Wowser...I realized today that its been over two months since I last posted. I've thought about posting since then, a lot actually, but I just haven't been making the time. So what, you may be asking yourself, has been keeping me out of the blogosphere for so long? Quite a bit, I must say. Michael and I attended the Navy Ball in October (our first one ever!), and since I can no longer fit into any of my formal outfits from my teen years(thanks to my two wonderful beautiful boys :)), and everything off the racks is either WAY out of my price range or way too immodest for my tastes, I decided to make my own dress. I already had the fabric on hand, thankfully, so it just took a bit of time and effort. Thankfully I had just begun giving sewing lessons to a girl in my church, so she was able to help out quite a bit. And until October 18, pretty much every moment that I had alone was spent working on the dress. Which turned out beautifully, I must say. I'll post a picture as soon as I have a copy.
So, a week after the Navy ball I received a phone call from my Mom saying that she was coming out to visit...in one week! Woo-hoo! I was beyond excited. She and my brother Miles arrived on the 31st, and stayed for just about a week. It was so wonderful. Michael had a very slow week, so he was able to spend a lot of time with my family, who he loves very much. I love and miss my family so much, and I love it when they come to visit. Michael and I won't be going to New York for Christmas, unfortunately. Hopefully, if I can save up enough money from my grocery account, we'll be coming home in May for a couple of weeks. That seems like forever and a day away, but its sooner than later for us.
Back to the wonderful visit. I felt like Michael and I really got to connect with Miles again. Life has kept us all busy, and I haven't been as close with Miles over the past three years. I felt like, well, like we were a unit again, quoting Pride and Prejudice, and laughing at our insane similarities(we are such sanguines...). Ethan really loved Uncle Miles, of course. What kid doesn't want Miles to be his best friend? Ethan now says Mimi when my Mom calls me, and he goes and points to a picture of Mom and Miles that I have. He says 'My' for Uncle Miles. I'm so glad that Ethan was able to connect with them. Miles got to preach on the college of Charleston campus, and one of the days Mom, the boys and I went with him. I even got to talk to a few people. It was great to be 'back in the saddle again'. :)
We also went shopping, during which Miles kept Ethan occupied and even bought him a bouncy ball. What a great uncle! Michael, the boys and I got professional pictures taken at Waterfront park, which was a lot of fun. Afterwards, Michael and Miles bought some oysters, and we had a little oyster party of our own. Oh, and Mom watched Ethan while Michael and I spent 2 1/2 hours voting. Crazy! And, Miles fixed the hinges on my doors so that the don't squeak anymore, and did a great job washing the siding on our house. It looks so great!
Caleb will be 5 months old on the 16th. I feel like this has just come upon me suddenly. He's no longer an infant...he's rolling over, and trying to sit up...he's becoming a big boy. We even started putting him on the potty! I'll be writing about that next time. :) Ethan was only a month older than Caleb is now when we conceived Caleb. How weird is that?
Ethan is becoming such a little man. I've been 'doing school' with him over the past few months, thanks to a great website No Time for Flashcards. He now knows that letters A, B, and C. We're going to start on numbers this week, while playing with sidewalk chalk. I am amazed at how smart Ethan is, at his young age. And how different he is from other kids his age...well, how different every child is. I get so caught up in what a 'normal' child does that I tend to forget about the differences. Ethan knows more sign language than other children that I know his age, but he isn't putting words together, unlike some other boys that I know. He's just figuring out how to open doors, while one little boy I know has been doing that for months. How amazing that God has crafted each person so vastly different! And yet each handiwork of His is amazing and breathtaking.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate...
Over the past week, the subject of vaccinations has come up between my friends and I quite a few times. Previous to yesterday, all I knew was that certain vaccines were questionable, that Michael and I were still researching, and that we were waiting on vaccinating our children until they were older.
Ethan is going for is 18 month well-baby check-up next week. Since he is now walking (and running, and jumping...), I had planned on having him get a tetanus vaccine. However, before I had him get his first shot, I wanted to do some research.
What I found was so informative...and borderline shocking. I'm sure that most Doctors don't know what they are injecting infants, children and adults with. I know that I had always assumed that vaccines were simply the disease with a saline solution. I was sadly mistaken.
This website has the list of ingredients of most vaccines. The ingredients in the DTaP (Diptheria, tetanus, and Pertussis) vaccine? Formaldehyde, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, animal by-product gelatin, and thimerosal. Some of the other routinely given vaccines include human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue, chick embryo, and guinea pig embryo cells. The first question I asked myself was, do I really want those things injected into my son? The answer was no. Second question? What is thimerosal? This led me to this article. Thimerosal is a mercury based preservative that is also a potent neurotoxin. It was banned from vaccines in Russia 20 years ago. Denmark, Austria, Japan, Great Britain, and all the Scandinavian countries have also banned it. What do they know that we don't?
From the above article, "You couldn't even construct a study that shows thimerosal is safe," says Haley, who heads the chemistry department at the University of Kentucky. "It's just too darn toxic. If you inject thimerosal into an animal, its brain will sicken. If you apply it to living tissue, the cells die. If you put it in a petri dish, the culture dies. Knowing these things, it would be shocking if one could inject it into an infant without causing damage." If that isn't scary, I don't know what is.
Another article I found specifically talks about the tetanus vaccine, and about thimerosal. You can read it here.
There is also a link between autism and thimerosal. Prior to thimerosal being added to vaccines, there was no autism. You heard that right. Within the first year of thimerosal being added, autism was diagnosed. As many people know, the Amish community in large do not vaccinate. A reporter did a study of one Amish community is Pennsylvania. According to the amounts of autism in the 'general' population (non-Amish), there should have been 130 children with autism. There were four. One child had been exposed to mercury from power plants, one had been adopted from outside the Amish community, and thus had been immunized, and the other two had had their vaccinations.
The other question that lingers in my head is that I wonder if the cure is worth that the disease. Are we so scared of getting sick that we are willing to inject ourselves and our children with metals, preservatives, and animal and human byproducts? Especially since most of these diseases are treatable, and not fatal. Tetanus, for example, can be prevented by thoroughly cleaning any wounds...but if contracted, can be healed by antibiotics or pennicilin, with full recovery. Personally, I will make sure that my children always wear shoes when outside, do not play outside unsupervised, and if they get a scratch or cut, then I will cleanse it with hydrogen peroxide.
As for diptheria, it is also preventable by good nutrition and washing your hands. If contracted, you will fully recover unless it goes untreated. So, I will find out what the symptoms of diptheria are, so that if my children come down with it, I will know to have it treated.
And pertussis, also known as whooping cough? From what I have read, it is only fatal to those with a compromised immune system. I have a friend whose daughter has Cystic Fibrosis, which can affect the lungs. I would have a child with CF immunized...whooping cough could prove fatal to them. But for the average child who doesn't have that type of disease, I don't believe they would need to be immunized.
I don't know if I will ever have my children immunized. Perhaps if our government bans thimerosal from vaccines, I'll rethink it. Maybe if they stop putting cells from aborted fetuses in them, I'll consider it.
Until then, I will keep a close eye on the children God has given me; I will not allow them to be in the 'general population' (i.e. church nursery, daycare); I will make sure that we eat a healthy, nutritious diet (low sugar, high protein, whole grain); I will encourage my children to get plenty of sunshine and physical activity to strengthen their immune systems.
On a side note, I think that far too many parents are content with the status quo. Instead of searching and questioning why we do things, many people simply follow along, because it is what everyone else is doing, and because it is what their parents did before them. I'm not saying to go to a radical, extremist point of view, and do everything the opposite of everyone else...simply for oppositions sake. But I do think that we should analyze the things that we do, and the reasons for it. So our pediatrician says that all children should have x number of shots every few months...why? So our culture says that we should only have 2.5 children. Why? Many think that cloth diapering is just...weird. Why?
Perhaps its because my parents were hippies, maybe its because my husband is SO analytical...but I know that I have been taught for many years not to just do something because everyone else is doing it. At least, if you are going to do it, know WHY you are doing it, if for no other reason than that you will have an answer if anyone asks you. That you will know without a shadow of a doubt that you are doing the right thing....and this is the reason why.
Ethan is going for is 18 month well-baby check-up next week. Since he is now walking (and running, and jumping...), I had planned on having him get a tetanus vaccine. However, before I had him get his first shot, I wanted to do some research.
What I found was so informative...and borderline shocking. I'm sure that most Doctors don't know what they are injecting infants, children and adults with. I know that I had always assumed that vaccines were simply the disease with a saline solution. I was sadly mistaken.
This website has the list of ingredients of most vaccines. The ingredients in the DTaP (Diptheria, tetanus, and Pertussis) vaccine? Formaldehyde, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, animal by-product gelatin, and thimerosal. Some of the other routinely given vaccines include human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue, chick embryo, and guinea pig embryo cells. The first question I asked myself was, do I really want those things injected into my son? The answer was no. Second question? What is thimerosal? This led me to this article. Thimerosal is a mercury based preservative that is also a potent neurotoxin. It was banned from vaccines in Russia 20 years ago. Denmark, Austria, Japan, Great Britain, and all the Scandinavian countries have also banned it. What do they know that we don't?
From the above article, "You couldn't even construct a study that shows thimerosal is safe," says Haley, who heads the chemistry department at the University of Kentucky. "It's just too darn toxic. If you inject thimerosal into an animal, its brain will sicken. If you apply it to living tissue, the cells die. If you put it in a petri dish, the culture dies. Knowing these things, it would be shocking if one could inject it into an infant without causing damage." If that isn't scary, I don't know what is.
Another article I found specifically talks about the tetanus vaccine, and about thimerosal. You can read it here.
There is also a link between autism and thimerosal. Prior to thimerosal being added to vaccines, there was no autism. You heard that right. Within the first year of thimerosal being added, autism was diagnosed. As many people know, the Amish community in large do not vaccinate. A reporter did a study of one Amish community is Pennsylvania. According to the amounts of autism in the 'general' population (non-Amish), there should have been 130 children with autism. There were four. One child had been exposed to mercury from power plants, one had been adopted from outside the Amish community, and thus had been immunized, and the other two had had their vaccinations.
The other question that lingers in my head is that I wonder if the cure is worth that the disease. Are we so scared of getting sick that we are willing to inject ourselves and our children with metals, preservatives, and animal and human byproducts? Especially since most of these diseases are treatable, and not fatal. Tetanus, for example, can be prevented by thoroughly cleaning any wounds...but if contracted, can be healed by antibiotics or pennicilin, with full recovery. Personally, I will make sure that my children always wear shoes when outside, do not play outside unsupervised, and if they get a scratch or cut, then I will cleanse it with hydrogen peroxide.
As for diptheria, it is also preventable by good nutrition and washing your hands. If contracted, you will fully recover unless it goes untreated. So, I will find out what the symptoms of diptheria are, so that if my children come down with it, I will know to have it treated.
And pertussis, also known as whooping cough? From what I have read, it is only fatal to those with a compromised immune system. I have a friend whose daughter has Cystic Fibrosis, which can affect the lungs. I would have a child with CF immunized...whooping cough could prove fatal to them. But for the average child who doesn't have that type of disease, I don't believe they would need to be immunized.
I don't know if I will ever have my children immunized. Perhaps if our government bans thimerosal from vaccines, I'll rethink it. Maybe if they stop putting cells from aborted fetuses in them, I'll consider it.
Until then, I will keep a close eye on the children God has given me; I will not allow them to be in the 'general population' (i.e. church nursery, daycare); I will make sure that we eat a healthy, nutritious diet (low sugar, high protein, whole grain); I will encourage my children to get plenty of sunshine and physical activity to strengthen their immune systems.
On a side note, I think that far too many parents are content with the status quo. Instead of searching and questioning why we do things, many people simply follow along, because it is what everyone else is doing, and because it is what their parents did before them. I'm not saying to go to a radical, extremist point of view, and do everything the opposite of everyone else...simply for oppositions sake. But I do think that we should analyze the things that we do, and the reasons for it. So our pediatrician says that all children should have x number of shots every few months...why? So our culture says that we should only have 2.5 children. Why? Many think that cloth diapering is just...weird. Why?
Perhaps its because my parents were hippies, maybe its because my husband is SO analytical...but I know that I have been taught for many years not to just do something because everyone else is doing it. At least, if you are going to do it, know WHY you are doing it, if for no other reason than that you will have an answer if anyone asks you. That you will know without a shadow of a doubt that you are doing the right thing....and this is the reason why.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Toughen Up
I've been musing on what to write for the past few days. I've been wanting to write since last Sunday, but life was too busy. :) There have been quite a few thoughts running through my head, and a lot of topics that Michael and I have been discussing lately. Child training is, of course, almost always at the forefront.
First off, I am so glad that I married Michael. Not just glad, but grateful. Last Sunday, we spent the afternoon with 3 other couples who have young children. One of the other moms was mentioning how well trained Ethan is. I told her that it was because of all the work that Michael had done. If left to my own devices, Ethan would be a very different Ethan. He would whine a whole lot more than he does. He would throw tantrums, that I am sure of. He certainly would not pick up his toys. And he most definitely would not sit silently through church. Michael opened my eyes up to the possibilities of what kind of training you can do with a child. Did you know that you can train a 13 month old to sit still and not fight while you cut their nails? Or that I 14 month old can sit through an hour and a half long church service without crying, whining, having toys or eating snacks? I had no clue at all. But, because Michael was the oldest of 6 children, he saw and experienced and learned what to do and what not to do with training children.
One of the things that we've been discussing is making sure that our children are tough. I think that this must be one of the hardest things for a mother to do. You think to yourself, if my child is crying then there must be something wrong. He needs me to comfort him, to let him cry, to continue to be the nurturer. In reality, your child, whether girl or boy, needs you, the parent, to toughen up. When they are toddlers, they are always falling. Ethan looks like an abused child with all the bruises that he has. It comes with the territory. Ethan has a nasty bruise on his eyelid because he fell into the bathtub the other day while I was giving Caleb a bath. There's a fading bruise on his forehead from when the front of one of his trucks collided with his noggin. He's a boy; he's a toddler; he is always getting into something.
There are friends of my family who have five daughters, ranging in age from 9 years to 3 months. These are some of the most feminine girls you will ever see...but they are also the toughest. My Mom has related to me the story of how one night at church one of the girls(6 or 7 years old) received a blow to the head with a guitar. My Mom was surprised to see that instead of crying or whining, she picked herself up, smiled, and went on her way. Now THAT is one tough little girl. Her father has a motto that it is his job to make the girls tough, and his wife's job to make sure that they are ladies. They are doing a great job with that.
I have a friend who has a 10 month old. We were in 'cry room' last Sunday while I nursed Caleb. Her son had recently become mobile, and was crawling and cruising all over the place. He is a joy to watch as he discovers and learns new things. He has a beautiful smile. At one point, he was cruising on the back of the chairs, and he tripped and fell. It must have hurt. He started crying, and my friend went right over, started apologizing to him, and continued to try and comfort him. He kept on crying. My friend is very tender-hearted. I know that she is comforting him because she loves him. I wish that she could see that comforting him every time he falls is not going to help him in the long run. Some people may see this as being 'mean'. Michael often jokes that I need to become a 'mean mommy' like he's a 'mean daddy'. If you don't teach a child now to pick himself up and stand on his own two feet, then when will you? Our job as parents is to put ourselves out of a job as soon as possible.
Children are fast learners. When they see that parents will run to their attention whenever they hurt themselves, they know that if they ever want their parents undivided attention, they have the perfect way to get it. Some may be shocked, and deny that their 'little angel' could be such a 'little devil'. Surely their child would not-could not sin in such a way. It is simply human nature.
Our children must learn to be tough, to stand on their own, to deal with rejection. As Christians, they will be rejected at some point in their lives. Michael Pearl says, "It is not a tough exterior that God desires or that people admire; it is a tough spirit, an overcoming spirit, a spirit of service, caring not for the sparse thanks, nor flinching at misunderstanding". The rest of that article is great on not raising a 'sissy' for a boy.
Michael often says that I am too soft with Ethan. Its true. It is due to my inconsistencies with Ethan that he is not a better-trained, more obedient child. I am striving to be more consistent with my training of Ethan, while not becoming 'mean' in the true sense of the word. Ethan is a joy. I want him to know that he is a joy. If Ethan falls and gets hurt around me, he usually cries. If he falls around Daddy...not a tear. Daddy says, "Get up", and Ethan does. He continues to play joyfully, as if nothing has happened.
I am tougher than some, though. People must see me as 'mean', especially older grandmotherly types. One time at church Ethan was playing with some older children, and he fell and hit his head on the podium. A grandmother nearby was ready to run to his aid, but I put my hand out to stop her, said that he was fine...and he was. He stood up, smiled, and continued to run and play with the other children. He's becoming an independent man, which is exactly what is supposed to be happening. I want him to know that if he falls and hurts himself, he will be okay.
What do I want Ethan to be like 15 years from now? Do I want him to be afraid to try new things, because he might get hurt, or do I want him to be adventurous, motivated, and fearless? He needs to know that mistakes will be made, that he will 'tumble and fall', and that Mama will not always be there to comfort him. He needs to know to continue on, even when he is in pain. He, being my firstborn, will have to take care of me and the younger children when Daddy gets deployed. He needs to be brave. The physical aspects of training him not to cry when he falls carries over to so many other areas of character. It will make his spirit strong, his mind strong, and his will strong.
First off, I am so glad that I married Michael. Not just glad, but grateful. Last Sunday, we spent the afternoon with 3 other couples who have young children. One of the other moms was mentioning how well trained Ethan is. I told her that it was because of all the work that Michael had done. If left to my own devices, Ethan would be a very different Ethan. He would whine a whole lot more than he does. He would throw tantrums, that I am sure of. He certainly would not pick up his toys. And he most definitely would not sit silently through church. Michael opened my eyes up to the possibilities of what kind of training you can do with a child. Did you know that you can train a 13 month old to sit still and not fight while you cut their nails? Or that I 14 month old can sit through an hour and a half long church service without crying, whining, having toys or eating snacks? I had no clue at all. But, because Michael was the oldest of 6 children, he saw and experienced and learned what to do and what not to do with training children.
One of the things that we've been discussing is making sure that our children are tough. I think that this must be one of the hardest things for a mother to do. You think to yourself, if my child is crying then there must be something wrong. He needs me to comfort him, to let him cry, to continue to be the nurturer. In reality, your child, whether girl or boy, needs you, the parent, to toughen up. When they are toddlers, they are always falling. Ethan looks like an abused child with all the bruises that he has. It comes with the territory. Ethan has a nasty bruise on his eyelid because he fell into the bathtub the other day while I was giving Caleb a bath. There's a fading bruise on his forehead from when the front of one of his trucks collided with his noggin. He's a boy; he's a toddler; he is always getting into something.
There are friends of my family who have five daughters, ranging in age from 9 years to 3 months. These are some of the most feminine girls you will ever see...but they are also the toughest. My Mom has related to me the story of how one night at church one of the girls(6 or 7 years old) received a blow to the head with a guitar. My Mom was surprised to see that instead of crying or whining, she picked herself up, smiled, and went on her way. Now THAT is one tough little girl. Her father has a motto that it is his job to make the girls tough, and his wife's job to make sure that they are ladies. They are doing a great job with that.
I have a friend who has a 10 month old. We were in 'cry room' last Sunday while I nursed Caleb. Her son had recently become mobile, and was crawling and cruising all over the place. He is a joy to watch as he discovers and learns new things. He has a beautiful smile. At one point, he was cruising on the back of the chairs, and he tripped and fell. It must have hurt. He started crying, and my friend went right over, started apologizing to him, and continued to try and comfort him. He kept on crying. My friend is very tender-hearted. I know that she is comforting him because she loves him. I wish that she could see that comforting him every time he falls is not going to help him in the long run. Some people may see this as being 'mean'. Michael often jokes that I need to become a 'mean mommy' like he's a 'mean daddy'. If you don't teach a child now to pick himself up and stand on his own two feet, then when will you? Our job as parents is to put ourselves out of a job as soon as possible.
Children are fast learners. When they see that parents will run to their attention whenever they hurt themselves, they know that if they ever want their parents undivided attention, they have the perfect way to get it. Some may be shocked, and deny that their 'little angel' could be such a 'little devil'. Surely their child would not-could not sin in such a way. It is simply human nature.
Our children must learn to be tough, to stand on their own, to deal with rejection. As Christians, they will be rejected at some point in their lives. Michael Pearl says, "It is not a tough exterior that God desires or that people admire; it is a tough spirit, an overcoming spirit, a spirit of service, caring not for the sparse thanks, nor flinching at misunderstanding". The rest of that article is great on not raising a 'sissy' for a boy.
Michael often says that I am too soft with Ethan. Its true. It is due to my inconsistencies with Ethan that he is not a better-trained, more obedient child. I am striving to be more consistent with my training of Ethan, while not becoming 'mean' in the true sense of the word. Ethan is a joy. I want him to know that he is a joy. If Ethan falls and gets hurt around me, he usually cries. If he falls around Daddy...not a tear. Daddy says, "Get up", and Ethan does. He continues to play joyfully, as if nothing has happened.
I am tougher than some, though. People must see me as 'mean', especially older grandmotherly types. One time at church Ethan was playing with some older children, and he fell and hit his head on the podium. A grandmother nearby was ready to run to his aid, but I put my hand out to stop her, said that he was fine...and he was. He stood up, smiled, and continued to run and play with the other children. He's becoming an independent man, which is exactly what is supposed to be happening. I want him to know that if he falls and hurts himself, he will be okay.
What do I want Ethan to be like 15 years from now? Do I want him to be afraid to try new things, because he might get hurt, or do I want him to be adventurous, motivated, and fearless? He needs to know that mistakes will be made, that he will 'tumble and fall', and that Mama will not always be there to comfort him. He needs to know to continue on, even when he is in pain. He, being my firstborn, will have to take care of me and the younger children when Daddy gets deployed. He needs to be brave. The physical aspects of training him not to cry when he falls carries over to so many other areas of character. It will make his spirit strong, his mind strong, and his will strong.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Weekend of Fun
Michael had his last class on Thursday night, and he doesn't start the fall session until the 27th. Woo-hoo! On Friday, we walked up to the playground by our development's pool. Ethan had fun going down the slide with Daddy, going on the zip-line, and watching a frog. It started to rain on us(as Michael predicted), so we went home and laid the boys down for their naps. After Ethan woke up, I wanted to go and do something, but since we don't have a lot(or any) of money to waste on frivolous things, we decided to have a fun day inside.
Michael and Ethan built a fort out of blankets and furniture. Daddy builds much better forts than Mommy does. Ethan and Michael had a blast crawling through the tunnel. Ethan even had a snack in the fort.
After the fort building, Michael entertained Caleb while Ethan and I baked cookies together for the first time! As most know, I used to be the baker in my house. While I still am, I don't bake nearly as much as I used to. I'm down from twice a week to once every 3-4 months. In fact, I haven't baked since May. Wow!
Ethan had so much fun helpping me stir, and watching the Kitchenaid beat everything together. He LOVED the chocolate chips. I've been looking forward to having him help me in the kitchen, and am so happy that he's old enough to 'help' bake. Christmas is going to be so much fun this year when we decorate and bake cookies as gifts.
Ethan definitely enjoys helping me out...
Eating a chocolate chip...
Sweeping up our mess...
Enjoying the fruits of our labor...
Here's a picture of Caleb, smiling while on the table. Michael took quite a few of him while Ethan and I were making cookies. See their Nursery for more pics.
On Saturday morning, we went to a few yard sales, and spent a grand total of $12.50. The first place was a couple blocks away from our house, so the boys and I went at 8:30 while Daddy was still sleeping. I spent $5.50 and got a bunch of fall clothes for both Caleb and Ethan, and a pair of shoes for Ethan. They had a sand and water table for $5, which we came back with the car and bought an hour later. Its in great condition, and has a castle that goes in it and everything. Ethan will have fun this summer, but he and Caleb are going to have even more fun playing with it together next year.
We then went to the Navy base, where they were having a community wide yard sale. We went to two, and drove by 3 or 4. We hit the jackpot, though, when we found a carpet sweeper. For those who don't know, Ethan loves the vacuum cleaner. He is always helping me vacuum by moving the cord for me. If I want him to be entertained for at least half an hour while I have to do something, I bring out the vacuum for him to play with and explore. Anyway, we were at a friends' house a few weeks back, and their daughter has a toy vacuum cleaner. For the four hours that we were there, that was the toy that Ethan loved the most. Michael and I were joking with our friends that it was too bad that they didn't make working toy vacuums, because then it would make our jobs a lot easier. Just send to kids to vacuum! Thats when we came up with the idea with getting Ethan a carpet sweeper for Christmas. I was even going to pay full retail price for it. At the yard sale today, however, I found it for the grand price of $1, and it had only been used twice. Ethan was 'sweeping up a storm'!
The weekend isn't even over yet, and already we've had a great time as a family. I love that what we have done has not only been inexpensive, but also productive and useful. This is something that Michael and I are trying to impress upon our children, and ourselves. The existentialist mindset is that of the pursuit of fun and amusement, simply for the sake of entertainment. Michael and I are not against fun, but we want our children to be productive; to be producers, not simply consumers. We had thought about doing something 'fun', like Chuck E Cheese, or the Aquarium, maybe going to a park and running around. They all would have been fine and good, but would they have been the best?
I'm so glad that we stayed in the AC, and had a good time working together as a family, having fun, but while being productive. Ethan won't remember this weekend, but by building on this foundation, he will be able to learn so much! He can learn how to bake, how to look for great deals on things that we would like to buy...and he will learn and know that his parents love and enjoy him. I want my children to know that they are needed assets to this family, that they are not just loved and enjoyed, but really and truly needed.
Michael and Ethan built a fort out of blankets and furniture. Daddy builds much better forts than Mommy does. Ethan and Michael had a blast crawling through the tunnel. Ethan even had a snack in the fort.
After the fort building, Michael entertained Caleb while Ethan and I baked cookies together for the first time! As most know, I used to be the baker in my house. While I still am, I don't bake nearly as much as I used to. I'm down from twice a week to once every 3-4 months. In fact, I haven't baked since May. Wow!
Ethan had so much fun helpping me stir, and watching the Kitchenaid beat everything together. He LOVED the chocolate chips. I've been looking forward to having him help me in the kitchen, and am so happy that he's old enough to 'help' bake. Christmas is going to be so much fun this year when we decorate and bake cookies as gifts.
Ethan definitely enjoys helping me out...
Eating a chocolate chip...
Sweeping up our mess...
Enjoying the fruits of our labor...
Here's a picture of Caleb, smiling while on the table. Michael took quite a few of him while Ethan and I were making cookies. See their Nursery for more pics.
On Saturday morning, we went to a few yard sales, and spent a grand total of $12.50. The first place was a couple blocks away from our house, so the boys and I went at 8:30 while Daddy was still sleeping. I spent $5.50 and got a bunch of fall clothes for both Caleb and Ethan, and a pair of shoes for Ethan. They had a sand and water table for $5, which we came back with the car and bought an hour later. Its in great condition, and has a castle that goes in it and everything. Ethan will have fun this summer, but he and Caleb are going to have even more fun playing with it together next year.
We then went to the Navy base, where they were having a community wide yard sale. We went to two, and drove by 3 or 4. We hit the jackpot, though, when we found a carpet sweeper. For those who don't know, Ethan loves the vacuum cleaner. He is always helping me vacuum by moving the cord for me. If I want him to be entertained for at least half an hour while I have to do something, I bring out the vacuum for him to play with and explore. Anyway, we were at a friends' house a few weeks back, and their daughter has a toy vacuum cleaner. For the four hours that we were there, that was the toy that Ethan loved the most. Michael and I were joking with our friends that it was too bad that they didn't make working toy vacuums, because then it would make our jobs a lot easier. Just send to kids to vacuum! Thats when we came up with the idea with getting Ethan a carpet sweeper for Christmas. I was even going to pay full retail price for it. At the yard sale today, however, I found it for the grand price of $1, and it had only been used twice. Ethan was 'sweeping up a storm'!
The weekend isn't even over yet, and already we've had a great time as a family. I love that what we have done has not only been inexpensive, but also productive and useful. This is something that Michael and I are trying to impress upon our children, and ourselves. The existentialist mindset is that of the pursuit of fun and amusement, simply for the sake of entertainment. Michael and I are not against fun, but we want our children to be productive; to be producers, not simply consumers. We had thought about doing something 'fun', like Chuck E Cheese, or the Aquarium, maybe going to a park and running around. They all would have been fine and good, but would they have been the best?
I'm so glad that we stayed in the AC, and had a good time working together as a family, having fun, but while being productive. Ethan won't remember this weekend, but by building on this foundation, he will be able to learn so much! He can learn how to bake, how to look for great deals on things that we would like to buy...and he will learn and know that his parents love and enjoy him. I want my children to know that they are needed assets to this family, that they are not just loved and enjoyed, but really and truly needed.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Equality Among Brothers
When I first found out that I was pregnant, I wondered if I would be able to love my second born as much as I loved Ethan. Of course, I KNEW I was having a girl(uproarious laughter), so I wasn't too concerned with them having to compete for my affection. The first daughter would most definitely not feel inadequate or unloved; after all, she was still a first. As God planned it, Jane Victoria has not yet made her appearance, but instead Caleb Nathan graced us with his presence. He and Ethan are going to be such good friends, and Ethan loves him so much already. Next summer will be an absolute blast, and my two boys will be running around doing everything together. I am very grateful that we have two boys.
Once we found out that we were having a Caleb instead of a Jane, my fear was still that he would still not feel as loved as Ethan. Ethan's arrival came with such fanfare...I had four baby showers, everyone was always asking about how he was doing...and everyone still does. When we were gone for 2 months, our church family kept on saying how much they missed Ethan...and Michael and Allie, of course. :)
Throughout my pregnancy, I felt like I had to defend myself for 'getting' pregnant so soon. There were so many negative comments made...and I did NOT want my son to feel that he wasn't wanted, or that we would regret having him. There are differences between the pregnancies of the first born, and all the subsequent babies to follow. With your first, everything is so new and foreign. You have no idea what to expect, and because its all so new, there's an air of excitement about everything, even the mundane things.
A friend of mine who also has two 15 months apart said that after her first son was born, she was so in awe of him, and full of adrenaline and just taking it all in. With her second, it was like, "Okay, I have another baby". No less amount of love, but it just wasn't as...novel, I guess. I can completely relate to her assessment. But I wonder if my lack of awe will be translated as a lack of love.
Have any other mothers felt this way, or am I the only crackpot out here?
When Caleb was first born, I wanted to make sure that he felt just as loved as Ethan...so I insisted on buying him a baby book, even though he already had a scrapbook that would suffice. Why? Because Ethan had a baby book and a scrapbook, and I didn't want Caleb to feel like he deserved less. Silly, I know, but I was so adamant about it.
I've always struggled with the idea that something can be equal, but be different. When I first became a Christian and learned about submission, I basically began espousing that women were to be servants to men, and were not of equal importance. That is a complete lie, and misunderstanding of what Scripture teaches. I'm sure that its okay, and normal, for the reactions to be different between first borns and all the rest. As time goes on, I will probably accept this, and hopefully with the next baby, it won't even be an issue.
I am praying that Michael and I have wisdom in making sure that all our children feel loved, which will be difficult considering the fact that we hope to have a large family. I do know that there is enough 'room in my heart' for both my boys, and for all the rest that come along. I love watching Michael talk to Caleb, and to see Ethan give the baby kisses. And I LOVE it when Caleb smiles.
Once we found out that we were having a Caleb instead of a Jane, my fear was still that he would still not feel as loved as Ethan. Ethan's arrival came with such fanfare...I had four baby showers, everyone was always asking about how he was doing...and everyone still does. When we were gone for 2 months, our church family kept on saying how much they missed Ethan...and Michael and Allie, of course. :)
Throughout my pregnancy, I felt like I had to defend myself for 'getting' pregnant so soon. There were so many negative comments made...and I did NOT want my son to feel that he wasn't wanted, or that we would regret having him. There are differences between the pregnancies of the first born, and all the subsequent babies to follow. With your first, everything is so new and foreign. You have no idea what to expect, and because its all so new, there's an air of excitement about everything, even the mundane things.
A friend of mine who also has two 15 months apart said that after her first son was born, she was so in awe of him, and full of adrenaline and just taking it all in. With her second, it was like, "Okay, I have another baby". No less amount of love, but it just wasn't as...novel, I guess. I can completely relate to her assessment. But I wonder if my lack of awe will be translated as a lack of love.
Have any other mothers felt this way, or am I the only crackpot out here?
When Caleb was first born, I wanted to make sure that he felt just as loved as Ethan...so I insisted on buying him a baby book, even though he already had a scrapbook that would suffice. Why? Because Ethan had a baby book and a scrapbook, and I didn't want Caleb to feel like he deserved less. Silly, I know, but I was so adamant about it.
I've always struggled with the idea that something can be equal, but be different. When I first became a Christian and learned about submission, I basically began espousing that women were to be servants to men, and were not of equal importance. That is a complete lie, and misunderstanding of what Scripture teaches. I'm sure that its okay, and normal, for the reactions to be different between first borns and all the rest. As time goes on, I will probably accept this, and hopefully with the next baby, it won't even be an issue.
I am praying that Michael and I have wisdom in making sure that all our children feel loved, which will be difficult considering the fact that we hope to have a large family. I do know that there is enough 'room in my heart' for both my boys, and for all the rest that come along. I love watching Michael talk to Caleb, and to see Ethan give the baby kisses. And I LOVE it when Caleb smiles.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Sleeping Babies...that don't sleep.
Caleb is turning into Ethan at this age.
As some know, Ethan was not a sleeper until he hit 4 months. Until that point, my goal was one 30 minute nap a day. When I first became a mother I was shocked that my sweet little baby would not sleep. I distinctly remember when he was 3 weeks old he was up for 14 hours straight, with one 45 minute nap in my arms. Thankfully, even that was not the norm, and he would 'catnap' in my arms throughout the day. But, he was usually awake, and definitely wouldn't sleep for much longer than half an hour.
For the past few days, Caleb has not taken more than an hour long nap in his cradle, and it hasn't been coordinating with Ethan's nap. Today, he slept on and off for most of the morning, but every time I laid him down he was awake within 20 minutes. I got a shower in, thankfully, but he woke up in the middle of it. I nursed him, he fell asleep, I laid him down...and he woke up 10 minutes later as I was eating lunch. I played with him, walked him around, and laid him on my chest for the next half hour, during which he fell asleep...for a total of 15 minutes. At his next feeding, he finally fell asleep, and I laid him down. He slept for...half an hour. :) Ethan was coloring while I was writing thank you notes, when I heard that tell-tale cry emanating from my bedroom. Sigh.
As a first time mother, I didn't know that you could do things while the baby was awake. Now I know that I can. Caleb has a nice little spot on a table runner on my kitchen table...I should post a picture. He stares out the glass door, usually content, although there are times that cry he must as I clean Ethan up, do dishes, make dinner, and all the things that come with being a wife and mother.
Today I washed dishes, made coffee, cooked pancakes and eggs for breakfast, took a shower, ate lunch, made up nursing tea (which tastes awful, by the way), am washing my cloth diapers, and made lunch for Ethan and Michael. Dinner is thawing in the fridge, and I'll be going on a walk in a little while. I NEVER would have gotten this much done when Ethan was 7 weeks old...I don't think I started getting even a fraction of this done until he was 4 or 5 months old. What a difference between a firstborn and a second born.
Hopefully Caleb will begin taking better naps soon, and he will be on more of a schedule. Michael will be starting up school full time in a few weeks, and when that begins I will no longer have him home to help. Basically he'll be leaving as soon as the boys get up, and getting home right before I put Ethan to bed. I know that I'll be able to do it...I have other Navy Wife friends whose husbands are never home to help...and they can still smile and laugh through it. I need to start getting ready for him to be gone, because in three short years he will be deployed , and I will have to experience 'single mommyhood' for myself.
Caleb just fell asleep again while nursing...I'm going to go lay him down.
As some know, Ethan was not a sleeper until he hit 4 months. Until that point, my goal was one 30 minute nap a day. When I first became a mother I was shocked that my sweet little baby would not sleep. I distinctly remember when he was 3 weeks old he was up for 14 hours straight, with one 45 minute nap in my arms. Thankfully, even that was not the norm, and he would 'catnap' in my arms throughout the day. But, he was usually awake, and definitely wouldn't sleep for much longer than half an hour.
For the past few days, Caleb has not taken more than an hour long nap in his cradle, and it hasn't been coordinating with Ethan's nap. Today, he slept on and off for most of the morning, but every time I laid him down he was awake within 20 minutes. I got a shower in, thankfully, but he woke up in the middle of it. I nursed him, he fell asleep, I laid him down...and he woke up 10 minutes later as I was eating lunch. I played with him, walked him around, and laid him on my chest for the next half hour, during which he fell asleep...for a total of 15 minutes. At his next feeding, he finally fell asleep, and I laid him down. He slept for...half an hour. :) Ethan was coloring while I was writing thank you notes, when I heard that tell-tale cry emanating from my bedroom. Sigh.
As a first time mother, I didn't know that you could do things while the baby was awake. Now I know that I can. Caleb has a nice little spot on a table runner on my kitchen table...I should post a picture. He stares out the glass door, usually content, although there are times that cry he must as I clean Ethan up, do dishes, make dinner, and all the things that come with being a wife and mother.
Today I washed dishes, made coffee, cooked pancakes and eggs for breakfast, took a shower, ate lunch, made up nursing tea (which tastes awful, by the way), am washing my cloth diapers, and made lunch for Ethan and Michael. Dinner is thawing in the fridge, and I'll be going on a walk in a little while. I NEVER would have gotten this much done when Ethan was 7 weeks old...I don't think I started getting even a fraction of this done until he was 4 or 5 months old. What a difference between a firstborn and a second born.
Hopefully Caleb will begin taking better naps soon, and he will be on more of a schedule. Michael will be starting up school full time in a few weeks, and when that begins I will no longer have him home to help. Basically he'll be leaving as soon as the boys get up, and getting home right before I put Ethan to bed. I know that I'll be able to do it...I have other Navy Wife friends whose husbands are never home to help...and they can still smile and laugh through it. I need to start getting ready for him to be gone, because in three short years he will be deployed , and I will have to experience 'single mommyhood' for myself.
Caleb just fell asleep again while nursing...I'm going to go lay him down.
Monday, August 4, 2008
A Day in the Life
As every mother knows, there are good days and there are bad days. Most of the days in my life are good. There have surprisingly few 'bad days' since Caleb arrived. They usually occur because Ethan and Caleb's naps don't coordinate, and so my usual 2 hours of productivity are gone. Thankfully, Ethan is now a great nap taker and rarely fights sleep, and Caleb will eventually fall asleep, even if its not within the time frame that I want. Caleb is 'waking up', and instead of taking 3-4 long naps, he's now taking at least one good long nap, with a few 'mini naps' scattered throughout the day.
Caleb's starting to smile, and, oh, it is a beautiful sight. I love it when they start smiling back at you. Whenever Michael or I hold Caleb now, we're always trying to get him to smile. Its great when they start responding to you, and acting more like a person rather than a doll that eat, sleeps and poops all day. He's developing his own personality, and I know that I need to make sure that I keep Caleb's identity separate from Ethan's. A friend at church told me that she had failed to do that with her two boys who are 15 months apart. While their personalities are different, the younger one had lost himself in the older. When the older son went to college, the younger was left aimless, as if his other half was gone. I want all of my children to be close, but not to their detriment. Especially with Michael and I most likely having many children close together, we'll have to be aware of the fact that our children need to have something to call their own, whether it be a talent or a hobby or something. I think that Ethan will be more of the Alpha Male, and Caleb will be more of a follower. I'll have to make sure that Ethan doesn't overrun his brother...or 'mother hen' him too much. :)
Right now Ethan's climbing on a half-sleeping Michael. He's pointing to his feet, kissing his cheeks, and attempting to stick his finger up Daddy's nose. He's trying to pull the blanket off of Michael, and is making lots of insistent 'ma' noises, while emphatically rubbing his chest in the sign for 'please'. Caleb is nursing as I write, half asleep. Ethan and I are also listening to the thunder in the distance, even though all I see out my window is blue sky.
Today is a good day.
Caleb's starting to smile, and, oh, it is a beautiful sight. I love it when they start smiling back at you. Whenever Michael or I hold Caleb now, we're always trying to get him to smile. Its great when they start responding to you, and acting more like a person rather than a doll that eat, sleeps and poops all day. He's developing his own personality, and I know that I need to make sure that I keep Caleb's identity separate from Ethan's. A friend at church told me that she had failed to do that with her two boys who are 15 months apart. While their personalities are different, the younger one had lost himself in the older. When the older son went to college, the younger was left aimless, as if his other half was gone. I want all of my children to be close, but not to their detriment. Especially with Michael and I most likely having many children close together, we'll have to be aware of the fact that our children need to have something to call their own, whether it be a talent or a hobby or something. I think that Ethan will be more of the Alpha Male, and Caleb will be more of a follower. I'll have to make sure that Ethan doesn't overrun his brother...or 'mother hen' him too much. :)
Right now Ethan's climbing on a half-sleeping Michael. He's pointing to his feet, kissing his cheeks, and attempting to stick his finger up Daddy's nose. He's trying to pull the blanket off of Michael, and is making lots of insistent 'ma' noises, while emphatically rubbing his chest in the sign for 'please'. Caleb is nursing as I write, half asleep. Ethan and I are also listening to the thunder in the distance, even though all I see out my window is blue sky.
Today is a good day.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Scheduling Feedings
Schedules, schedules....the word makes some tremble in fear, and to others it brings comfort and security. I love schedules, and order; chaos gives me a headache. To be able to at least know a general idea of the Plan of the Day is the first step, for me at least, in being productive.
Schedules, however, are different from scheduling. When I speak of scheduling, I am talking about putting a baby/child on a feeding schedule, as opposed to demand feeding. For some qualification, I am not talking about putting your newborn(or even your 6 month old) on a 4 hour schedule, and letting them scream from hunger in between. That's just...illogical.
Unfortunately, I was one of those illogical people. When Ethan was 6 months old I worked him up to a four hour feeding schedule. He didn't cry in between feedings, in fact he was very content. However, he stopped gaining a significant amount of weight. When he should have gained 3-4 pounds, he barely gained one. Then I got pregnant with Caleb. Even though I was feeding Ethan every 2 1/2 hours, because my milk had gone down due to the pregnancy, he still wasn't growing as he should. This was when he was 9 months old. We went to whole milk...and he fattened up so well! He was still slender, but by his 12 month check up he was right where he should be.
For the past 5 1/2 weeks I have not had Caleb on a schedule. My first reason was that he was a small baby at only 6 lbs 9 oz. He didn't want to nurse a lot in the beginning. He was one of those strange sleeping babies (Ethan wasn't), who I had to wake up to nurse. A good friend gave me the advice with Ethan to let him demand feed for the first month. I did, as I have with Caleb. However, I've also been taking the easy way out and nursing him whenever he gets fussy. This is not a habit that I want to continue. Yesterday began the first day of his schedule.
Some comments on the pros and cons of scheduling. I have read the book Babywise, which I do recommend. However, it drove me crazy in the beginning with Ethan because he didn't go by the book! He would not go 2 1/2 hours between feedings, he wanted to nurse after an hour and a half. Nursing sessions didn't take 30 minutes, they took more like an hour. And the biggest thing? My wonderful son didn't sleep in the beginning, and certainly not like the book said that he would.
First lesson as a new mom-your child is unique and wonderful, and they will not always do what the 'experts' say that they will.
Some of the pros of scheduling are that it teaches the child from the beginning that Daddy and Mommy are in control. This is vital. It also helps them sleep through the night sooner. I have many friends that demand feed, and many that 'schedule'. The biggest contrast is that the children that are demand fed are not sleeping through the night, and those that are 'scheduled' are. This, of course, is not a rule. I know of some who did demand feeding, and their children all slept through the night by 12 weeks. Scheduling feedings throughout the day helps to regulate a child's body so that he can go longer at night. The only time that I had to have Ethan cry it out at night was when he was waking up after already establishing sleeping through the night. It was unusual for him to wake up at night, and it was then that I let him cry it out.
Yesterday went great. Caleb did very well. I'm nursing him every hour and a half to two hours. Prior to this, he was nursing every 40 minutes to an hour. We're already on a schedule because of Ethan, so we all get up between 6:30 and 7 AM. He only nurses for about 10 minutes on each side, so our sessions are fairly short. I try to keep him awake as much as I can in the morning so that I can make sure that he'll take a nap when Ethan does. I find that Caleb is a lot like Ethan was, he wants to be held and walked around. So I'm back to walking around the house, talking to Ethan while he's on the potty, singing to soothe the 'savage beast' in my arms. Caleb even made it all the way through Ethan's bath last night without nursing, for the first time! He was quite a content little guy, with his head resting on my shoulder, his eyes wide open and alert.
A great balanced article by Debi Pearl helped me a lot when I was pregnant with Ethan and doing all the preliminary research on raising children. I would highly recommend reading the article, and anything else you can find on their site. While I don't agree with everything doctrinally, I pretty much go to their writings if I have a question on anything marriage or child training related. Did I mention that they have a free newsletter that is absolutely great? I look forward to receiving it every couple of months.
In conclusion, what I've come to realize is that you have to know your child. My husband is always telling me that you can't just blindly rely on mapquest or a GPS. We've travelled often enough to learn that even technology can make mistakes. In the same way, books and advice can be wrong, especially because each child is unique in and of themselves. One child may be fine with going 3 hours between feedings, and other might need to nurse every hour and a half. As my husband has said with navigating, read the signs. Know the signs of hunger and malnutrition, of them needing more attention, of them needing you. Caleb doesn't have my 100 percent attention because I have Ethan. He may need me to sit and nurse him more often that Ethan did, because he needs that one-on-one time that he gets with nursing.
Schedules, however, are different from scheduling. When I speak of scheduling, I am talking about putting a baby/child on a feeding schedule, as opposed to demand feeding. For some qualification, I am not talking about putting your newborn(or even your 6 month old) on a 4 hour schedule, and letting them scream from hunger in between. That's just...illogical.
Unfortunately, I was one of those illogical people. When Ethan was 6 months old I worked him up to a four hour feeding schedule. He didn't cry in between feedings, in fact he was very content. However, he stopped gaining a significant amount of weight. When he should have gained 3-4 pounds, he barely gained one. Then I got pregnant with Caleb. Even though I was feeding Ethan every 2 1/2 hours, because my milk had gone down due to the pregnancy, he still wasn't growing as he should. This was when he was 9 months old. We went to whole milk...and he fattened up so well! He was still slender, but by his 12 month check up he was right where he should be.
For the past 5 1/2 weeks I have not had Caleb on a schedule. My first reason was that he was a small baby at only 6 lbs 9 oz. He didn't want to nurse a lot in the beginning. He was one of those strange sleeping babies (Ethan wasn't), who I had to wake up to nurse. A good friend gave me the advice with Ethan to let him demand feed for the first month. I did, as I have with Caleb. However, I've also been taking the easy way out and nursing him whenever he gets fussy. This is not a habit that I want to continue. Yesterday began the first day of his schedule.
Some comments on the pros and cons of scheduling. I have read the book Babywise, which I do recommend. However, it drove me crazy in the beginning with Ethan because he didn't go by the book! He would not go 2 1/2 hours between feedings, he wanted to nurse after an hour and a half. Nursing sessions didn't take 30 minutes, they took more like an hour. And the biggest thing? My wonderful son didn't sleep in the beginning, and certainly not like the book said that he would.
First lesson as a new mom-your child is unique and wonderful, and they will not always do what the 'experts' say that they will.
Some of the pros of scheduling are that it teaches the child from the beginning that Daddy and Mommy are in control. This is vital. It also helps them sleep through the night sooner. I have many friends that demand feed, and many that 'schedule'. The biggest contrast is that the children that are demand fed are not sleeping through the night, and those that are 'scheduled' are. This, of course, is not a rule. I know of some who did demand feeding, and their children all slept through the night by 12 weeks. Scheduling feedings throughout the day helps to regulate a child's body so that he can go longer at night. The only time that I had to have Ethan cry it out at night was when he was waking up after already establishing sleeping through the night. It was unusual for him to wake up at night, and it was then that I let him cry it out.
Yesterday went great. Caleb did very well. I'm nursing him every hour and a half to two hours. Prior to this, he was nursing every 40 minutes to an hour. We're already on a schedule because of Ethan, so we all get up between 6:30 and 7 AM. He only nurses for about 10 minutes on each side, so our sessions are fairly short. I try to keep him awake as much as I can in the morning so that I can make sure that he'll take a nap when Ethan does. I find that Caleb is a lot like Ethan was, he wants to be held and walked around. So I'm back to walking around the house, talking to Ethan while he's on the potty, singing to soothe the 'savage beast' in my arms. Caleb even made it all the way through Ethan's bath last night without nursing, for the first time! He was quite a content little guy, with his head resting on my shoulder, his eyes wide open and alert.
A great balanced article by Debi Pearl helped me a lot when I was pregnant with Ethan and doing all the preliminary research on raising children. I would highly recommend reading the article, and anything else you can find on their site. While I don't agree with everything doctrinally, I pretty much go to their writings if I have a question on anything marriage or child training related. Did I mention that they have a free newsletter that is absolutely great? I look forward to receiving it every couple of months.
In conclusion, what I've come to realize is that you have to know your child. My husband is always telling me that you can't just blindly rely on mapquest or a GPS. We've travelled often enough to learn that even technology can make mistakes. In the same way, books and advice can be wrong, especially because each child is unique in and of themselves. One child may be fine with going 3 hours between feedings, and other might need to nurse every hour and a half. As my husband has said with navigating, read the signs. Know the signs of hunger and malnutrition, of them needing more attention, of them needing you. Caleb doesn't have my 100 percent attention because I have Ethan. He may need me to sit and nurse him more often that Ethan did, because he needs that one-on-one time that he gets with nursing.
Introductions and other such things...
My reasons for starting this blog are fairly simple. On June 16, 2008 I gave birth to my second child, Caleb Nathan Davis, 14 1/2 months after having my firstborn, Ethan Masao. While we had not 'planned' on having them that close, my husband and I had decided before we were married that we would trust God with our family planning. We were overjoyed to find out that we were expecting again, and couldn't wait to meet this new little person. While pregnant, I received many different and varied reactions when people found out how close in age our children would be. I still remember one woman telling me that it was 'living hell' for the first six months after she had her second 16 months after her first. I tried to ignore many of the comments and looks...and I believe that I was ultimately successful. However, the 'spirit of abortion' in this country can be so strong and intrusive, that it even crosses over into Christian circles.
Thankfully, there were many out there who were encouraging. My own mother had my brother and I 13 months apart. And while she will admit that it was not easy, you get through it and you do what you have to do. There seems to be so much out there written for first time Moms...I know, because I probably read all the books, joined all the websites and poured through the magazine. But other than the occasional article or forum on the topic of second (or third, or fourth) borns, the subject seemed lacking. I had so many questions on how I was going to be able to give enough attention to my newborn, while making sure my toddler didn't feel left out. Or, would I be able to love my second born as much as my first? What was bath time going to be like? Would my husband feel left out, would I even have enough time for him? This blog is for those who are asking questions like these.
I don't believe that I have all the answers. But I have been abundantly blessed to have many resources in my life who have taught me so much. I was 14 when I knew that my calling was to be a mom, and 21 when that dream was realized. Just as other men and women have spoken truth into my life, I want to be there to speak truth into others. There are so many lies that are out in the world, and not enough people speaking the truth. I pray that if nothing else, I can speak the truth.
Many things that I believe in and practice run contrary to the status quo. Right now I am fully entrenched in training, which is different from discipline. Go to No Greater Joy for an awesome resource on training and discipline. In this blog, I am hoping to write about the many different aspects of training a child correctly, and the ins and outs of it. My husband and I are homeschool graduates, and our children are already 'enrolled' in our school. Cloth diapering, natural herbal remedies, and wholesome nutrition are other interests that I have. I am cheap, and proud of it, thanks to my father. My husband and I are politically and economically minded. I wish that Ron Paul could have delivered my son, and Gary North's Specific Answers is one of my favorite websites. I am a stay-at-home wife and mom. I absolutely love and adore my husband. He is my hero, and has taught me so much. I am a better person because of him. My children are a delight and blessing, and I am so grateful that God gave them to us. We are still praying and hoping for more just like them.
This first post is more of a ramble than anything else, but I'm working on changing that. I haven't written in a few years. :) Next post will probably be on either tantrums or 'scheduling', the two things that I've been dealing with today.
Thankfully, there were many out there who were encouraging. My own mother had my brother and I 13 months apart. And while she will admit that it was not easy, you get through it and you do what you have to do. There seems to be so much out there written for first time Moms...I know, because I probably read all the books, joined all the websites and poured through the magazine. But other than the occasional article or forum on the topic of second (or third, or fourth) borns, the subject seemed lacking. I had so many questions on how I was going to be able to give enough attention to my newborn, while making sure my toddler didn't feel left out. Or, would I be able to love my second born as much as my first? What was bath time going to be like? Would my husband feel left out, would I even have enough time for him? This blog is for those who are asking questions like these.
I don't believe that I have all the answers. But I have been abundantly blessed to have many resources in my life who have taught me so much. I was 14 when I knew that my calling was to be a mom, and 21 when that dream was realized. Just as other men and women have spoken truth into my life, I want to be there to speak truth into others. There are so many lies that are out in the world, and not enough people speaking the truth. I pray that if nothing else, I can speak the truth.
Many things that I believe in and practice run contrary to the status quo. Right now I am fully entrenched in training, which is different from discipline. Go to No Greater Joy for an awesome resource on training and discipline. In this blog, I am hoping to write about the many different aspects of training a child correctly, and the ins and outs of it. My husband and I are homeschool graduates, and our children are already 'enrolled' in our school. Cloth diapering, natural herbal remedies, and wholesome nutrition are other interests that I have. I am cheap, and proud of it, thanks to my father. My husband and I are politically and economically minded. I wish that Ron Paul could have delivered my son, and Gary North's Specific Answers is one of my favorite websites. I am a stay-at-home wife and mom. I absolutely love and adore my husband. He is my hero, and has taught me so much. I am a better person because of him. My children are a delight and blessing, and I am so grateful that God gave them to us. We are still praying and hoping for more just like them.
This first post is more of a ramble than anything else, but I'm working on changing that. I haven't written in a few years. :) Next post will probably be on either tantrums or 'scheduling', the two things that I've been dealing with today.
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