders wiithn each one of us, after all we are all called to be a leader and not a follower. A good leader is built and not found, there should be no requirements to be a leader except faithfulness.Looking at Jesus’ example, he didn’t look for a person, instead he saw the potential in people. He saw their faithfulness.My 2cGod bless

    Reply
  20. Yogesh says

    March 20, 2014 at 12:44 am

    Hello, I think your website might be hinavg browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Firefox, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, awesome blog!

    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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Just a few cheery memories from my week! How about you?
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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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One song in particular comes to mind:

“We step into Freedom. 
We step into all you have for us.” -Bethel Music & Jenn Johnson

There IS freedom from the anxiety attacks. For me: music, scripture, eating healthy, vitamins, rest, crying, prayer, honesty — these things help tremendously. Also getting up and MOVING when my anxiety sits on me like a boulder, that helps too. 🖤

Another soothing truth is from the end of Psalm 34:19 — “many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the lord delivers him of them all.”

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Thanks for coming along with me to the pool, nature trails, the park, hosting friends in our backyard, reading adventures, popcorn & movie night, art, planting flowers, planting a garden, bike rides, neighborhood walks, lake swimming, and supplying the ice cream truck w/ roughly $84 this summer. 

I loved our time together! 🥰🧒🏼👩🏻👧🏼🧒🏻

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When your mind feels foggy, step outside. When your home feels too small or too big, step outside. When the bickering is loud or your internal criticism is high, step outside. 

Give yourself (and your family) the joy of an adventure away from the home. 

🌾Visit my blog for the full post, link in profile or #maggiewhitleydotcom
It’s come to my realization there’s plenty of It’s come to my realization there’s plenty of time these days to craft a letter when I wash dishes, take my kids on a walk, or take care of our garden. All that silence, it makes my internal monologue even louder 🤣. 

Many times we are out & about in the neighborhood and I think, “oh the flowers surrounding your porch are lovely!” Or, “wow” (to the elderly man) “you have such a great smile, thanks for sharing it with us!” Wouldn’t it be great to jot that down in a card and send it through the mail as well?

We are always in need of community & kind words! 🌷💬

I remember many years ago, when nearly pregnant with another baby and our personal finances were THE PITS, my best friend came over with $500 cash. Just to bless us. She also included a personal note. Of course, I’ve always known how special personal notes are, but this card really meant so much.

And so I’ve decided as the year-end nears: wouldn’t it be nice to send a letter a week for the final 20 weeks we have left in 2020. Me thinks so 🙂. 

Community & kind words: I’m coming for you!

PS. wanna join me in sending 20 cards by Dec. 31?
🖤working on our school room, mid-process update 🖤working on our school room, mid-process update! this wall is inspired by @mygrandparentschair 👏🏻 

I saw her feature in a recent issue of “Better Homes & Gardens” and I was all 🤩🤩over her foyer. I’m using 1/2” black masking tape (mistake-making friendly) instead of paint, also renter friendly. 

Working on this project has been so good for my mental health. Doing > worrying.
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