#254: Shifting My Sense of Activism

I can't believe Jaime just gave birth to baby number two.. today at 3:38am! Welcome to the world baby Emma.

It's been awesome watching Jaime be a mother the last two years. She's shared so much knowledge through storytelling about childbirth and raising the little ones. It's been inspiring to have heard her personal stories through the lense of our sisterhood, but now even greater to also get a more vulnerable peak inside her thoughts and experiences on her website  MudnMiracles.com, the blog she launched to capture more about her journey as mama, AND her as simply Jaime. 

- Amanda

SHIFTING MY SENSE OF ACTIVISM

Ellie’s been so involved in our prenatal appointments and especially loves the home visits. Here she climbed up on the couch and squished herself next to me and lifted up her shirt to check her belly too. I’ve been taking out some things for baby two and when she sees them she will now say “baby sisters”. 

I think so much about the person I was before becoming a Mom... And while, yes, I know I’m still that person, the reality is I just simply don’t have the time or space to take action in the ways I used to. I also believe my brain has changed to prioritize the health and well-being of my family. 

Before kids, I was so active in the causes I was/am passionate about: food justice and sustainability, alternative education...my involvement in relations with Central America and my role as some sort of bridge. It’s not that I’m not involved in those things anymore, it’s just shifted. And I’m confident one day it will shift again in a new way for me. Right now, I’m reminding myself that raising two little girls (and the rest of our family) in a way that contributes to these causes might be the most important thing I ever do. The little things I am doing might look small, but they are, in fact, bigger than I might realize. 

I am constantly trying to diversify our books and toys. Speak honestly to Ellie about life experiences and share scrapbooks of my travels with her. And create exposure in ways I wasn’t exposed growing up. It’s cool that she is now showing signs of making connections and curiosities. I’m glad we’re working with a home birth midwife who expands my knowledge and involvement of the unfair realities and racisms of the birthing world. I have much more to do and learn and I often come up short, but I can say I am open and listening and I hope and intend to grow more every day. I want to be an active part of the systemic change, even if right now most days it’s mostly just in the form of planting little seeds in little ones. Always curious about resources ~ especially those for new moms, for those who want to share.