My Sister Is A Boss Mom

My sister is a boss Mom and she inspires me to be a better mom. I guess that makes her a boss sister too! We've always been close and we love spending time together. We can thank our parents for that and we know we are so blessed to have one another. Growing up, I never imagined that my sister who is 6 years younger would marry first, and I also never imagined she would be a mom first. However, she beat me to both. Reflecting on those facts has allowed me to see her in a totally different light. She went from my kid sister to a strong and capable women in just a few short years.

She was a young wife and a young mother. I'll be the first to admit that I thought she was crazy to want to get married so young but proud of her for knowing what she wanted. When she found out she was pregnant, I was terrified for her. I was excited to have a niece or nephew but I was scared for how her life would change. It was hard enough being married to a sailor and living a couple hours away from us but as it neared the end of her pregnancy, she found out her husband would be deployed for six months. We made plans for her to move closer to us so she would have the extra support while her husband was gone. Soon after that, we found out she would be induced which would allow her two weeks with her husband as new parents before he headed overseas.

I've never been so scared for her as I was the day she gave birth to my beautiful niece. It was a long day for all of us waiting and an exhausting hard day for my sister. She was so brave and on February 12, 2009, her adorable baby girl was welcomed into this world.

The next 6 months flew by. I am so grateful to have been able to spend time with my sister and to see her grow into a her new role as Mommy. As it turned out, there was no need for me to be scared for her. She took to motherhood and proved her strength time and time again. I was happy for her when her husband came home safe but terribly saddened to see her move away again. I snuck in as many visits as possible over the following months and each visit allowed me precious time with my niece as well as treasured time with my sister. I got married in the fall of 2009 and became bonus mom to three wonderful daughters. They were already a part of my life but I was so proud to know that marriage to their father made me official bonus mom. The first few months were difficult to navigate as a part- time mom, but I found strength in watching my sister overcome challenges in her early stages of motherhood.

We lost our father in June of 2010. We were heart broken and we needed one another. Shortly after his passing, my sister and her family moved back home and in with me and my husband. We missed our dad terribly but we were blessed to grieve together and with our daughters to distract us from the pain. At the time, my husband shared custody with his ex-wife which meant visits every Wednesday night and every other weekend. I missed the girls when they were not home but I loved being able to come home to my sister and niece everyday.

The next few years quickly passed by but during that time I learned so much about motherhood from my sister. She was my rock when I needed her most. She was my comfort during 2 long years of infertility procedures and losses. She pushed me to keep trying and she never gave up hope that I too would have my own child. Towards the end of 2012, I started the process for my fourth and final round of IVF. My sister found out she was pregnant with her 2nd child. She found out she was having a boy the day I found out that my last IVF cycle had not worked. When I gave up on IVF, she helped me process that loss but she would not give up on me becoming a mother. She was pregnant with her own child and even offered to carry a child for me after her son was born. We choose not to go that route because shortly after that loss, we found out my husband's ex-wife was moving to Florida and their custody arrangement would change. We would now have our daughters during holidays and summers. I was too sad to even think about having more children. This was another loss that my sister supported me through. I am so grateful for her.

My adorable nephew was born May 3, 2013. His arrival brought so much joy during a time when I needed it most. My sister's strength through this pregnancy and birth was once again an inspiration.

In spring of 2013, my husband and I decided to become foster parents with the intention of adopting. My sister did not hesitate to support us in that process. She and her husband even went through training so they could be our back-up care providers once we were placed with children. We were not placed full-time with children for several months but we helped out with respites as much as we could. My husband works long hours which meant I was often left alone to take care of children. Anyone who really knows me understands that I frequently take on more than I can handle. This happened a lot. If my sister thought I was crazy for doing so, she never told me. She just showed up and she loved on every one of those children. Our first full-time placement was a placement of 4. Suddenly overnight almost, I went from being a part-time mother of 3 (one of which was an adult with her own children) to a full-time mother of 4. My sister was yet again a source of great comfort and because she was so good at mothering her own two children, I often sought her out for advice. I depended on her strength and guidance to get me through the next couple of years.

Fast forward a few years to 2020 and a huge plot twist. I am now a mother to two sons adopted in 2016, Mom to 3 bonus daughter sand Nonni to two grandchildren. My sister and I both found ourselves homeschooling and in quarantine. It was a lot to process but we did it. My sister announced she was pregnant a third time with a pandemic baby. During a time when there was so much sadness and stress, her pregnancy was a source of pure joy. Her pregnancy helped pass several very long months. Her strength during all of this was once again an inspiration. I cannot even imagine being pregnant during a pandemic while at home homeschooling two children and keeping up with all of her day to day responsibilities. She did it though and she rocked it!

My sister is my best friend, my greatest supporter, and the picture of strength. She never gives up. She is loving and kind. She is resilient and a positive light in a sometimes very dark world. She is raising three wonderful and kind children with hearts as big as hers. She provides love and guidance to my children. She looks out for her friends children and the neighborhood children. She is a boss Mom, a boss Daughter, a boss Wife, a boss Aunt and a boss Sister. I am so grateful for her and blessed with her. I love you dear Emilee.