Mother In-Law

This past week has been an emotional, clarifying, and eye opening experience for me. I have spent the last week with Justin's biological mother, and things went far better than I ever expected. I don't normally go into detail about my husband's personal life, but he has both his mom (Arleen), and he has his step-mom (Cherie). Both women can take equal amounts of credit for raising Justin, and somehow contributing to the man he is today. I have grown to find respect for both women, and I have accepted both moms into my heart like my own.

That being said, the past four years have not allowed for Arleen and I to have much of a relationship. We'd facebook one another, exchange photos, and occasionally have conversations on the telephone.. that was pretty much the extent of our interaction. When we are in New York visiting, we never spend enough time with Arleen to say so. During the time we do see her, it's never one on one. I think it's safe to say I didn't really know her all that well.

Her visit to Washington definitely changed all that. I actually got to know my mother in-law for the woman she is today. I let go of past judgements, and I really allowed myself to open up to her. She brought a ton of pictures of Justin from his younger years, and she even left me with his baby book. I have pictures of Justin being nursed when he was an infant, his first locks of hair, and every single moment documented on a milestone he achieved.

I started to realize that my mother in-law and I aren't so different. We have a few similarities. We both like to brag about our babies, we both like to scrapbook special moments, and we both have a love for Justin like no one else on earth. We connected during her visit, and I will admit that a small part of me is sad to see her go. She was a huge help with helping me keep the house in order, entertaining Ava bug, and sharing some of her family recipes.

I'm so happy that she was able to come out and visit with us! Ava bug loves her grandmama and I can hardly wait for our next visit!

Happy Friday all!

♥- Leilani