premature pta.

these days i spend the majority of my time playing barbies, brushing hair and saying, 'stop, that's not nice.' 'use your inside voice.' and 'it's not polite to tell miss mallory that she has a big butt. time out.'

all this time around kids has made me seriously question whether or not i want them. ever. however, i find myself at the ripe age of 24ish and the people i love are announcing new pregnancy after new pregnancy. everywhere you turn, there are fetus trackers on facebook (which, for the record, i have absolutely no interest in knowing how many inches long your fetus is and which random body parts it has at this stage) and shower invites.

consequently, i have found myself engaging in 'mommy talk.' you know, the 'oh goodness, sarah is just talking so much and little ryan is crawling like you wouldn't believe.' i find myself discussing disciplinary techniques and fighting over whether cloth diapers are better than disposable (which they are. MUCH better. seriously). i hide in the bathroom from children so i can just get a break only to be asked, 'miss mallory did you wash your hands!' yes. yes i did.

while my days usually leave me exhausted and offering to sell my uterus for a small business loan, i have learned one (okay, two) things.

enjoy the ride.

whatever stage of life you find yourself in, enjoy the ride. me? i'm not anywhere near to being ready to start a family and that's okay. i am single, trying to start a business and in no way can i think of being a mother to anything more than my handicapped dog and coffee. i need to revel in this season and gain from it wisdom and experience that will (god willing) help to define how i love people in my life.

be thankful.

i recently found out that an acquaintance of mine from when i worked at fossil passed away during child birth. she was not much older than me and was in great health. she was forced to do an emergency c-section and she didn't make it. her baby is alive and well as is her husband, but now both find themselves without the woman they love.

while we find ourselves at the stage in life where everyone is announcing those new bundles of joy, i think it is important to embrace this news with reverence; this child is a gift and everyone's lives are about to change drastically. this is something so wonderfully heavy, in my opinion.

i may not be ready now or ever to bring a little munchkin into this world (i do daydream about adopting thought) but for those of you who are, my heart swells. i hope that this chapter in your life is fully encompassed in love from those around you and within your relationships. oh, and you should use cloth diapers.