Searching For Super-Mom: Meet Charissa!

This week's mom is Charissa!
Charissa is a California mom to her 2 1/2 year old son, nicknamed Peanut.  She is a single fulltime working mom to "the most handsome little boy".  She works full time at a marketing firm, and has just started doing this job from home. "I'm actually very happy they're allowing me to work from home."
At 2 1/2, her son is still too young for school, but Charissa would "love to homeschool. Maybe one day."
In her spare time, Charissa enjoys knitting and crocheting.
She has been blogging on and off for 6 months. Her blog is about her everyday life, being a (white) mom to her (biological) biracial son, "our journey with his natural hair, hair products, skin products and my knitting and crocheting (which will be a separate blog once I get more pictures and things added to that page)."
You can view her blog here. Charissa also has a Facebook page for her knitting and crocheting business. You can see that here.

When asked what she wished she knew before becoming a parent, Charissa said, "I honestly knew everything I knew now but I really wish I knew WHEN I would get pregnant so I could have saved alot more and finished school when I had the chance." If she could go back in time to before she became a mom and give herself advice, she would have advised herself to finish college.

Here are a couple more questions before we get to the 10 Super Questions.


What is your most proud moment as a parent?
when i first saw my son after i gave birth to him but i think that goes for all moms so i don't think that one counts so i'll start at the beginning, my son was born prematurely, 28 days early, he had trouble with his lungs and he had trouble eating. the doctors thought because of his lung issues he was going to have brain problems because not enough oxygen might not be getting to his brain. he had, what looked like, bruises on his brain (and had MRI's and CAT scans at 3 months, it was so stressful) so in other words the doctors and nurses all thought he would have learning disabilities and have development issues as well. well come to find out at the little age of 1 month (almost 2 months) my son rolled over from his belly to his back and from his back to his belly!! it was huge!! i was so proud that he was not only developing on time but he is advanced. he had therapy til he was about a year old and every time we went the nurses and doctors would all comment on how fast he learns and how advanced he is.  my little angel makes me so proud, he's definitely my miracle baby♥

What is your favorite family tradition?
my parents didn't really have any family traditions for me to pass on but i do want to start my own with my son and my future husband and children. i want to have summer sunday bbqs with the family in the backyard or at a local park. i want to have a huge family reunion. i also want to have a big family thanksgiving and christmas at our house  just some things i dream of for my little family 

10 Super Questions

1. How is your family traditional? How is it untraditional? my parents, my bro, sis, and i were a traditional family when we were little but then it kind of fell off and we didn't really do much as a family after i turned 13 but my son and i are somewhat traditional. 


2. Does your actual parenting style differ from what you thought it would be before you had children? If so, how?  i actually knew i was going to be somewhat strict on my children and since i've had my son i'm still the same way i knew i'd be. he is very well behaved, he has great manners and he still gets to have a great time and be himself 


3. What was the best mothering advice you ever received and who gave it to you? my grandmother "just let them be" my son never got a chance to meet my grandmother and with that advice she was referring to my sister but it's true. we need to discipline our children but we also need to let them be themselves. 


4. What was the most surprising thing you learned in the first year? well while my son was born premature he was in the hospital for 17 days after he was born and i realized that once a woman (a real mom that loves her children) has a child a supernatural strength overcomes everything going on in her life just to make sure that she is there for her child to keep them safe and help give them strength even if she's exhausted. i spent 17 days of 4 hours of sleep each night, back and forth to the hospital, just to be with my son and help him regain strength to come home with me. once i finally did bring him home 5 days before Christmas i still couldn't believe the strength i had after seeing my child needing me to be there for him.


5. Has your view of the world changed since you became a parent? If so, how? it really has, i am more concerned about schooling systems, politics, everything.


6.  What is something that you have learned about yourself since becoming a parent? i'm a really strong individual and a very great and strong mother. not to toot my own horn, because i'm not cocky at all, everything i've been through, i know these things about myself know.


7. What about your child(ren) reminds you of  yourself? his personality, his caring heart, his compassion

8.  If you could have any super power, what would it be? i really would LOVE to fly

9. If an alien came from space and asked you what a "mother" is what would you say? the one who loves you unconditionally, the one who has always been by your side since the day you were born 


10. What annoys you most about other mothers? when some mother's don't discipline their children. i don't want to get into that topic because it is very touchy lol

Thank you Charissa! I enjoyed getting to know you a little better!