Manifesting Motherhood // My Aspirations for Year 32

This week I turn 32 years old, and I’m reflecting on what I want the next year of my life to look like.

This birthday feels different than my other birthdays in that I’m on the cusp on a monumental life change: In a few short weeks, I will become a mother. I obviously don’t know everything that having a baby will entail, but I’ve been doing a lot of manifesting with what I desire motherhood to be for me.

The idea of having a kid scared me for pretty much all of my 20s. My husband and I were busy exploring the world, building our careers, moving a lot (4 times in my 20s, and then again last year – not to mention once more earlier this year) and enjoying our marriage just the two of us. It wasn’t until I was around 30 that I started thinking long and hard about wanting a kid.

Thinking about it now, I realize that part of that was just that timing is everything. Waiting until last year to get pregnant was the right decision for us. I also realize that part of it was seeing a lot of examples of what I did not want motherhood to be for me.

I worried about being forced to give up my passions and a lot of what makes me me.

I wondered how I could be a great mother but also balance out all of the other aspects of my life.

I’ve never been someone who focuses all of their attention on one thing. I have an awesome relationship with my husband, but I’ve always still prioritized my friendships and put in the effort to build on existing relationships while meeting new friends. I adore having a career and building a business that enables me to me creative, yet I’ve also sought after work that gives me flexibility because that’s important to me. I haven’t let one single thing – no matter how important that thing is – run my whole life because, quite simply, I don’t want to let one single thing run my whole life. I wondered, will that change when I become a mother?

Today, a few weeks before I welcome a baby girl into this world, I have the answer. I’ve realized that I don’t have to follow anyone else’s ideals of what being a good mother looks like. I can listen to people’s advice and opinions, but at the end of the day, I can take it or leave it. Because I know in my heart and know in my gut that I will intuitively make the right decisions for my baby, my family and myself. I’ve watched as women that I adore have become kickass mothers, so I know who I want emulate.

While I’m sure that 32 will be full of surprises and that I’ll learn many lessons as a new mom, here are some things that I know I want my next year to entail:

I want to continue making a healthy lifestyle a priority in my life.

I want to consistently fit movement into my days. Sometimes that will mean going to yoga while my husband is with our little one, sometimes it’ll mean getting into a Pilates class while she hangs with a babysitter, and other times, it’ll mean at-home workouts while she naps. However I get my workouts in, I plan to keep making them important to me.

{Quinoa veggie burger sliders}

I want to continue making nutritious, homecooked meals that nourish my household.

I want to continue doing work that I enjoy. My goal is to continue building my working relationships with clients and to learn how to balance my time out with working some days, while also being able to be home other times with my little one.

I don’t want to lose my adventurous spirit simply because I’m journeying into motherhood. I want to plan trips and see the world with my baby strapped to me. I want to go on hikes, explore new places near and far, and keep life fresh and exciting, and my hope is to begin instilling Baby C with that same zest for life (the goal is to start her young!).

I want to make sure that my husband and I continue to prioritize our relationship and spend quality time together just the two of us – whether that means a date night out, a relaxing movie night in, or just catching up over a quick dinner. This baby has been created in love, and I want to always make sure that she sees an example of a solid partnership built on mutual love and respect in her parents.

I want to keep my close friends and family present in my life. I know that a baby has a way of keeping parents preoccupied, but I want to make sure that motherhood doesn’t completely consume me.

Vegan chocolate hazelnut butter pudding with strawberries

I want to continue creating recipes and lifestyle content and sharing them on this blog.

I want to make sure that I practice self-care. I think it’s easy to throw your needs to the wayside as a mother, especially a new one. But I’ve seen some of my friends routinely blow off self-care in the name of motherhood and pay the price with their well-being, and I’ve vowed to myself that I won’t do the same. I can’t pour from an empty cup, so in order for me to be a good mom, I know that I need to do things that rejuvenate me. For me, this includes things like putting on a face mask, taking a relaxing bath, getting a massage and doing yoga.

I want to do things that make me happy and enhance my life in any way that I can – so however that shapes up for me, that’s what I want to place focus on. I’ve never had time for nonsense that takes up time and energy, but I’m feeling that vibe now more than ever. Whatever brings me joy? That’s what you’ll find me putting energy into.

My fears about having a child are not totally gone, but I know that manifesting what my life will be like in motherhood has helped me to push past the panic and see that becoming a mom is something I always have envisioned. I know that this baby will light up my life in a brand new way I haven’t experienced before and change me for the better, and I’m looking forward to meeting Baby C very soon!