These are the days, Mama

Hey, you. Yeah you, with the whiney, “poor me, I’m so tired and don’t get to poop by myself” attitude. You, who dreams of the day your kids can all buckle their own seatbelts, sleep through the night, and eat their food without 75% of it ending up in their lap/floor/hair/down their ... Read More

To Moms with Sons

Hi there! If you stumbled upon my page from Facebook or another site, welcome! You can get to know more about me and what you’ll find on this page, here. And, if you like this post, feel free to check out more of my stuff on motherhood, like how it can feel so heavy sometimes. Married? Check out ... Read More

A Mother’s Monthly Thoughts

My boy is ONE! And just for fun, this past year I decided to document not only a photo of my growing baby each month, but also one honest thought that accurately summarized my feelings as a mother. From Belly to First Birthday (and beyond!): 40 weeks pregnant: Life would be so much ... Read More

The Secret to Getting Baby to Sleep Through the Night

Now, I know it might not work for everyone, but I wanted to share the secret to getting my babies to sleep through the night. Let's back up for a second. I have two kids, and both started STTN (sleeping through the night) when they were around 2 months old. They were also both ... Read More

What It Means When I Say, “My Husband Comes Before My Kids”

"My husband comes before my kids." Have you heard someone say that before? I'm sure you have. And I'm guessing that when you hear that statement, you either nod your head in agreement or you are extremely confused by it. You might even think the people saying it are crazy and/or bad ... Read More

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  • Before having kids, everyone tells you to enjoy the freedom of not worrying about anyone but yourself. It’s hard to fully understand what they’re talking about. Yes, you have people that you care about & love & even worry about on a daily basis, but it’s not the same.⁣ ⁣ MOTHERHOOD IS SO HEAVY.⁣ ⁣ From the moment you find out you’re expecting, you literally begin to carry the weight of that child. They place that baby on your chest for the 1st time, & in that instant your life is changed, forever. It’s extraordinarily wonderful & indescribably terrifying. You love that little piece of your heart, so much, but you almost can’t bear the weight of knowing that the responsibility will never stop. There are no breaks.⁣ ⁣ It’s almost like there’s a timer in your head, ticking. Every time you try to “take a break” from mothering, it taunts you. You try to take a day to yourself, or even just a few hours, but the ticking never stops. You can’t leave your child with a babysitter without hearing it. When the party starts going longer than expected, it gets louder. You watch the clock, wondering if your kids are still okay, if you can sneak out without being noticed, pushing yourself to stay cool for just 10 more minutes. Or 5 more minutes. Or, NOW, you have to leave NOW. Your kids need you. You can feel the weight, pulling you back home to them. ⁣ ⁣ The weight of being a mother is heavy, indeed. Somedays, it feels like it’s squashing you, requiring more strength & energy than you possess. The constant & unending responsibility seems like more than you can bear. It’s a lot to carry.⁣ ⁣ But that’s the thing about lifting weights, it leads to change. It doesn’t happen overnight, it’s not instantaneous. But slowly, over time, you begin to transform. Each day you get a little stronger, until one day you wake up & realize you hardly feel the weight at all. The weight has become easier to carry. It becomes second nature, a part of who you are. You carry it with you without even noticing it’s there. You have transformed into a stronger, more capable, more selfless version of yourself without even noticing.⁣ ⁣ Motherhood is so heavy, BUT YOU’RE STRONG ENOUGH TO CARRY IT.⁣
  • Are you a “pre-built” or a “build it yourself” gingerbread house kind of family?⁣ ⁣ ⁣Me? I’m definitely a “pre-built” kind of mom who always forgets to look at the box closely enough and accidentally buys a “build it yourself” which turns out to be more of a gingerbread heap than a house. Luckily, all the kids care about is inhaling sugar.😂 #allaboardtheexpress #hotmessthatis ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 📷: Edited with Calhoun 4 mobile preset. #mariellemariepresets
  • Cuz I got eyes in the back of my head, duh.😏👀 #mommin ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 📷: Edited with Calhoun 1 Mobile preset; decreased exposure slightly. #mariellemariepresets
  • A happy belated 7 months to this little love. 💕 #rosieposiegrows
  • After her first year of soccer, I think it’s safe to say she’s more of a “Dance” girl. 💃🏼😂 #alliaskedforwasasmile #teddymae #sheprancedaroundthefield
  • Telltale signs you’re a mom...⁣ ⁣ 1. Hearing things like “because I said so” come outta your own mouth (and feeling genuinely stunned and surprised at first, followed by sudden, deep understanding of your own mama😆😳).⁣ ⁣ 2. The irresistible urge to chop your hair. (Like, for the 4,332 time this month, please talk me out of chopping my hair like in this pic again👆🏼😬). ⁣ ⁣ 3. Thoroughly enjoying solo grocery shopping.⁣ ⁣ 4. You stop bothering to shut the bathroom door (they’ll find their way in anyway🤷🏼‍♀️)⁣. ⁣ 5. Not caring where you go on vacation as long as there’s a big, comfy bed, and the option to sleep in until you wake up ALL ON YOUR OWN😱***gasp***⁣ ⁣ Me? Currently battling #2, with a heavy side of needing #5, but knowing full well I’ll have to settle for #3 for at least another year or so😂 #momlife #thebestlife
  • “...and the ornaments were hung on the Christmas tree, with care.”⁣ ⁣ Just kidding.⁣ ⁣ ⇝Tree: 1 (maybe)⁣ ⇝Smashed on the floor: 7 (and still counting😆)⁣ #anotheronebitesthedust #ohsweetjames ⁣ 📷: Edited with “Vermilion 4” from the Vermilion presets collection.
  • Over the past couple weeks I’ve had dozens of people asking me how I get the warm organic skin tones in my recent photos. The easy, obvious answer is my presets😉, but for those wanting to know the exact settings used within the presets in Lightroom to achieve this look, I decided I’d just share on my blog! WHAT?! The Blog?!⁣ ⁣ Yep, it’s been so long, I almost forgot I had one too😂🤷🏼‍♀️⁣ ⁣ Head to the link in my profile or Mariellemarie.com to read my newest post ↠3 Editing Tricks for the Perfect Warm Skin Tones in Lightroom↞⁣ ⁣ 📷: Edited with “Vermilion 4” from the Vermilion Collection Presets; no additional edits made! #mariellemariepresets⁣

About Marielle

Writer. Photographer. French Fry enthusiast. Mama. Will work for coffee.

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