Hey there! I am looking forward to being a regular contributor here at APtly Said. My name is Jillian and I am a twenty-two-year-old wife and mother.
For as long as I can remember I have wanted nothing more than to have a happy family. When I was diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of eighteen I was suddenly struck by the realization that my dream of having children may not come true. Hearing words like infertility at such a young age was not something that my husband and I were prepared for.
After rigorous treatments including surgery and induced menopause I found temporary relief from my painful symptoms. My husband and I resigned ourselves to the idea that if we were meant to conceive a child then it would happen when it was supposed to. Nearly three years after my diagnosis we found out we were expecting our first child!
From that moment, I knew that there was nothing more rewarding than being a mother. My husband and I both made the decision that I would be a stay at home mom. We could not bear the thought of entrusting our most precious possession to anyone else while both of us worked outside of the home. My decision to stay home and raise my daughter has been met with both criticism and praise. I have been both praised for my dedication to my family and also condemned for my ‘laziness.’ No matter how others perceive our decision, we could not be happier, and neither could our daughter. She is an incredibly bright child, full of life, energetic, curious, confident, and so very very loved.
Midway through our pregnancy I was put on bed rest due to complications. I had a lot of time to read, think, and reflect on what type of parent I wanted to be. Before we were even familiarized with the term attachment parenting my husband and I knew that these were the type of parents we wanted to be. We wanted to be available, loving, positive, and bonded.
Practicing this type of parenting, especially in a society that has strayed so far from instinctual and basic parenting practices can be difficult. Even so the profound effects it has on families and well, society as a whole is incredible!
As a family, we have found great success and great comfort with the principles of attachment parenting. As we continue to grow in our roles as parents, and as our daughter continues to grow in character and stature, we are excited to see the continuous benefits that this style of parenting is sure to have on us.
