Accidental Super Mom

I know what you’re thinking. Is she a superhero? Does she have super powers? The answer is yes, and also yes. Accidental Super Mom has so many meanings, and I’d love to let you in on what the name means to me.

I am quite literally an accidental mom of three. Of course we wanted to be parents and tried tirelessly for our first, but after that it was just kind of like, “O man! How does this keep happening?” I know there are some moms out there who tell her kids, “Honey, you weren’t an accident, just a glorious surprise!” My kids were straight up, call your mom in shock, confused at how it happened, accidents.

And listen, I was never supposed to be a super mom. I was just supposed to be your average, run of the mill mom. I’m not compassionate, so I’m not overwhelming my children with warm and fuzzy feelings. I don’t do crafts, so being a Pinterest mom is out of the question. If I need a break, I distribute electronic devices and we all watch Blippi for an extended period of time.

Everyone who knows me is fully aware that “super mom” is not a way to describe my parenting style. In fact, I remember one instance where my mom was talking to my sister(an actual super mom).

Mom to Andrea: You are such an incredible mom. You’re doing such a great job raising your girls.

Andrea: Aw, thanks, Mom! It must be all the nurturing and crafting and educational fun we are having! Also the fact that I engage my children rather than letting them watch YouTube Kids all day. (Ok, I MAY have embellished the last two sentences)

Mom turns to me: You’re doing better than I thought.

Me: Yeah, me too.

It wasn’t until July 31, 2017 that I was forced to embrace the super mom lifestyle. That was the day I became my son’s pancreas. From the time our third was born in May, I started throwing myself a colossal, unapologetic pity party. No bigger pity party had ever been thrown. I just could not wrap my head around three kids under three and I was so overwhelmed and exhausted. I was definitely struggling with some postpartum depression, and just could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. I kept praying to God and saying, “I can’t do this! What have I gotten myself into?! I need help. I’m drowning down here!” God answered back in a big way, “Oh, Erin… Hold my drink.”

Kamden was two months old when Piet was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I spent an entire week in the hospital with him, learning how to care for my child with a chronic disease. If becoming a human being’s organ doesn’t make you a superhero, I’m not really sure what does. Once I learned how to take care of him, it gave me purpose. It forced me to see the silver lining in every situation. This life changing diagnosis flipped my pessimist mindset to positive and I haven’t looked back.

Part of the reason I was hosting my pity party of epic proportions was because I am extremely overprotective and need to be in control, and I did not have the slightest idea how I was going to protect all three of these tiny humans who need me to survive. Once Piet was diagnosed, it made me realize that even though I protected these kids with everything I had, one of them still developed a life threatening illness that he will live with forever. And that has completely changed me. No more keeping my kids in bubbles (ok, maybe they still live in tiny bubbles), but we live life better and greater.

So, here I am. Doing something I love, reflecting on and cherishing the insane lifestyle that has been handed to me, and monitoring blood sugars 24 hours a day. I did not choose the super mom life. The super mom life chose me. And I am killing it.