Best friend bloggers Leona and Nessa from Cork run Dreaming Always, a site where they share their motherly musings with mammies across the globe.
They aim to unite like-minded women to discuss the beautiful, although sometimes tiresome, reality of motherhood.
Their posts offer a refreshing take on motherhood with a humorous twist.
Speaking to Donegal Woman, Nessa says; “Dreaming Always is a platform, both offline and online which brings like-minded women together to discuss everything we love, to laugh about the struggles and beauty of motherhood and to share our dreams openly, honestly and always with a sense of humour. We focus on motherhood, style and places/travel.
“We created a place for sleep deprived mamas to dream.
“We really want to help other mamas to realise that it’s absolutely okay to feel overwhelmed and it’s absolutely normal to want to run away and escape some days. Talking about the good days is important but acknowledging that motherhood can be hard at times is just as important.
“This honesty can sometimes be omitted in the crazy world of social media and we think that is damaging. It is essential that new mothers know that they aren’t the only ones going through the good, the bad and the ugly side of motherhood. It is the only way that us women can really support each other.”
Nessa penned a stunning letter to her baby during the week titled ‘One’, when her little lady, Emie-Rose celebrated her first birthday party.
“I never fully understood when other people spoke about their crazy love for their children or when other people spoke about the level of responsibility and constant guilt that you feel once you have children. I never really bothered with other people’s babies.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing with other people’s kids but I never really had a thing for babies. I didn’t enjoy being at lunch/dinner/coffee/events/anywhere with people that talked about babies. I didn’t realise then that I’d be perfectly happy to change my whole life for someone else, never mind that person being a little baby. I never imagined feeling like this. I never expected to fall in love with you like I have.
“I didn’t expect to feel so emotional on your 1st birthday. It was the most special day. I feel like I’ve learned more in this year than I have learned in my lifetime. Obviously I have learned how to take care of a baby and as a total beginner, it was not easy. It was actually really tough. Amazing but tough.
“I have learned so much about myself, my family, my friends and I think I have learned what I really want from life. I know that I want less now. I look at everything differently now. I know that I am incredibly lucky with what I have. I appreciate everything that people do for me now… even if it’s just a text to say hi from a friend.
“Being a mama can make you feel really lonely despite having a little companion 99% of the time. You don’t feel like yourself anymore and the old you has been replaced by this more organised but more chaotic version of you who cries randomly for no real reason and who dreams about sleeping all day but then cannot sleep at night.
“I no longer fantasise about going to a tropical island to a 5 star hotel to drink mojitos all day. These days I fantastise about booking into a cheap hotel down the road to sleep… on my own. I am always tired now. I am always stressed out now. I feel guilty about something all the time now. I am so insanely happy yet so bothered all the time.
“Motherhood makes you melt, laugh, cry, swear and scream every single day. It makes you talk to yourself and speak in weird voices. It makes you constantly hum the songs from plastic toys and Baby TV. It makes you cranky and get cross for no reason with your partner a lot. It makes you vulnerable. It makes you stronger. It makes you care more about things you didn’t really care about before. It makes you look at the world differently. It makes you appreciate your own parents more.
“Would I change things? No way. Even on the darkest of days when I feel like a failure and wish for a moment that I could go back to my pre-baby carefree days. No way. I am your mama. You are mine. I get to watch my little girl grow.
“I feel incredibly lucky every single day & I am so grateful for being able to be your mother. I have a little piece of me that is mine to adore forever.
“Twinkle, twinkle little star. Wonderful is what you are.
“I love you Emie-Rose.
To keep up to date with Leona and Nessa, you can find links to their social media sites below:
Website: http://dreamingalways.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreamingalways2
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dreamingalways_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreaming_always_/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dreamingalways_/
