More Important Things

I have been a part of this bloggy world now for 3 years. I've worked hard to carve out a space for myself among the millions of mommy and lifestyle bloggers. I've spent countless hours writing and designing, tweeting and pinning, dreaming and scheming to help build my blog and a community around Along for the Ride.

And I love it.

But things are likely going to look different around here, at least for a while.

They have to. There's just no way they can't.

And of course, here's the reason.

From what I see on blogs and Twitter and the like, a lot of you are able to have babies and then quickly jump back into the swing of things. You make it look easy.

It's not. Or at least it hasn't been for me.

Maybe you...
- don't have to hold your baby all day to help him calm down
- have a happier baby who doesn't have reflux and gas and eats like a horse
- drink more coffee than I do
- require less sleep than I do
- have magical powers
- have a nanny
- manage your time better than I do
- know some secret that I don't
- are lying

Regardless, I am so far from getting back into the craft room, getting back to scheduling blog posts, spending time on Twitter, designing new products and preparing for my shop reopening.

I have just a few free minutes each day and I choose to take a shower.

So things will be a little different around here, for a while anyway...
- I won't be posting as often. But I will still be sharing my story. A story made even richer now that Sam is in it.
- I tried hard in the time I had leading up to Sam's birth to create a blog schedule and get my life online organized. That's all out the window now.
- Although I've never been super great with returning emails, I might get a little worse before I get better.
- My shop may open in January, it may not.
- I won't be on Twitter as much. I don't think I'm strong enough to spend time there right now. I know I shouldn't compare myself to others (especially in just 140 characters), but the truth is, I do. It seems like so many have it more together than I do these days. Although that may not be true, it's still hard to see. So I'm going to shield myself from it, at least for now.
- Sponsors and giveaways and all those things will likely take a back seat for a little while. First and foremost, my online space is where I share my story, and if I only have a little time for Along for the Ride these days, my story comes first.

Because some things are more important...
- Meeting the needs of my son and making sure he knows he's loved in millions of different ways.
- Spending time with my husband, even if it is to watch our favorite TV shows.
- Finding my prayer voice again. During this time, I need to lean on God even more. Truth be told, I haven't been.
- Fostering new friendships. From a season of loneliness has sprung a season of great friendship. I need to invest in them to see them grow.
- Taking a few minutes for myself when I can that doesn't involve being in front of a screen.
- Maintaining our home because healthy meals and a clean(ish) house is important to me.
- Keeping up on the laundry, because with a baby that spits up as much as Sam does, I have loads and loads of laundry.

Of course it's not the end of Along for the Ride, just a little change of plans. I'm along for the ride more than ever these days. The Lord has set me on a course of motherhood, the most amazing/scary/hilarious/challenging/wonderful ride of my life.