It is OK

To all the moms-to-be and the brand new Moms out there, please know this: It is OK.

It is OK to be nervous.  It is OK to be eager.  It is OK to be scared.  It is OK to be unbelievably excited beyond words.

It is OK to not know all the answers; none of us do.  

It is OK to ask questions.  Lots and lots and lots of questions.  It is OK to keep seeking answers if none of the answers you get to those questions feel right to you.  

It is OK to laugh.  It is OK to cry.  It is OK to do both at the same time.

It is OK to be totally overwhelmed...with emotions, with motherhood, with support from others, with laundry.  It is OK to say you are overwhelmed.  

It is OK to listen to advice, smile, say "thank you" and then completely disregard it and trust your own instincts.

It is OK to second-guess yourself.  It is OK to trust yourself.

It is OK to just be you.  You are enough.  You are exactly what that little tiny miracle needs.  That is why God put that little tiny baby in your care.  

There may be times when it feels just that way...as if everything in the universe is right and being Mom to your baby is exactly what you were put on this Earth to do.  There may be times when you feel everything BUT that way...like you are unprepared or unsure or underdressed (as in still in your PJs at 4pm).  Sometimes both those feelings happen minutes apart from one another.  

It is OK.

You are not alone.  You are loved, you are supported, you are surrounded by other Moms who have walked a path not so different from your own.  You are amazing.  You are beautiful.  You are at the beginning of a life-changing, life-shaping journey.  

You are a mom.

You Are a Good Mom.

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Moms-to-be and brand new Moms, you were so much on my heart and mind when I was writing "A Mom is Born."  I was thinking so much of the huge range of emotions I felt in those first hours and days after having my first child.  A huge part of me just wanted to know it was going to be OK; to know I was going to be OK as a mom.  The thoughts that kept racing through my head while I was writing the previous entry are what you see above.  They didn't quite fit into "A Mom is Born," but I couldn't get them off my mind.  This quick little addendum is for you guys.

Moms of bigger kiddos...or even grown up kiddos, this is for you guys, too.  Maybe you can relate to some of these feelings.  Maybe you still have some of these feelings from time to time.  

No matter which group you fall into, please feel free to share any supportive comments or experiences to help encourage Moms just starting this whole "motherhood" thing.  Add your own "It is OK..." or any other thoughts you may have in the comments below.