Jack Canfield - Chicken Soup for the New Moms Soul: Touching Stories about the Miracles of Motherhood

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CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE
NEW MOMS SOUL

CHICKEN SOUP
FOR THE
NEW MOMS SOUL

Touching Stories About the
Miracles of Motherhood

Jack Canfield
Mark Victor Hansen
Patty Aubery

Backlist, LLC, a unit of

Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC

Cos Cob, CT

www.chickensoup.com

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

copyright 2012 Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC

ISBN: 978-1-4532-7542-9 (ePub)

Cover design by Andrea C. Uva
Interior design by Anthony Clausi

Contents

1. WE ARE? YOURE SURE?

Paula F. Blevins

Stephanie Wolff Mirmina

Carol Sjostrom Miller

Barbara Warner

Heather Best

Catherine Madera

Linda OConnell

Kaye Robertson

Becky Povich

Kathryn Lay

Elva Stoelers

2. THE BIG DAY

Dahlynn McKowen

Cristy Trandahl

Mary Knight

Lori Fehlinger as told to Heather Black

Ginger LeBlanc

Ruth Rotkowitz

Mary Vallo

3. A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON

SG Birch

Mimi Greenwood Knight

Peggy Frezon

Kathleen Partak

Susanna Hickman Bartee

Jacinda Townsend

Lava Mueller

Susan A. Karas

Mimi Greenwood Knight

Kevin Butler

4. A MOTHERS LOVE

Maggie Lamond Simone

Lisa Duffy-Korpics

Lois Greene Stone

Karen Crafts Driscoll

Shannon Lowe

Sallie A. Rodman

June Williams

Stephanie Welcher Thompson

5. DADDY DEAR

Tom Krause

Stephanie Ray Brown

Kathleen Partak

Robin Clifton

Michael Floyd Thompson

Douglas M. Brown

Eva Juliuson

April Smith Carpenter

Joe Rector

Jeanne Zornes

6. LESSONS FROM BABY

Laura Smith

Stephanie McCarty

Martine Ehrenclou

N. Engler

Stephanie Welcher Thompson

Sally Friedman

7. MOTHERHOOD 1A

Stefanie Wass

Gloria Wooldridge

Stephanie Welcher Thompson

Cindy Hval

Julie Bloss Kelsey

Lynn Dean

Elizabeth Kann

Sue Diaz

Tanya Lentz

Barbara Nicks

8. JOYS OF MOTHERHOOD

Emily Weaver

Mimi Greenwood Knight

Mimi Greenwood Knight

Dorothy Firman

Karen C. Driscoll

Maggie Wolff Peterson

Mimi Greenwood Knight

Trina Lambert

Karen Koczwara

For most new moms, joining the ranks of motherhood is, without a doubt, a life-changing experience.

Whether she brings her child into this world naturally or adopts her precious bundle of joy, every new mom experiences hope, hope that her child will grow to be the best person possible, to be thoughtful and kind, fun-loving and happy.

But becoming a new mom can be scary, too, as uncertainties can often bubble through at every level. Is my baby crying too much, pooping too little, or not eating enough? Suffice it to say, most new moms survive these fleeting moments of questioning their abilities when they witness their child thriving and growing faster than ever imagined!

Without a doubt, becoming a new mom is the most challenging and worthwhile endeavor a woman will ever face. Referring back to Shaws quote, it is up to a new mom to fan the sparks of life and to love and nurture her child into that amazing adult-to-be.

So go aheadlight that match of new motherhood and revel in its warmth.

1
WE ARE?
YOURE SURE?

M aking the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.

Elizabeth Stone

Oh, I moaned as I readjusted the pillows to accommodate my ever-growing belly. Hadnt I just done that very thing ten minutes ago? I sighed and rubbed my enlarged tummy. Oh, how I missed sleeping on my stomach.

The girl in the apartment above me was active and noisy again. It was difficult to sleep through the night during this last trimester, but with her and her visitors talking and listening to music above my head each night, it was nearly impossible.

I pulledmy slumping body back up against the headboard.

My husband was at work. His hours were horrendous. I knew hed much rather be here, but that was beyond his control. So that left me solo again. Being awake and alone this late at night, and at the end ofmy pregnancy,was a bad combination. Worries always seem the greatest in the dark.