Mom Salute: Stephanie

Stephanie with her husband Parker and their daughters Cora and Leisl.

Like far too many women I know, Stephanie Smith struggled with the heartbreak of infertility for years before being blessed with children. I witnessed firsthand her excitement at finally becoming a mother. I was also a firsthand witness to the frustrating reality that her adorable little girl (who had a head full of incredibly thick luxurious hair!) was the most colicky baby you could probably imagine. My own first daughter was what I considered a very colicky baby, but she didn't come anywhere near matching the 24 hour a day crying Stephanie endured from poor Cora. She felt such anguish that her baby was unhappy and I can only imagine the stress anyone, let alone a parent, would feel being subjected to crying all day long, every day for months on end. I don't think anyone would have faulted her for a total emotional meltdown! Despite the pressure she was under, every time I saw her, Stephanie was incredibly sweet and patient with her adorable but unhappy baby. 

Stephanie has continued to rock motherhood through its ups and downs ever since, and that colicky little girl is now a happy, ridiculously smart two year old. Stephanie is the type of mom who remembers to appreciate and let herself get lost in the little joys of motherhood like watching her daughter pretend to have a conversation with Dory (the fish) on the phone, but also a mom who maintains a realistic view of the struggles of motherhood, with a good humor about it all. She's the type of mom I want to be friends with. 

Stephanie deserves a #momsalute for enduring those trying first few months of motherhood with such patience, love, and perseverance and also for the fabulous mom she's continued to be ever since. Here's what a few people close to her had to say about Stephanie as a mom:

Her friend Lela wrote:

I believe that motherhood can be described as a journey of selfless sacrifice. Sacrifice of body, pain, time, sleep, of career and ambitions. In recognizing that sacrifice was our Savior's most significant contribution to humanity, you could say that motherhood is a heavenly calling of the highest degree. 

Stephanie has taken on that role of motherly sacrifice to a greater extreme that many of us can even comprehend, beginning with years of emotional and physical hardship to bring her sweet babies into this world. She has been an inspiration to all with how she has handled infertility. I'm sure it has not been easy, but she is nothing but grateful for the opportunity to be a mom. Stephanie's love for those sweet girls and everyone around her is infectious. She truly does care about everyone, but especially her family. I admire her Christlike service, her strength, her kindness, her giving spirit, and her friendship. A mother truly deserving a salute!

Stephanie sister Ashley said this about her:

To me, the word sister is synonymous with "best friend." That is what my sister is to me. She is my best friend. My sister has been one of the most influential people in my life. When I was a young girl (Stephanie is 5 years older than me), she taught me everything that's important in life--what music to listen to, how to put on makeup, how to pluck my eyebrows, and how to dress (by letting me "borrow" her clothes). But more than all that important "girly" stuff, Stephanie taught me how to be a true friend, how to love unconditionally, how to find the good in all people, and how to serve without any thought of ever being repaid. These are the qualities I admire most about her.  

It wasn't long ago that Stephanie was not yet a mother. I watched her struggle for many years with this heartache and I prayed hundreds of times for her to conceive. Finally, after many, many prayers by many people, Stephanie's wish of becoming a mother became a reality. Beautiful baby Cora was born. But the first road of motherhood was not easy. Cora was a very colicky baby, and cried for months. I remember one week Stephanie and Cora came to stay with me in Arizona. Before she arrived I thought I had a few tricks up my sleeve that were sure to help, but all my tricks ended up not working. 

You can imagine the stress and frustration a mother might feel with a baby that cried so much. I'm sure Stephanie felt all the frustrations and negative emotions one might feel, but through the months and months of crying, Stephanie rocked and bounced and sang to Cora. She rarely put her down. She rose up and became a beautiful, selfless mother. As Cora has grown, their relationship is one of beauty. Cora knows she is loved unconditionally by her mom; she is an intelligent, kind, sweet, loving little girl. 

Motherhood is not an easy task. Getting children to earth isn't easy. Cleaning up after children is a constant, often unrewarding job. Juggling motherhood and working outside the home isn't easy. But some mothers do it all with such grace. Stephanie is one of those mothers. If I was living near her, I would stand and salute her today. Salute her for her hard work, her example of what a mother should be, and for her love and kindness to all she meets. I'm lucky to call her my best friend. 

Her husband Parker shared these kind words:

They say that good things come to those who wait, but when it comes to Stephanie becoming a mother, that is an understatement. For those who are not familiar with our backstory, it was a long and painful road to parenthood as we struggled for years with infertility, but God has since blessed us with two incredibly sweet little girls who bring us more joy than we ever could have imagined.  

I remember those times seeing my wife cry in agony as she longed so badly to be a mother and have children of her own. Although this was a very painful time for the both of us, it laid the foundation for the overwhelming love that we would have for our children and the amazing mother Stephanie would soon become. Stephanie prayed for her children long before she became pregnant with our first and I will never forget the unbelievable excitement we felt when we found out that we were expecting.  

From the agony of our struggles with infertility to today, Stephanie has demonstrated unconditional love for our two little girls. Not a day goes by when she doesn’t labor for their happiness. She is loving, considerate, caring, fun-loving, and loyal. Not a day goes by without her doing something that amazes me. She is the type of person who is good at whatever she does and we are sure glad that her top priority is being a mother.  

The girls and I could not have asked for a better mother, friend and wife. We love her and thank God every day that she is ours.

I know there are many additional people who could have shared their love and admiration for this awesome Mama. She's certainly a woman that I admire, and next time I see you Steph, you can expect my hand to raise to my forehead in a #momsalute.

***Is there a mom in your life who deserves to be publicly recognized for the good she is doing, big or small? We publish a salute to one woman each week, so if there's a mom you'd like to give a public shoutout, let us know! It could be your own mother, sister, sister-in-law, wife, friend, neighbor, or even a stranger you witnessed rocking motherhood on the playground or in the aisles of Target. 

Join me in saluting some of the amazing moms out there!****