No Turning Back Now, I Am the Mother of Four

Yes, I have four kids. Yes, it is hard. But I always dreamed of having a large family. Do I struggle some days? Yes. Lots of days? Yes. Would I recommend it to anyone? Most days I do. Other times, I say ask me another day. 🙂

MOM OF FOUR
Photo credit: www.jaidenphotography.com

I remember deciding where to go to college. I knew it would not be easy, but I knew that I wanted to study engineering at Georgia Tech. I remember taking my first job and realizing just how much there was to learn on my first day of training. Have you ever done anything that was challenging? Or do you take the easy road all the time?

Motherhood is challenging. And yes, we make choices that will indefinitely make it harder. These past few months have been especially hard on me. Two kids in school, a three-year-old, and a baby who does not seem to be sleeping through the night anytime soon. Life is not easy with even one of these things going on!

MOM and Henry

Every transition has been difficult for me. Going from having two to three was difficult, and now going from three to four has been even harder. I am still not sure what makes it harder (besides the fact that we are plus one). Maybe it is because there are more people adjusting to the big change.

I remember how difficult it was the first time my husband and I became parents but it was just the two of us that had to adjust. Then Lainey came along. Four people in our family had to adjust. And now with Henry. Five of us.photo 1

I am adjusting. I am realizing that I have to lower my expectations. I simply cannot do as much as I did with three kids. It is very hard for me to say no, but I have definitely had to practice saying it more lately. I also need to know when to ask for help. It is amazing how naturally it comes when you really need it! Almost of all of my time and energy are required to manage this challenging, dynamic, fun-loving household of SIX!

It seems to be working, and I definitely still have some bad days. I am so happy though, and I feel so blessed to have a large family. My older children are all thrilled to have a new baby brother. They are learning to share their mom and dad. They are learning patience. They are learning that mommy and daddy can get frustrated. They are learning to sometimes just let things roll. They are learning teamwork.

So many special moments I get to experience as their mother but one of my favorites lately is that they all collaborated on our Halloween costumes this year and came up with a great choice for their baby brother!Waller Kids

Whether you are a mother of one or a mother of four, we all have struggles! How do you handle the stress of motherhood??

 

Kathy Waller
Kathy is a Georgia girl who followed her surfer husband Chuck to the beaches of Jacksonville where she became mom to elementary-aged twins Sophie and Will, preschooler Lainey, and baby Henry! Stay at home mom and avid volunteer, Kathy truly believes in teaching her children to embrace the community, to depend on each other, and to serve one another. Kathy served for a decade in the Junior League of Jax and is in her third year serving on the executive board of the PTA where her children attend school. She is very active in her church, Neptune Baptist and has been involved in the MOMS Club of Jax Beach for over eight years. Kathy has learned so much in her career as a software consultant for Oracle, but is always amazed at the skills she has acquired as a mom and community volunteer. Kathy also enjoys running and completed her last marathon (#9) in 2011, but always wonders if she shouldn't just do another to have a good even 10 under her belt!

6 COMMENTS

  1. Kathy, such a lovely message and you do an amazing job with your family! You are so positive and you make it look easy!

  2. I am a mother of two (almost 4 and 2 year old). We have been talking about the timing of the 3rd. My hubby has been reay for a while but I am thinkin I would like to get my oldest in kindergarten (he won’t start for 2 more years). I have heard the transition of 2 to 3 is quite rough. Any insight?

  3. Hi Emily,

    In some ways, my transition is similar to 2 to 3 because my oldest are twins. Of course this could be a case of “the grass is greener”, but I wish I had mine closer together. Eight-year-olds are exhausting in a different way than an infant and you know how tiring a four-year old can be. I wonder if I would have had more patience if I were a few years younger, and I would be if they were closer together!

  4. Kathy – you are simply an amazing woman, friend, mom, wife…etc…..you have such a calm and positive outlook on the world and those around you. I love hanging and being with you and my children do too. XOXO

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