Blogging Conundrum

I am a planner and organizer by nature.  But, if I am being completely honest, I have to admit that I started this blog 100% on a whim.  It was absolutely a spur of the moment kind of thing.  I had no idea what I was getting into.  At that point, three years ago, I had never really even read many blogs and was unaware that by hitting the "Publish" button that first time, I was entering into a community referred to by bloggers as the "blogosphere."  I was not tech savvy then and, although I have learned a lot, I still don't consider myself to be a computer whiz by any stretch of the imagination.

Since beginning my blog, I have begun to follow many other blogs.  Some of them have a huge following with hundreds of blog followers and thousands of Facebook followers.  Others have a more modest following, like mine.  (I currently have a whopping 16 blog followers, 39 followers on my blog's Facebook page, and each post averages about 50 pageviews- an number that, sadly, seems to be dropping).

So what's the conundrum you ask??

Well, on one hand, I would love to have the high level of followers and popularity experienced by some of the bloggers I follow.  Many of them enlist sponsors, utilize advertising, and/or write paid product reviews so their blogs actually generate income for them.  A few have been fortunate enough to write that one special post that goes completely viral and leads to a huge following, guest posting, or even a book deal.  When I see a blog that has only been operating for about a year and already has waaaaayyyy more followers than mine, I will admit that I feel some pangs of jealousy.

On the other hand, though, I don't want to get caught up in the popularity game and lose sight of why I really write this blog.  The primary purpose of it has always been to serve as a virtual memory book for my girls.  I want it to be something they can look back on when they are wives and mothers - something that will make them smile, make them cry, and give them comfort.  While popularity (and a little extra cash) would be fantastic, I don't want to compromise that main focus.  Also, in order to maintain that level of popularity, many of those bloggers post extremely regularly (like every day) and I'm not sure I want or need to add that kind of pressure to my life.

I am precariously teetering on the fence between really wanting the blogosphere prominence and just being content to do my thing without worrying about the popularity.  So, is there a happy medium??  Is there a way to increase blog following without compromising the purpose of the blog?

If you are a fellow blogger, I would love to hear your thoughts.

If you are a loyal reader, but not a blogger, what do you like about my blog?  What keeps you coming back?  What would make it better?

Speaking of popularity, I had stopped asking begging for votes because, well, it was annoying.  However, my rating on the Top Mommy Blogs site has seriously slipped, so I would really, really appreciate it if you would click that cute little icon to cast a vote for me.  Thanks!!!!