Motherhood on my Heart

It is amazing to me how much becoming a mom has already changed my life. I have never felt such a strong need to protect. In his generosity and goodness God has entrusted Eric and I with one of His precious souls and the responsibility and privilege is both wonderful and scary. It delights and weights heavy on my heart how much I need to protect our little girl and form her for her ultimate life goal of being one day united with God in heaven. My life will never be the same and my life is no longer just about me. I think constantly about my daughter. With every decision I make I think how it will effect her. I even find myself trying to simplify my life because simplicity is a virtue I would like to instill in her. I think "do I really need new shoes? The old ones are still okay and the money I save can be used to buy something for Mary." I think how much I want to love and respect Eric because I want her to grow up seeing her daddy as her hero and the man she turns to and respects above all others knowing that a profound respect for him will prepare her for marriage (if that be her vocation) and ultimately a beautiful relationship with her Father in heaven. I often think about the state of this world and how Eric and I will shield her from the evils and slowly introduce her to society so she can be a light in the darkness. I have become aware of the kinds of people I will be okay with her spending time with and the people whose influence I do not want upon her as well as people who I want in her life influencing her in ways Eric and I desire. I find the need to grow in holiness myself even more pressing because I need to develop the virtues I want to model for her. What a beautiful vocation motherhood is! I know one thing for sure, Eric and I will only be successful at raising our daughter into a Saint if we raise her on our knees placing her at the feet of Christ every single day. She is entrusted to our care but she is not our own. She belongs to God and our job is to help get her to heaven so she can be with Him for all eternity. And this journey begins now, even while she is still growing in my womb. I can see why some of the amazing mom's I have talked to said they found themselves praying several rosaries a day for their children :)