Milestones of Motherhood

My husband first gifted me a Mini Dog Tag Necklace with my son’s name engraved on it for Christmas. My son was 6 months old and I just loved it. Little did I know how much my son would learn to love it as well. It became a comfort as I held him when he was tired or hurt. Often times he would drift off to sleep while playing with the charm. It helped to teach him to be easy and gentle so he didn’t break the chain. The sound of him sucking on his pacifier while his chubby little fingers played with the charm is permanently etched into my memory. He is 3 years old now and still will stroke the dog tag when he needs comforting. It’s a piece of jewelry that I plan to have for the rest of my life. 

I then received my “mama” Nameplate Bracelet for my first Mother’s Day. My son was born at the very end of May, so this bracelet felt like a milestone of the first year of his life. From a difficult delivery, 8 months of postpartum healing, newborn smells, sleepless nights, breast feeding, all the coos and baby firsts, snuggles, comfort hugs and kisses, teething cries and boo boos, belly laughs and everything else a mama does that goes unseen. Becoming a mother has been the biggest honor of my life. This bracelet has been traced by my finger during countless contact naps, middle of the night snuggles, and even moments of worry that every mama faces. I truly treasure this bracelet. It’s such a delicate reminder of how strong and powerful it is to be a mama. 

- Lauren Marino