I’ve had about 7 months to ponder what life would be like once I have the little baby that’s growing inside me right now.
I’ve always struggled a bit with showing my “excitement” in the more traditional ways that many folks do. Rather, I internalize a lot of those feelings. I remember going on my first few multi-pitch climbs with my husband. He’d say “did you have fun” and I would simply say, “yes.” He would stare at me for a little bit and I could tell by the look on his face he was thinking “jeez, that’s it?” haha. While, inside my little-excited person was jumping up and down saying “fuck yea, that was epic”.
I’ve learned a lot of about myself and have worked on showing those emotions a little bit more outwardly, but they don’t always pop up quickly. So, when someone asks you “are you excited?” in regards to having a baby, my initial soft-spoken response is “oh, yes.” It’s not what people are usually hoping for in a response 🙂
I would never consider myself someone that was destined to be a mother. I would say that I was on the fence for a long time. It wasn’t until the last 2 years that I thought being a mother and having a family sounded like something that was tugging at me. The desire grew when I had a friend that, told me in her straight-up manner: “if you are on the fence, do it. It’s the hardest yet most amazing and rewarding experience you’ll ever have”. For some reason that stuck with me.
With that all, we decided to try for a baby! And yes, we are incredibly grateful to be having a baby boy in about 10 weeks.
Yes. Life will change. But that doesn’t mean for the worse.
I have been embracing the idea that life will be different. My husband and I will be different and our world will be different. We will experience things in a new way with new challenges, but also with new excitement. Something as small as going to the grocery store now, could morph into a completely colorful, joyous adventure when we have a toddler. I understand that it could also morph into a complete catastrophe!
My husband and I are pretty committed to doing things we have always done. That includes camping, road trips, climbing, biking and adventure. We also both run our own businesses, which we still need to maintain. And it’s naive to say this now because I do not have that baby in my arms yet, I believe we will be successful in showing our son our lifestyle and showing him what we have worked to accomplish.
I see a lot of ladies struggle with being a mom, especially in our community. It seems as if we have to give up so much of our life (climbing, adventure, freedom) to have a baby. But my perspective on that is rapidly changing and I am growing more and more optimistic with each Instagram and facebook post I see of ladies and families getting after it with their kids. Things change, but like I said, it doesn’t mean for the worse!
These next 10 weeks, I want to fully embrace this baby boy. I want to embrace the life I am going to have. I want him to grow up doing things that we love to do, but I also know I’ll have to acknowledge that he’s a person too and will eventually develop his own interests.
Here’s to new adventures!
McKenzi Taylor founded Rock Climbing Women in 2013 after moving to a new city as a new climber seeking more climbing partners (and new friends!). Since her first taste of climbing in Spearfish Canyon, SD, McKenzi has been at the rock face seeking and sharing the thrill of climbing. She credits the support of a consistent climbing partner and community as the motivation to continue developing her skill, whether it’s trad, sport climbing or bouldering. A full-time business owner and mother, McKenzi’s on a mission to get her kids outside and learning to adventure alongside her.
