"Motherhood" - My Own Thoughts and the Movie

Before we all become mothers, we dream of the day when God will bless us with a little angel and the doctor places this little miracle in our arms.


I was one of those little girls who didn't dream as much about her wedding, as many do, but rather more on becoming a mom.


I love being a mom.  We have a 20 month old son, in which the blog is aptly named after.  We also have baby Amelia on the way and trying to make her way out early -- placing me on bedrest for 3 weeks now and we are anywhere from 1 1/2 - 4 weeks away from her arrival!


The bad thing about being a mom?  I think that we are all, in some way, blindsided to the truth.


The sight of an infant enamors us all and cause women, instinctively, to ooo and ahh, without truly understanding the sacrifices that we make, but do it with total and complete undying love.


I have been on bedrest now, as I mentioned previously, for 3 weeks now.  Granted, I am allow to move around the house, but in limited spurts.  I am not allowed to pick Noah up, bathe him, put him in his highchair....nothing that would cause undue stress and increase the amount of contractions that I am already having.


The choice to leave my work and become a stay at home mom was the greatest gift that my husband and God could have allowed me.  The heartbreaking truth was, that going on bedrest and taking care of Noah, did not go hand in hand.  With this truth looking us in the face, we regrettably had to enroll Noah into an early preschool program.  Noah seems to love the school, but I truly miss him during the day - My consolation is in knowing that this is only short-term and he will soon be back at home with me during the day.


This time has been great for me and my renewal of soul, as I am not sure the next time that I will have the opportunity to stay at home and do what I want without much responsibility!  In this time, I blog, I do basic cleaning, like laundry and watch TV.  


Yesterday, I watched a movie that I rented from Blockbuster Online - "Motherhood" featuring Uma Thurman, Anthony Edwards and Minnie Driver.


I think that every mother should have to watch this movie.  I am not sure what expectations I had in watching it or even in renting it, but not a comedy, but rather a testament to what mothers (especially those who are stay at home moms) experience on a daily basis.


Although Uma Thurman's life was about 10x as crazy and hectic as mine will ever be, I loved all of the references to the wide range of parenting methodologies, natural parenting and modern day fads.  Another great aspect of this movie?  She was a mommy blogger!!!


Some examples were  as such:

• No plastic toys allowed
• Babywearing....by a dad!
• Reactive Parenting (cry when your baby cries so they see the sympathy)
• Making fun of society for naming babies such common names as Sophie and Ella
• A child wearing a UV Protection Robe
• The mother then boasts that it eliminates 99% of UV rays that her child is exposed to, that it cruelty and chemical free and made in Oregon. 
• A quick reference to toddler breastfeeding

Her character, Eliza, is the epitome of what I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post - in how she was completely blindsided by the responsibilities of being a stay-at-home-mom.  It's not as easy as it looks!


This movie also made me never want to live in West Village in New York - if you don't live there - watch the movie and you will understand what I mean!


When this movie was released, it was an utter flop in the theaters, but I must say that although "Eliza" is a bit self-involved without regard for the feeling of her friends, the overall theme and messages portrayed in this movie would hit home with a lot of the moms that I know!


The final monologue in the movie, Eliza's essay to a parenting magazine, made me choke up and perfectlyl rounded the movie.


"Motherhood is about accepting the limitations of time and energy,which stretch beyond you,even if sometimes it feel they could consume you.

Search for and hold onto your own true self. If you lose that,
what kind of mother can you be?

Things are always changing,no matter how much we migh want things to stay the same.

You could take a picture of your kids every single day,and every single day,
they'd just be getting older.

That's a fact. A heartbreaking fact. But still a fact.
  
So seize your days and dwell in them fully.

Look to your children, because they know how to inhabit brief periods of time
with extreme passion.And for nothing more, really,than the sake of those moments. They can help you remember that, if you only slow down and let them.

  
Feel fortunate because chances are good you actually might be."

Here's a great preview of the movie - but go out and rent it!





Watch the movie ... then come back and let me know your thoughts!