My Motherhood in Photos

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It happens every few weeks. I scroll through social media and see that photo. It’s the photo with the family that looks perfect. Their clothes match down to the accessories and the children appear content, well-behaved, AND happen to stare right at the camera. The parents look proud and happy, and the house looks immaculate. They beam with the love and affection that they have for each other. They are the family I envy. Eventually, reality strikes and I realize that the photo in front of me represents just one moment. As a tribute to Mother’s Day, I have compiled photos of my real motherhood in action and without filters.

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Moms taking selfies. If you see a mom taking a selfie with her kids, it’s because few people take photos of moms with their kids. Next time you see a mom taking a selfie, please offer to take the photo for her. Karma can be awesome.
Note: my child never actually smiled in this entire collection of photos.

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My children’s socks never match but every few months, I try to find the missing mates. It’s like a Where’s Waldo game: do you see any matching socks? 

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I really love going to the zoo, but clearly my family and my facial expression do not.

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For moms who breastfeed, this embodied my daily routine, and I disliked it despite knowing the health benefits for my baby. 

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This is the average number of photos on my phone showing the same pose. I take this many pictures because I have a desperate hope that just ONE will capture us actually looking great. In this one, we had none.

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We really are a happy family. Can’t you tell? Our daughter’s face is classic.

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And, sometimes it’s OK to just make funny faces and not obsess over how you look.
(I think I look horrible but my better half insisted I use this one)

So the next time you are scrolling through your newsfeed and you see that photo of perfect bliss, remember, it’s just a moment. Literally a moment, as in one second. So much happened right before that photo and it doesn’t represent the exhaustion, desperation, and pure joy of motherhood. 

Help us celebrate REAL motherhood by posting your real moments, and using the hashtag #pdxrealmotherhood. Let’s flood social media with REAL.