Counting Ones Blessings Can Never Be Overdone
My son is almost 2 years old now, and I am feeling extremely blessed for a variety of things.
I could go on and on about how intelligent my son is and praise God he is hitting every milestone. I am thankful for his very life! Which, admittedly, he challenges me to save nearly every day as he tests out his ever growing strength and physical capabilities. And I’m so very grateful for…
I Didn’t Enter Into Motherhood Gracefully
It finally happened. 15 months. I had time. Not long. Just a few minutes where I could do whatever I wanted.
And you know what happened? I hadn’t a clue what to do with myself!
If I’ve learned anything since my son was brought into this world, it’s that I have to give myself a lot of grace. I’m not very good at that. I want to be SuperMom and somehow anything short of that makes me feel guilty.
I want to keep a perfectly neat and tidy home. (The true disillusion is thinking I really did this even BEFORE beginning my parenthood journey!)
I want to have energy to do the 272 projects on my list, including sewing, and crafting, and learning new skills.
I want to invest in all my family and friendships and have a freezer meal prepped for every occasion and be able to give my time. The saying, “It’s the thought that counts” has never meant more to me than it does in this phase of life.
The truth is, my house is a mess. The dogs don’t get the same attention they did before my son was born, granted now that he’s old enough, they get love from my son too. I am not the greatest or most present friend these days. I’m not as helpful at get-togethers as I used to be. I feel tired and unmotivated often, especially in the evenings after my baby boy is asleep.
We’ve All Been There…
You’re in a public place with your little one and a kindly stranger approaches to express adoration over your baby. Whether you’re carrying a newborn just days old, or a giggling toddler, you probably don’t want a stranger to touch your child.
I had been warned about this from seasoned mothers, but still I wasn’t truly prepared for how I should react to this situation. This letter was written in response to this very situation. I’m not going to lie, I was a little fired up about this when I originally wrote it. Needless to say I sat on it a while before posting in the hopes that I could mellow it out. I don’t know how successful I was, but I’ve come to the conclusion, it’s ok to protect my child. It’s with that thought that I write this letter. (Keep in mind, my son was 12 months at the time of this scene, and I was still able to wear him.)
I Think I Say This Every Year…
“WOW! I can’t believe another year has passed already.” 2017 seemed to go by double quick with our little one around. Our son has changed and grown before our very eyes these 14 months. I wonder what this fresh, new year will hold for the 3 of us! I’m excited to find out!
My Husband Rocks!
I’m so grateful for my husband. If it weren’t for him, raising my little son would be so much more difficult.
I was really able to appreciate the partnership we have today. He was busy cleaning up our place after the holiday frenzy.
We were quite a team and Daddy was the MVP. I cooked breakfast and he fed our hangry son. I did the dishes; he took care of some laundry. I sat down to nurse our son, he vacuumed the living room. Then our lil’ dino decided he wanted to help Daddy vacuum. He waddled over to him, humming the pitch of the vacuum (hilarious!), and my husband picked him up and kept about the task.
Thanksgiving is Quickly Approaching
I began this evening writing out a different post. I paused to put my son to bed. (He had been playing hard and giggling lots with his Daddy.) As he nursed quietly in the dark, I felt him relax and I knew he was asleep. That relaxing has become so familiar to me now, but it wasn’t always.
Before reading tonight’s Bible passages, I opened up the Prime Photo App on my phone. Every day, the app will feature all the pictures from prior years. This has become something my husband and I do daily, and then we chat about it. “Hey, did you see this picture from 2009?”
Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Co-Sleeping
There’s a lot to be said about co-sleeping. However, this post isn’t to hash out the safety precautions or to rave about the family bed. I simply want to write to share that co-sleeping is how I was able to sleep 7 hours last night.
Seasoned co-sleepers will be nodding their approval I’m sure while others may cringe upon reading the words “family bed”, but my hope is that some where out there another tired Mama might be able to use one more suggestion to help her get a little more rest.
More Than the Old Adage
You’ve heard the saying, “all babies do is eat, sleep, and poop”. And while these three things certainly are the majority of my baby’s day (with perhaps the exception of poop, which isn’t currently an every day occurrence), there is so much more going on than that.
Watching My Baby Sleep
As I lay here watching my baby sleep during our new sleep training efforts, I have to chuckle to myself. I love these sweet moments with my son.
Pantley’s Gentle Removal Plan
One of the several techniques I am implementing with my 4 month old son is called “Pantley’s Gentle Removal Plan” from Elizabeth Pantley’s book, The No-Cry Sleep Solution.
Essentially this plan incorporates gently breaking the baby’s latch so that he or she can get accustomed to falling asleep without this association.
Pantley recommends starting with bedtime. I did this successfully the first night and then excitedly went to use it for nap time the following day.
My son makes me laugh because even at this young age, I believe his personality shines through. At night we primarily use a bassinet that side-cars next to my husband’s and my bed. During the day, my son’s naps are co-slept with me. I’m not sure why there needs to be such a stark contrast for him at this time, but I’m letting it fly so that he gets very good naps which are said to beget better nighttime sleeping.