A mother is...

Four and a half years ago, on a sunny day in August, I sat outside a Starbucks patio with my husband - for the last time as a family of two.

Within a few hours, we were at the hospital, welcoming the arrival of our first-born son. That sunny day in August, my life changed in a way I never dreamed possible.

I became a mother. I fell madly, head-over-heels in love with my newborn baby, and experienced the very same feeling - instant love - with the arrival of our second son two years later.

Being a mother means many things to so many people, but to me, being a mother is simply the most amazing experience there is. It is what life is all about. There is no greater joy than hearing your children laughing, watching your children sleeping, or seeing them grow, strong and healthy. I am never fully satisfied unless my boys are happy too. My life has a greater purpose now. I love playing with my children, talking with my children, and reading to my children. I feel fulfilled with the simple things, like seeing them enjoy a meal. (Lord knows the blood, sweat and tears it sometimes takes to feed a toddler!) Loving, supporting, and protecting my children come naturally to me. Roar.

Being a mother is beautiful. Not glamorous, however. It means being extremely tired, never sleeping more than 4 consecutive hours a night, wiping up a lot of poo, stepping on LEGO, losing your patience, getting peed on, having sand thrown in your eyes, getting your hair pulled, having to clean vomit off the floor for the upteenth time, changing sheeets in the middle of the night and fevers at 2 a.m. that result in emergency visits to the hospital - but aside from all that - aside from the never-ending worry, the tiredness, and the 24 hours a day cleaning up?

Being a mother is an awesome thing!

In honour of Mother's Day, I want to know what you think the meaning of a mother is.

Write a post on your blog titled "A mother is...". Once you have written your post on your blog, you can link it up here. (See below!) Leave me a comment (in the comment section below) telling me you're playing along!

(Note: Under "Contest entry" section, just put the post title. Then, under link, your link to your blog post, and of course, don't forget to leave your email address!)

The winner of this contest will receive this really pretty Coach wristlet - perfect for carrying around the essentials like credit card, lip gloss, and business cards to hand out at BlogHer! (Or at the park!)

I look forward to reading all your wonderful posts!




I will pick a winner on Monday, May 10th.


Good Luck!


I'm also having a Melissa and Doug giveaway over on my brand-new review blog, too - check it out! Your chances of winning are excellent!