Running as fast as her little legs allow her, Nevaeh wraps her arms around me the moment I walk through her classroom door.
The best part of my day is that little hug! Nevaeh’s eyes sparkle every time she looks at me as though she is thinking ‘I love you mommy, you are the best EVER!’ Well, at least I like to imagine that’s what she would say if she could. Nevaeh’s hug is the highlight of my day and a simple reminder for me that I am doing an impeccable job as a single mom. I am loved and cherished beyond measure. Nevaeh gives me such a warm embrace when she sees me because she is proud of me! I do my best and work hard each day to make sure she is happy and healthy. Little hugs after work tell me that I am doing just fine! God knew I would need these hugs before I even knew Nevaeh would ever exist. God is that amazing! I can remember being pregnant (feeling like a whale washed up at sea) and munching on whatever it was I had a craving for while imagining what my baby would turn out to be like. You never know what to expect when you have a baby.
Nevaeh and I currently live in her Nana and Pawpaws house. My parents are a huge blessing, let me just say! Without them we would be completely homeless and lost. I am truly grateful to have the family that I have, willing to provide Nevaeh and I with a place to live while I get on my feet. They motivate me and always have my back. Beyond blessed!!! I do wish to have my own place and I will one day.
This worlds economy has made it extremely difficult for anyone for that matter. In this moment in time, Nevaeh and I are exactly where we are supposed to be. God has provided us with a loving household where we are creating beautiful memories. When Nevaeh looks back at the thousands of photos of her infant and toddler life she will be pleased. Truth is in the photos! There is not a single moment when Nevaeh is not smiling or just simply happy in a photo. Thank you snapchat! The house is full of love and so much of it you want to throw up sometimes. Not literally! There should be a filter of floating hearts all around at all times. Laughter is what you hear throughout the house. There is never a dull moment with my family. I embrace it all! Nevaeh knows love and happiness because of the house we are in today. She has her own bedroom which is fit for a princess! Even though I am unable to give her everything she wants she has more than what she needs. Everyday we have ‘mommy and Nevaeh’ time. We spend majority of the time in her room. Nevaeh has a little pink play house with a Minnie Mouse kitchen inside (a gift from Santa this past Christmas). She grabs my hand and says “go, go!” pointing towards her little pink house. This is my cue! I am to squeeze my butt inside the tiny pink house and chow-down on the imaginary food she ‘cooked’ for me. I probably have laundry to put away or something else on the to-do list but spending this small little moment with my daughter is most important! Hearing Nevaeh laugh with glee watching me drink some imaginary tea out of a Minnie Mouse cup. The rest will just have to wait.
One of my favorite moments with Nevaeh is when we are in the car and the song ‘Cant Stop The Feelin’ by Justin Timberlake starts playing on the radio. Kicking her feet and screaming with excitement, Nevaeh starts to sing along with her own ‘jibber-jabber’. Bobbing her head side to side with her hands waving around and clapping. I pitch in saying “Woo! Go girl!” I cant help but giggle with delight with my carefree daughter that’s jamming in the backseat with the biggest grin on her face. Moments like this remind me what I have accomplished. My daughter is happy and that makes me happy! That is most important. She is so filled with joy it seems as though she could burst! Every moment Nevaeh is with me she acts as though it is the greatest moment even at bedtime. This is another favorite time of mine! Nevaeh sleeps in my bed. My bed is the only place she will sleep through the night. During the day she will sleep in her own bed for naps, but when it comes to bedtime, it is a different story. We begin our nighttime prayer, I fold my hands together and say “Dear God…” when Nevaeh hears this, she folds her hands together and bows her head and listens to the prayer. At the end after I say “amen” Nevaeh claps her hands and cheers, “yay!!!” with a smile on her face from ear to ear. Now she knows it is time to go to sleep and so Nevaeh gets comfortable. Sometimes she decides it is more comfortable to lay with her legs sprawled across my stomach and other times she just want to be cuddled. Most of the time, Nevaeh crawls on top of my stomach and lays completely on top of me and falls asleep so quickly it is unbelievable. Nevaeh just needs comfort, and her mommy beside her for warmth and security. Even though I am an inch away from falling off the bed, I am proud to bring her such comfort. For the record, I have yet to fall off the bed!
Nevaeh is very content when she is with me. The love she has for me is overwhelming! When I leave the room she is my little shadow. Bouncing right behind me chanting “mama, mama, mama!” Truly precious! I adore my little duckling waddling behind me, wanting to go everywhere I go and do everything I do.
Being a mom means mastering how to sleep on the edge of the bed.
Don’t get me wrong, not every moment is sunshine and daisies. Sometimes Nevaeh decides she wants her diaper off! Dear Lord help me! Occasionally those diapers have a present laying inside. Gross! So this is when I wrap Nevaeh up in a towel, and run frantically into the bathroom to makes sure there is no residue on her. After basically bathing her, I put a new diaper on her, clean and dis-infect any thing the poop may have touched-Ew! I am looking forward to potty training soon! During the smelly process, Nevaeh is nothing but giggles! Almost like she is laughing at my facial expressions. When it is all complete, I look at her big blue eyes and she says to me “shoo-shoo!” I am thankful for such a comical child! She knows how to make me laugh when I needed a good hard laugh! But I have learned a lesson; always keep pants on my toddler! Then there is nap time and Nevaeh may decide to fight her sleep, making the rest of the day hard to get anything accomplished. My sleepy toddler becomes little miss attitude. This attitude is hard to deal with sometimes, but when I stop what I am doing and spend that extra little time which she needs, Nevaeh is the happiest toddler on the planet! Spending time with her is so important, even when she has sleepless days and I get nothing done. Her heart is full of joy and the extra time spent together is much needed, for both of us. Then there is dinner time. Nevaeh refuses to sit still in her chair to eat her food. I put Nevaeh in her seat and the moment I turn my back she is up and running around the kitchen with food falling off of her shirt, and I find tiny handprints along the walls and cabinets that are at her height level. So every night I sit with her in the tiny little Minnie Mouse chairs (they are not made for my big butt to fit), and I wait until she is done. Occasionally reminding her to sit down. When Nevaeh has a full belly, after washing her hands and face, I get down to Nevaeh’s level and scrub all the fingerprints I see. I definitely get excersize! It is amazing what you find when you get down to a toddlers level! Sometimes I am astonished at what I find, and a little grossed out.
There will be so many times you feel like you’ve failed, but in the eyes, heart, and mind of your child you are super mom.
These are just small aspects of my everyday life as a mommy. Embrace the small things in life. Even the times you think could be the worst, somehow they make an impact on our lives. If it consists of you eating a cold plate of dinner, or scrubbing little fingerprints off the walls, just look at your child’s smile on their face! Isn’t that what us parents want most in life?! For our children to be happy! This should make us feel beyond amazing as parents! Every moment with your little one is priceless. Even the smelly, aggravating moments can lead to smiles and laughter. Embrace your child! They are the most precious gift from God.
Nevaeh is sunshine on a stormy day. She turns my sad tears into happy tears. Even through the stressful days and worries I have as a mom. I wonder at times if I am doing the best I can, if I am being the mom Nevaeh needs me to be. Then I see in my daughters eyes that she is proud to have me as her mommy. When I look at my daughter and see the way she looks at me as if I hung the moon, I feel like super mom! Call me Wonder Woman 😉
Thanks for reading!
•Meg•☕️
Mama Needs Coffee 