My faith has taught me that with God anything is possible. It has also taught me that I have very little control over what the future holds. I learned years ago that “if you want to make God laugh tell Him you have plans”. Well, He must think that I’m ready for a Night at the Improv because I’ve done everything short of mailing Him my date book.

I’ve always been a planner. I was good at it and figured that I should probably make money doing it. So, I became one professionally. Everything in my life was scheduled by the hour. I measured my success by the amount of money I raised at an event and whether or not my client was happy by the end of the day. I was a “duck on water”, an old coworker used to say. We all were. Everything had the appearance of running smoothly but underneath it took frantic movement just to keep afloat. I thrived in this environment and made it my lifestyle. There was no line between my professional and personal lives. They were one in the same.

And then I became a mother.

My first mistake was showing up to the hospital, in labor, with a birth “plan”. It outlined things that were important to me to ensure a successful labor. Things like “please, no epidural, I’m going to try to be She-Woman and do this the all natural way” and “the cord is not to be cut right away, instead, place Rover on my stomach and allow him to find my breast, like all puppies do.” Granted, I worded these requests differently in the “plan”, but that might as well have been what I wrote, because yes, the requests are as ridiculous as they sound. My intentions were honorable, and I have the utmost respect for women who see natural birth all the way through, but fourteen hours into second stage labor and a blessing from my midwife had me promising a private "down there" viewing to the first doctor who showed up ready to shove the 6 inch needle filled with anesthesia into my back.

I gave it my best shot. I’m still an advocate for natural birth, for anyone other than me. A baby with a head size in the 99th percentile will change your mind for you, take my word for it.

But a birth that didn’t go quite as planned is just the beginning of my story. Motherhood has taught me that lists must be thrown to the wind, a two month old will be hard-pressed to get on a routine and praying for a healthy child doesn’t always guarantee one. It isn’t always part of His plan, and for good reason. I see that now, but getting here wasn’t easy.

Where exactly is here, you ask? I will take you on that journey, week after week, sometimes with humor, sometimes without, but always with this lesson in mind – you can’t and shouldn’t always rely on “what the book says.”

Until next time,

"My Way" Mom

Disclaimer: Information posted is not meant to replace advice given by your doctor. It is for entertainment purposes only.