Whatever It Takes: Meet Melinda

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I am Melinda, a local mom and a 11th and 12th grade English teacher in NYC schools. I am engaged to be married in 2019 and very excited to make my daughter our flower girl! I also am the owner of Melinda Anita Photography, a wedding and lifestyle photographer capturing weddings, families, maternity, seniors and brand photography. After living in the Hudson Valley most of my life, we have settled in Buchanan, NY. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for my family and sharing my journey with WCMB readers! I am definitely not the mother I thought I would be.

As a mother of a two year old going on eighteen, I am constantly battling with my daughter about what she’s eating for dinner, her bedtime and screen time. She responds, “No, thank you mommy.” Her politeness makes it harder, especially when I warn her that there is only five more minutes before bedtime. This usually ends up in an argument with waterworks, and then another hour of consoling and telling her it will be okay and that her tablet is not going anywhere.

I consider myself the “whatever it takes” kind of mother. I will do anything to make her happy, stop crying, eat dinner or just simply to sit down. Before I became a mom, I thought that I would be the type of mom that would be strict and stand by, “No means no.” Now, “No,” after tears and temper tantrums becomes a quick yes to get her to stop crying. She tests my patience and makes her dad and I laugh with all of the crazy things she says. I wouldn’t change it for anything.

My daughter is my first child and she has changed me in ways that I didn’t even know were possible. She is fearless and sweet (most of the time) and such a joy to be around. She is almost three and acts like she is an adult who makes her own decisions. I can’t wait to watch her grow up and see the kind of woman she becomes. She tells me now that she wants to be a doctor and I have to call her Dr. Aubrey.

You never know how much love you can have for someone until you have a child.