First things first…no disrespect to the dads out there…because they also do a lot when it comes to the kids (at least mine does), but I think the moms out there really carry the load. Carrying the “load” really starts before birth. Pregnancy is no easy feat. Each month your belly gets bigger and bigger, your boobs feel like watermelons and everything just swells up. The 9 month countdown begins. Wait, it’s really 10 months! I was actually shocked to learn my first go around that the pregnancy lasts 40 weeks! Each month is an adventure with a new blood test and a new craving. But, in the end it is all worth it. There really is no greater experience than holding your baby for the first time. I remember thinking this little person was growing inside me for all this time, and here she is…wild!

   But, once the euphoria vanishes, reality sets in, and that’s when the real tiger blood starts flowing.

From the middle of the night feedings to the non-stop nurturing, there is something that prevents you from collapsing. It’s tiger blood.

   Besides being a mom, many women are wives, workers, volunteers, you name it. It’s a careful balancing act with sometimes no net to catch you. That’s scary. I look at myself and many other women and are amazed at the multi-tasking that happens on a day to day basis. My daily routine starts with a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call followed by work, followed by picking up my 1 and 1/2 year old daughter. Then part-two of the day gets underway. That consists of everything from playing to cleaning to errand running and on a good day, a nap. Then it’s time for dinner, bath, snack, bed…and that’s just for her! Let’s not take into account all the things I need to do for me before my targeted bedtime of 9 p.m. (which is often missed). Then it’s time to do it all over again. There’s only one way to explain it…tiger blood!

   I know so many other women with their own intense schedules and wonder how they do it. As women, we find a way to push forward and make it happen, not to say it’s not without its share of complaining from time to time! Motherhood transforms you into a person you never thought you could become and gives you the strength to do things you never thought you could do. The Tiger Blood is there and keeps flowing!

p.s. Thanks Charlie Sheen for inspiring the title of my first blog! (But I’m still not paying to see your show at the Oakdale)