That word can mean different things for different people. For some, it may be their biological mother. For others, their adopted mother. It may even mean the neighborhood woman who played the motherly role or the family friend who became your second mother. For me, it means a warm hug. It means someone who will listen to me and give me advice. It means safety, love, and home.

Growing up, my mom and I were two peas in a pod. I'd go everywhere with her! Running errands, feeding ducks, and getting ice cream cones from Arctic Circle are just a few of the memories I have of those days. When we were out, I'd come across little things that I wanted to take home. On an early occasion, I asked my mom if I could have some toy and her response was "You can have anything you want in your dreams". This wasn't meant in a malicious way. It wasn't a "you wish" kind of statement. Instead, it was encouragement. It was assurance from my mom that no matter what, I could make my dreams into whatever I wanted them to be. I could have anything, do anything, be anything! From then on, I would point out things I wanted or thought I needed and would say "I'm going to have those in my dreams". This taught me, from a young age, to chase after my dreams. If I could dream it, I could do it. My goals and aspirations were never out of reach. As long as I had a dream and a deep desire for whatever it may be, I could accomplish it. I could get the toys I want and I could live the way I wanted. The truth is, though, dreams don't come true without hard work.

Every summer until 6th grade, I looked forward to the last day of school. The last day of school consisted of the annual dance festival and I could always count on my mom to be there. School was out early each year on that day so I loved getting to go home before lunch. The next day, I'd wake up to the birds singing outside and a neighbor mowing their lawn. The sun was shining and I could hear the outside faucet being turned on as mom was outside getting ready to water the lawn. Summer meant no school, long days, playing in the sprinklers on the trampoline, and lots of weed pulling. The deal was that in order for me to earn a day at the water park, I needed to fill a bag of weeds from the garden. I'll be honest, I hated weeding the garden. I didn't understand why this had to be part of my checklist before I was able to go swimming with my friends. Looking back on it now, my mom was teaching me a lesson. It wasn't about the weeds or the trash bag. It wasn't about her not wanting me to go to the water park. It was a much bigger picture. Mom was teaching me the value of hard work. She was teaching me to appreciate the rewards that come from working first and playing later. Each summer, I knew that weeding would be a big part of my time off from school but it taught me a lot. At the time, I grumbled and mumbled and tried to get out of it. Now, I can see what my mom was trying to teach me. The principle I learned was that hard work pays off.

She's silly. I love her sense of humor and I am so glad that we can laugh together. Sometimes we laugh about silly things that happened. Sometimes we laugh as we reminisce old memories. Regardless, my mom is silly and I love that about her. She isn't too serious. She's just the right balance of business and party. When "selfies" became big, mom got in on the action. Instead of using her iPhone, she used her big Nikon. I think it's great. She is so beautiful!

Mom was never one to expect too much of me. Yes, she and my dad definitely saw great potential in me and all of my siblings but they never set unrealistic expectations. They guided us and encouraged us and cheered us on, but they never had set the bar too high. Mom was always excited to see my grades on various papers and projects from school. She celebrated my victories and held me after my defeats. I could always count on my mom. She understands that I am only human and I will make mistakes. She knows my potential and encourages me to be my best self, but she never puts me down nor makes me feel insufficient as her daughter. She accepted me for me and loved me unconditionally, no matter what.

I let her down. I wasn't always the best version of myself. I had struggles. I made some not-so-great decisions. I know I was the reason behind her tears on more than one occasion. Regardless, she loved me. She cared about me and tried her best to keep the relationship strong. Even through teen angst and high school drama, she loved me. It may have been tough love at times, but she loved me. She still loves me. She cares about me. She checks up on me. She loves it when I go to visit. She is my go-to for advice on marriage and pregnancy. She and my dad have made it work for the last 40 years so I figure she's a very valid source of advice and love. She's given birth to 12 babies so I trust her views on pregnancy and childbirth. I love my mom.

Over the past 29 weeks, I've gotten a small glimpse of how much my mom loves me because I'm carrying my own baby. I feel Baby E move and kick and I smile to myself. I listen to her heartbeat and I'm at peace. I imagine what she will be like and wonder if she will look more like Kyle or me and I can hardly wait. At the same time, I know that Baby E will be a whole new adventure. I'm sure she and I will have a great relationship, just as my mom and I have, but I also know that there will be the hard days. There will be the teenage years and the arguments. There will be tears shed and lots and lots of hugs. I feel that I am ready, though, because of the example my mom was to me. She made it through raising all of my siblings and I. I am so eager to get to raise Baby E and her siblings in the future in similar ways that my mom and dad raised me. I will always share my testimony of Christ with Baby E, I will set an example for her, and I will always put her needs before my own. That's what my mom did. That's what moms are supposed to do.

My mom is beautiful. Not only on the outside, but the inside as well. I hope that I can be as beautiful and youthful as she is when I reach her age and level of wisdom.





I love my mom. I am so grateful for her. I am so glad she is the woman that she is. Because of her, I am who I am today. She taught me so much and continually does so. I may be all grown up now and having a baby of my own, but I will always be her baby girl. I love her more than words can express. The only thing better than having her as my mom is Baby E having her as her Nana. Strong women raise strong women, and because of the strength my mom has instilled in me, I am ready to raise yet another strong little girl in just 2 months.