Then and Now

Hello again, and welcome back!

I started this blog about five years ago (apparently), and posted a handful of times. I was thinking about starting a new blog this week and decided to just re-use this one. Then I opened it and started reading. And deleted it all. 
Geez.
Thank God I am not the person I was when I posted those things. I was struggling so badly with my health, loneliness, depression (I didn't realize it at the time), fear, self-esteem, selfishness, and legalism. A lot of legalism, based in this Patriarchal, twisted mess I grew up in, and it caused most of the depression and illness. I was so wrapped up in legalism, and it's sad to see that reflected in most of my former posts. I'm so glad I'm free of those chains.

When I started the original Journee Blog, I was a newlywed in a new city, trying to figure out what marriage was supposed to look like, trying to find friends, trying to find me as a person while I shed the skin of all the aforementioned baggage. I didn't even know I had baggage, back then. I thought the family I grew up in was "the normal one." I thought I was failing in my marriage because I couldn't measure up to what I thought was expected of me. I became depressed because I had this mental recording playing over and over in my head of all these things I'd been lead to believe were the truth -Stupid things, like "you should never have to ask your husband to come home early/pick up food/help with the kids, because a GOOD wife manages those things on her own" that I just scratch my head at now. Thank God my husband is not so selfish that he is unable to support me and our kids when we need a pizza and Netflix (and wine, lol) sanity break!

I had expectations of my husband that were wrong, too. The community I grew up in acted like men had no self-control and couldn't take responsibility for their actions. I have a dad and 5 brothers- somebody would've told me if that wasn't true, right? Wrong. It lead to a lot of hurt and mistrust in those early years.

I'm now a mom of two and soon to be three. I live a thousand blessed miles and states away from those newlywed years. I'm happily married in spite of facing a lot of hurdles and changes since those early posts. My marriage has been greatly damaged by the residue of messages I hadn't even realized I'd absorbed, but we're growing and happily waving goodbye to each chain we break.

And that's the short version.
...
-J

Introduction

Hey there! Pull up a chair and pour yourself some Sweet Tea!

My husband picked the name "Journee," for this page back in 2012, as a place for me to jot down my thoughts about life's journey. Little did he know, we'd be moving several times and thousands of miles in the following years, having three kids and countless adventures on the way.

The new purpose of this blog (I deleted the old one) is part satire, part serious. I enjoy a good bit of humor, and a well-written Mommy-blog (I'll let you be the judge of that) because life is full of not-so-cheery moments. But I'll also be addressing some of the more weighty parts of parenting, childbirth, my faith in Christ, and surviving the day with this circus I call my family!

About me...
As I mentioned, I'm a mom of two- soon to be three, and a feline furbaby who thinks she's a human.
I'm a Yankee transplant to Atlanta, GA, and loving every minute (in the A/C!).
I'm a fan of sci-fi, classic films, musical theater, Bollywood, and all things British.
I'm an accidental Crunchy mom, and have Papa John's on speed dial (not really. I do all my orders online to earn free pizza, lol.).
I'm a huge home-birth fan and advocate, after my own hospital and home birth experiences.
My husband and I enjoy live theater, bingeing Netflix after the kids fall asleep, and discovering new cuisines -we're currently addicted to Korean food (*all the heart eyes*).

I'm also...
A survivor of Postpartum Depression (PPD).
A survivor of Postpartum Anxiety (PPA).
A survivor of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 
And, a survivor of the Patriarchy.
-a few topics I'll definitely be touching on in the future.

...And with that, I need to go put my kid back in bed for the 800th time tonight.
I hope to see you visit again soon, and that I can produce content worthy of being read! Not merely to be read, but so anyone who does stumble across my little blog is both uplifted and enlightened, not burdened by more of the false expectations our society enjoys creating.

Have a wonderful night!
-J