Girl Mom Series: Amanda, Tickled Pink

Hi everyone! I'm Amanda and I blog at Tickled Pink where I share my daily adventures in parenting one spunky, very sassy, & determined (soon-to-be) 3 year old and also loving on a newborn baby boy! I mostly blog about my kiddos and how they keep me on my toes, but my other escapades include cooking, gardening, & the occasional (kid's) craft or two. I'm so excited Beth is letting me take over for the day to share some of the things being a Girl Mom has taught me. 

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I always saw myself as a girl mom. That was until I became pregnant for the first time. I was convinced I was having a little boy and immediately saw myself as a boy mom. I envisioned having a mama's boy, playing cars all day long, & cheering on my star player at his sporting events. 

Fast forward to when my husband announced the gender in the delivery room, I immediately asked, "Are you sure?!". Yep I was instantly a girl mom. I settled easily into the roll of all things girly. I'm a girly girl myself so it was no trouble at all. I thought I was going to be the one doing the teaching but that ended up being lesson number one.

When Lily was born on July 25, 2012, it is safe to say she changed my world. She came in and immediately made her presence known. From that first ear piercing scream, I knew my world was changed. We quickly realized we had a strong willed personality on our hands. That strong will Lily carries has not only taught me a lot about myself but also how to be a better version of that person. 

HOW TO BE CONFIDENT

I won't ever forget the day I spent dragging my tantrum throwing toddler through the parking lot by her arm while I slowed down traffic. A lady obviously too far from child bearing years to remember how kids can be was flagging me by with her hands as she rolled down her window to ask me if I could 'get control' of my kid. Obviously I couldn't. When I got to my car, Lily wasn't the only one sobbing. I vowed then to be confident in my decisions as a parent. I couldn't care what other people were saying. I had to focus on me and my strong-willed child if we were both going to make it through toddler town alive. Once I became a bit more zen, Lily followed suit for the most part.

LOVE YOURSELF

It is very easy to be tough on the reflection you see in the mirror sometimes. Being a girl mom has made me vigilant in learning to love myself and my appearance. I don't ever want Lily to hear me saying, "Man, I'm so fat." or "Geez, I look like crap." I want her to hear me love the body I was given. To love my imperfections that are so perfectly mine. Seeing me love myself will teach her to accept her body and appearance as well. 

LET GO

Having a strong willed child & being a control freak doesn't necessarily go hand in hand. I've learned to let go when Lily decides to dress herself in a skirt that screams 4th of July and a Doc McStuffins shirt paired with her winter boots because that's what makes her happy. Does it really cause me harm when she dresses herself? Maybe I cringe a little on the inside, but I also smile too. I know her personality is developing and it is important for me to choose my battles so that she can flourish and explore the person she is becoming so I let it go.

PATIENCE

Patience... While I'm still very much learning how to control my patience in it's entirety, I've learned to control my emotions when we are moving slower than a snails pace because Lily wants to do it "all by my ownself". My personal favorite is trying to keep my head from spinning when she is asking me for the one hundred billionth time "what we having for dinner at night?" or "where we going tomorrow in the next day?" She's clearly a planner and I love that about her. I want to encourage her to be her own person and to try things on her own before asking for help. So I clinch my teeth, answer the questions, and plan to leave 30 minutes before we really need to head out the door. 

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I could honestly write a few more pages on all of the amazing lessons my daughter has taught me, but I will leave you with the condensed version today.

We welcomed a little boy this past April and while I am so excited to finally understand the love of a mama and her son, I'm so thankful I jump started my adventures in mommy-hood as a girl mom. 

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Thanks for having me Beth!


Thank you so much for sharing today Amanda.

So often I read Amanda's stories about Lily and I am left shaking my head in agreement and reminiscing of similar stories I have about Marissa. The personality similarities in our oldest girls have been fun to discover and talk about.

Make sure you check out Amanda's blog. Go say hello and be sure to follow along. Amanda is just the sweetest and her blog is always so full of great ideas, recipes and excellent photos of her beautiful children.

If you're interested in sharing your story about being a girl mom fill out this survey and I will be in touch.