Welcome to MOMentary Insanity!

Friends, WELCOME to MOMentary Insanity! I have long debated starting a blog, brainstormed and hesitated and planned and choked. Publishing your guts on the internet is just that: gutsy. Like, super gutsy. Even if no one ever reads this, I feel quite vulnerable. But I’m so excited, so passionate, to start sharing my thoughts, my dreams, my stories, my truths. My musings on being a mom and much more. I’ve done a lot of professional writing work, but I’m ready to take the big, scary step past press releases, features, business proposals and bios to writing from—gasp—my heart.

When I first thought about creating a blog, I considered focusing on recipes and DIY projects and maybe baby fashion or something. But that would require a few things. Namely, lying. Pretending that I don’t rely heavily on Trader Joe’s shortcuts (or other blogs) most nights of the week; pretending that I don’t shudder and look for cover when I hear the phrase Do-It-Yourself, because, why, oh, why, would you EVER Do It Yourself when you could just buy it on Etsy (now THOSE moms are awesome); and pretending that I don’t majorly stress about my daughter’s clothing situation as she grows constantly—grappling for satisfactory hand-me-downs from her hurricane of a closet, which I really, really, really need to organize—and of course that I don’t only take Insta pics when she happens to look like a magical fairy princess. Not when she kind of looks homeless.

To contradict the above would be lying, or at least keeping things on the surface, and who has time for that? Well, we have lots of time for that and we use it endlessly, but I’d like to probe a bit (or a lot) deeper. I’d like to invite you into my little world, to talk about the realest things from my real life.

Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love to cook and bake and entertain. I also have some pretty crafty moments occasionally and I definitely do my best to make them count because they do NOT happen often. I also love dressing my daughter; she is the living doll that I always wanted. But our day-to-day isn’t pasta from scratch and Pinterest crafting and competing with Suri Cruise Fashion Sense. (She is untouchable. Duh.)

It’s a lot more simple and complicated. Lots of meltdowns in Target and blowouts in the cutest outfits and difficult mornings of identity crisis and God showing Himself through kind strangers and feeling unspeakable joy and battling isolation and loving the Bible and avoiding the Bible and missing my pre-baby hips but longing already for #2 and embracing momentary insanity.

I never used to feel crazy. Or maybe I did and I just can’t remember because now I am definitely crazy. But I’m pretty sure I used to feel, overall, relatively together. Then I had a child and forgot what “together” even meant. I temporarily forgot what a lot of words meant. It’s WILD what sleep deprivation will do to a woman. I’m truly happier and more deeply fulfilled than I’ve ever been, and motherhood gets a lot easier and more incredible with each passing day. But I also have occasional moments when I feel on the brink.

Right after I broke the news to my former employer that my maternity leave would, in fact, be permanent, I remember my sister checking in on me. We’ll call it a brink moment.

“I’m not cute and fancy and smart anymore!!!!!” I cried. “I’m in my sweats, it’s 11 a.m., and I still have 100 pounds to lose. You lose, like, none, in the hospital, by the way. Just so you know.”

“You’re still cute and fancy and smart!” she said. “You’re still you. You’ll lose the weight. And your work clothes from The Limited? They weren’t really that cute, anyway.”

You’re still you. She made me feel better. Everyone needs a sister in moments of mind loss. Maybe I can be one for you.

Which leads me to my blog name! Like any sensible blogger-to-be, I googled the name while toying with it. I came across these AMAZING definitions on some random website:

What is momentary insanity?

1. Out of excitement or a fit of anger… we do stupid things.
2. Proposing to a girl!
3. The act of stupidity as a result of dreams crossing the boundaries of reality.
4. Momentary insanity, nothing more, nothing less.
5. When you just get mad, for a sec.

These made me fall in love.

Because who as a mom or human doesn’t experience momentary insanity?

I’d also like to add my own twist:

What is MOMentary Insanity?

1. A blog where Stephanie Mack overshares about her life and her deepest thoughts.
2. The blur of being a mom to young children; a state of beautiful mayhem that won’t last forever.
3. A place to feel loved + a little less crazy.

And so, WELCOME, my friend. If any one word I write on this blog reaches any one person, if my crazy makes you feel any less crazy because, hey, maybe we’re all a little crazy, my heart will explode from joy. I’m so deeply honored if you’ve read this far. My hope is that by sharing some of the thoughts that I have every day, every hour, maybe I’ll connect with some other moms, other women, other souls, who face similar struggles and triumphs. Life is so wonderful, but it can also be so impossible. I’m so glad God gave us one another to help make sense of it.

Thank you again for reading. So much more to come; I can’t wait!!!