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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

A Note to All Moms (Bogue and Weejer)

I didn't write what I'm about to post... but I wish I had. IT'S SERIOUSLY PERFECT.

This blogger is Bogue and Weejer. I stumbled upon it and had to share.  Click here to find original blog post. But here is the post:




A Note to All Moms

Dear Mom, 

You are doing a good job.
Whatever kind of mom you are, keep at it.
You're a Pinterest Mom. You create and craft beautiful memories with your family and for yourself. You make delicious meals and share the recipe with a huge community.
You innovate and reuse. You inspire. And hey, if your kids' rooms don't look anything like the "Kids' Rooms" board you have, even though you've recreated the wall art and bought bedding and curtains in similar tones...it's okay. (I'm almost certain those photos were taken before the kids got ahold of that room anyway.) But the fact that you so carefully chose whimsical prints, patterns, and paint (I did not plan for that alliteration) for your little ones...that's all that matters.

You're not a Pinterest Mom. You may be insanely busy or not even have a Pinterest account. No worries. You use recipes and craft ideas from your childhood or close friend to share with your youngins and you create many wonderful memories with your family. You're inspiring, as well. Maybe you give your kids frozen chicken nuggets, set on their place in the shape of a smiley face, and bring home crayons and coloring books because you didn't have a chance to get glue or scissors due to your hectic day. Uh yeah, that's totally fine. Kids like chicken nuggets and kids like to color. They're okay.

You're an iPhone Mom. Maybe you've been with your kids all day long and need just a few minutes to yourself to catch up on news, the weather, look at a friend's newborn baby pictures. As long as you know your kid is safe, you go ahead and check Facebook. Or possibly you're texting a friend who is dealing with cancer and you're sending her encouraging words. Or maybe that huge project at work is coming up and you're checking your email to make sure everything is lined up. It's cool. You're allowed to take time for yourself.

You're not an iPhone Mom. You see your son or daughter swinging, sun glistening off the beads of sweat on their forehead. They're precious kids and you're happy to enjoy this moment watching them just be kids. Sometimes it's so nice to just disconnect and get away for a little while, and that's okay, too.

You're a Stay-At-Home Mom. You're a Work-At-Home Mom. You're a Work-From-Home Mom. The decisions you've made are exactly what you know is best for you and your family. You enjoy your job...whether it's being at home, working in an office, or both. You get dinner on the table every night, that's great. You picked up your kids' favorite pizzas on the way home, fabulous. Maybe your kids are home with you all day. Maybe they're in daycare all day. Or maybe they're in a Mother's Day Out program. Your kids love being with you. Your kids love making friends and playing with other people their own age. They're okay.

You're a Mom In Waiting. God has called you to something incredibly special. Your perfect child(ren) is waiting for you and you're waiting for him/her/them. You pray for them daily. You check the weather where you know they temporarily live and imagine a rainbow over their heads when you see it's scattered thunderstorms today. You've been asked to sacrifice so much and give so much. You've already planned crafts and outings and nursery/bedroom designs that you can't wait to share with them when they get here. You miss them so much.

You're a Mom With Lots O'Kiddos. Sometimes you and the hubs look at each other and think, "What have we done?" But you wouldn't trade a second with any one of those babes for an extra hour of sleep. (Well...maybe a second.) You have stretch marks, saggy skin, hair where there shouldn't be hair, acne scars...so many physical signs of the beautiful blessing God chose you to carry. You were also called to something special.
Are you a mom who posts pictures of your food? Go ahead! I like to eat food! (I mostly like pictures of desserts, though, you know...for future reference.)

Are you a mom who posts pictures of your feet at the beach? UH FINE WITH ME. Y'all know I love the beach. And I wish I was sitting beside you reading a gossip magazine.
Are you a mom who posts tons of pictures of your kids? Go ahead! Post away! I totally took pictures of the twins' first poops in the potty. I did not post it, no, but I'm PROUD of my kids, even the small, "mundane" things they do. They make ridiculous faces, they say ridiculous things, they keep us laughing non-stop. Share it! I'm thinking that 99.9% of people got on Facebook to stay connected with friends and family and if someone doesn't like all the pictures, they can hide it from their newsfeed. But the rest of us want to see the pictures.

Did you turn 57 shades of purple when you discovered the fruits of your loin, the twins ahem – children you so fervently prayed for even years before they were a twinkle in your eye, destroyed the amaryllis plant for which you've so meticulously cared for 8 years, and threatened to said children, generally speaking, that if they ever touch anything again in this world again EVER, they may not live to see 4?

*crickets*

Do you buy all organic? Or does "organic" mean anything that's edible and digestible? Either way, you're feeding your family.
Do you sneak into the closet to eat the last Cadbury egg so you won't have to share with your offspring?

OKAY FINE SOME OF THESE ARE ME!

Do you use cloth diapers? Or do you buy Pampers and Huggies in bulk? I've found that most kids will poop in just about anything. Neither saving money nor using something that's quick and convenient is wrong.

Did you handcraft your kid's Halloween costume last year months in advance? Or did you pick it up at Walgreens on the way to the party? They're kids...you took them to a fun party!

Do you slap on some mascara and gloss every morning? Or has your face not made contact with a make-up tool in 100 years? You're freaking beautiful regardless.
You're a MOM. And you're doing a GREAT JOB.

Do not ever let a Facebook post, Twitter post, blog post, meme, anything, or anyone make you doubt yourself or fill you with guilt for doing something or not doing something. Social media is a wonderful networking tool. But, it's also become an environment for bullying. Sadly, it's usually us attacking us.

Dude...being a mom is hard. KIDS ARE HARD WORK. It's not always pretty or perfect. You'll question yourself on so many things. But, we can't let THE INTERNET decide how we judge ourselves as parents. Y'all...it's the INTERNET. I mean...there are videos of goats screaming like people on here. (I'm not complaining...I have a few bookmarked.)
Do you love your child immensely...more than yourself? Would you give up anything for them? Would you give your life for them? That's ENOUGH. That's all. You're done.
And maybe also feed them.

Last I checked, and scientific studies have shown, nobody can do what you can do. No one has ever done what you've done. No one can fill your shoes. No one can dictate your role as a mother to your own children. People will judge their adorable little hearts out...you can't control that. But you can control how you feel as a mom.
You're doing a good job.

Keep it up.


Friday, May 3, 2013

Angel Baby


It's true. I have an angel for a baby. And yes, I thank God for her every second.

We are going on 7.5 weeks of Evelyn being in my life. It's funny because I don't remember life without her. Okay, I lied, I do remember life before her, but now I can't imagine my life without her.

Every morning, I pray pretty much the same prayer. I pray that God would equip me to be the mother that Evelyn needs me to be. I pray that we would Glorify Him in all we do. I pray that others would see Christ's love for us through my love for Evelyn. I pray that Christ would give me just enough peace and patience to get through this day. I pray that he would keep Evelyn safe and healthy so we can glorify Him and mobilize the gospel to wherever he needs us to go. I pray that Evelyn would be a good sleeper and eater. I pray all these things so that we can give Christ the most glory. I want HIS will to be done, NOT mine. On earth as it is in heaven, right? ABSOLUTELY!

I am so in love with Evelyn. I am sure you are aware that I post pics of her daily. I can't freaking help it. I encourage everyone that's been married at least 2 years to have babies. It's the best.

Every week with Evelyn gets better and easier. Now I'm well aware hard times are approaching (teething, sleep regression (hopefully not), toddler fits, growth spurts, illness) but I have been LOVING these past few weeks. She is SUCH an easy baby. And a VERY HAPPY baby.

I bought every book you can think of on sleeping and parenting advice, but haven't read one. Well, I did read BabyWise and tried it but figured out VERY quickly it wasn't for me or Evelyn. Every baby and momma are different. Just like every pregnancy is different. I believe God designed it like that. He made every child so unique and every mothering style so different to show his mighty power. But back to BabyWise, it wasn't for us because I am not a rigid tight schedule person. Never have been. I am also not a big fan of Cry it Out (yet, that may change if needed).

So the one book I have read and keep by my bed stand is:

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

This book has helped me tremendously and goes perfectly with my parenting style. I demand feed, which means, when she wants to eat, I feed her! I do NOT go by a feeding schedule. In the book it says, "Scheduling nursings, like scheduling kisses, would just make life harder for the both of you." Amen and AMEN.

So the first 5 weeks, I nursed constantly. LIKE, all the time. I read also in the book,

After the early weeks when you've learned the ropes and breastfeeding becomes second nature, you'll find you can gentle your baby out of almost anything-- hunger, tiredness, overstimulation, fear, pain-- with a little nursing. Breastfeeding stops being a feeding device and becomes an all-purpose mothering tool. 

I truly believe that. I believe because she was nursing so much the first 5-6 weeks that she became so secure in me and that she really learned to trust me. (Maybe not and I'm just making that up, but I truly feel that way). I don't nurse NEARLY as much as I used to because she is RARELY fussy (thank you Jesus). I only nurse when she is hungry which is around every 2 - 3 hours during the day.

We have naturally fallen into a routine that EVELYN created. It's wonderful. We wake up anywhere between 6 - 8 am. We play for an hour and then she naps for a couple hours. Then we eat, we play another hour or so and then she sleeps for another couple hours or so. Then she eats, and then we usually go outside, run errands, or do something. Then she naps. Then she eats, and I try to keep her up after this feeding until bedtime. That can be a daunting task. Sometimes I let her catnap if she gets super tired. Then we do our "bedtime" routine of bath, massage, music, jammies, nurse, rocking in chair, and then bed. The girl is champ at sleeping (she gets that from me).

The routine changes based on activities we have during the day. I also feed her more if she asks for it.

Somethings I feel I would DIE without:

A "SwaddleMe" blanket

The swing

A sound machine

gas drops

Dr. Browns binkys

My breastmilk

THE LORD'S DAILY GUIDANCE AND BLESSINGS


Evelyn loves to smile, loves music, loves baths, loves her mommy and daddy, and loves to be an angel baby. I am so blessed by her.

I told Andrew I am ready to have another baby already... he told me I am crazy. He's totally right, but he knew that before he married me :)