tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225436878897105132024-03-13T05:41:20.892-07:00Just Baby StepsBriannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-24728332730789775342012-12-07T10:34:00.002-07:002012-12-07T10:34:24.041-07:00I'm Still Here! Family UpdatesSorry it's been so long folks! I love blogging, but sometimes life just takes over, ya know!? In between full time mom and wifeville with a mini <strike>tornado </strike> toddler in the house, 20 hours at my internship site, class, homework, trying to maintain various ministries at church, and having a social life all without losing my sanity has been an interesting challenge. I don't have as much time to actually sit down and blog these days! I have so many thoughts that go through my head and they sometimes make it to the "blog ideas" app on my phone, or they just whirl around all jumbled in my head while I'm trying to shower with no place to go. A lot of times sitting down during nap time requires sacrificing a shower or eating, but sometimes that's just what ya gotta do! I think I also have to get better about just barfing everything onto the keyboard, and then not reading it through a million times proofreading, because then it won't take as long to blog! So if you will just go along with me here and be willing to put up with some incorrect grammar at times, maybe I can blog more?? <div>
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Anyway, life has been wonderful lately... full and busy, but nonetheless pretty fabulous. I am loving my new role as a counselor/clinician/therapist intern at an outpatient community mental health clinic and know that I have finally found my calling. I see families, children, individuals, and couples, and am loving it! I feel confident that I am doing what God has called me to do in pursuing my Masters degree in counseling, and he has provided every step of the way with providing financially, placing this internship in my lap, and providing close family and friends to sacrifice their busy times and schedules to help with childcare until I can complete my hours. Scott's boss has allowed him to work from home one day a week, my parents watch K one day a week, and my sweet sister and dear friend Laurie Adamson are alternating hours for the third day. They are all SO incredible with our sweet little miss and we could not do this without them!! It is so hard for me to sacrifice a few extra days to be away from K, but I am confident that I am supposed to finish this degree, and I am more confident about leaving her in such great hands when I am not with her!! I have 9 more months of internship, 2 more classes, and then 2 huge exams (one for licensing, and one to graduate). It still sounds like a lot... but not when you consider I have completed about 60 credit hours so far and logged a couple hundred hours at my internship site! :) My plan is to finish the degree, and then be back to my full time stay at home mom status--or maybe just work one day a week or so until Kaelyn and any future kiddos we may have are in primary school or out of the house. I'm not sure how God is going to use my degree, but I still feel called to complete it. It is very fulfilling to feel called to something, not know how you're supposed to get to the end result, and watch how God provides! I also have to do just a quick shout out to my amazing husband who puts up with so much from me. He is a great listener when I have a hard day of client stories and need to process, he is so patient when it comes to helping out with Kaelyn and around the house, he graciously reminds me to not be a perfectionist with my housework during this crazy season, and ultimately is doing whatever it takes to help me live my dream of becoming a therapist. Sorry for the mushy gush, but I just really need to publicly commend his faithful support because I am so thankful for such a stand up guy!!! I do not take him for granted for one second!</div>
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Miss K has been growing a ton... she is now about 20 lbs and toddling all over the place! She started to walk the day after Thanksgiving, and has been non-stop on the go since then! It has been so fun to watch her get better at walking every day, and learn how to stand on her own. Her cheeks are so soft and kissable, those big blue eyes melt my heart daily, and whenever she brings me a book and reaches up to climb onto my lap I feel so filled with joy I might burst!! </div>
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Scotty is doing well with his job... somewhat recently promoted to be a business analyst in the operations department at U-Haul. His attention to detail and skills of efficiency work wonders in dealing with U-Haul's payment systems, and he feels needed and appreciated for what he does there which is a huge blessing in a job!!</div>
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We have both also been enjoying playing on the worship team at church, Scott with percussion, and myself with keyboard and vocals. We will both be in the Xmas Eve service at Bethany Bible... which you should totally come for if you are local!!! 5:00 pm on Xmas Eve! It's going to be a great service if you are looking for a place to go!! :) Okay, sorry for the shameless plug... but our church is awesome and we love it, okay?????</div>
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Anyway... K is still sleeping... I might have time to fit in a quick shower before she wakes up! Wahoo!! Hope to be back here again soon with some pictures and posts I have been thinking about for awhile!! :)<br /><div>
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Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-41306769960053670582012-10-05T14:33:00.002-07:002012-10-05T16:09:01.324-07:00My Baby is One Today!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Check out Kaelyn's 1st year of life video montage!!</div>
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My heart is a bit of a soppy mess. One year ago today, I gave birth to a sweet baby girl. We named her Kaelyn Grace which means "pure beauty and grace." Grace is unmerited favor. And the Lord blessed us abundantly when he gave us this child. A blessing we by no means deserved, but receive graciously.<br />
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How is it that we have gone from THIS:<br />
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to THIS:<br />
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Such a drastic change in one short year!!!<br />
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After sleeping through the night for quite a few months, she awoke crying last night around 3am because she had accidently knocked all her pacifiers onto the floor. I have to say... after many nights of getting a full night sleep, I relished it. I pulled her into bed with me and snuggled her tight. I stroked her sweet soft face and nursed her until she had had her fill. I squeezed her chubby little thigh and pulled her little form close. She nestled up to me and I realized how much I have missed those moments. Those moments of her needing me. Those moments where I was sustaining her on my milk alone. Those moments where she needed me every second of every day.<br />
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And now she's turning into a little girl. She is looking less and less babyish and more and more toddlerish. She is developing more of her fiesty little personality and is exploring the world around her nonstop. Yep, it's true... she's growing up. Her first year of life is gone.<br />
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There was a time I thought I would be pregnant forever. There was a time I thought that she would NEVER sleep through the night. There was a time that I thought she would NEVER crawl. And here we are. We did it. We survived our first year of parenthood!!!<br />
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There have been days where I have felt so tired... so clueless... so helpless... There have been days where I thought my child is the fussiest, clingiest, neediest baby.... and then now I'm wondering if most moms don't wonder that about their child or children from time to time. Like somehow I'm the only one who has tough days or something. Nope, pretty sure it's just called being a parent.<br />
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And now with a little perspective I'm seeing things in a different light today. Seeing how I blinked and a year flashed by. I can honestly say that I have loved and appreciated each and every moment. Even the tough ones. Choosing to stay home with her full time this year was the best decision EVER. I relished each snuggle, each kiss, each milestone with wonder and awe. I appreciate who she is... her personality... her zest for life. Even on the hardest days, motherhood has brought me a joy that I have never known before. It has challenged me in a way that I never knew possible and has transformed me into a better person. God is molding and teaching me through this process. Teaching me patience, grace, and unconditional love. I'm learning priorities and appreciation. Control and discipline. Selflessness and sacrifice. Thankfulness in abundance.<br />
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I'd like to share a poem with you and today seems like the perfect day it! I don't know the author or the title, but it's one that my mom had hanging on our wall growing up.<br />
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<em>Mother, O' Mother, come shake out your cloth,<br />Empty the dustpan, poison the moth.<br />Hang out the washing, make up the bed,<br />Sew on a button and butter the bread.<br /><br />Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?<br />She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.<br /><br />Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,<br />Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.<br />Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,<br />Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo.<br /><br />The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,<br />And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.<br />But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.<br />Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?<br />Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.<br /><br />The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,<br />But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.<br />So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!<br />I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep. </em><br />
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Snuggle your little ones today!!!!!!! Time goes so fast doesn't it!? Thanks for putting up with my sentimental gush today. :-)Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-87601278318201009242012-09-05T14:43:00.002-07:002012-09-05T14:47:32.208-07:0011 MonthsThis has been a HUGE month for little Miss K! <br />
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Here are some of her big milestones and what she has been up to:<br />
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-Sleeping consistently through the night (our favorite milestone of course!)<br />
-Eating dog food when mommy wasn't looking<br />
-Learning to crawl in the traditional way and not just army crawling (yaaaay!)<br />
-Saying, "all done" and doing baby sign language for the word "more"<br />
-Saying "dog" in her own way... it sounds like this "didididididididi!!!"<br />
-Pulling herself up on EVERYTHING and walking while holding on furniture<br />
-Pooping in the tub (twice! BARF!)<br />
-Becoming an expert self feeder<br />
-Learning how to stick out her tongue on command and wiggle it... pretty hilarious actually<br />
-Climbing up the stairs<br />
-Trying to climb out of the tub or into the dishwasher...also got her head stuck under the bed...<br />
-Getting into everything and making giant messes.... (see the evidence below!)<br />
-Becoming BFF's with our dog Sadie (they are inseparable and love each other very much!!)<br />
-Offering to share her food with Scott, myself, or Sadie. Sadie is usually the only one that takes her up on her offers! When holding K while she is eating, she will often try to shove whatever she is eating into your mouth. She thinks it is pretty hysterical!<br />
-Is now spending one day a week at Grandpa Ron and Grandma Juli's house while mama is at her internship and doing so well with it (too well... pretty sure she is better for them than she is for us! ;-))<br />
-Giving us kisses! She used to just give us one when we asked for it (sometimes, not always)... but now she initiates it sometimes! So precious!! It's basically an open mouth slobber fest but we still love it!<br />
-LOVES it when we read her stories. She is getting much more interactive and loving to touch and turn pages.<br />
-Pulling off any bow we put on her head (bummer!!)<br />
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Here are some pictures from the past month (forgive the horrible phone pics)! <br />
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Bonding with her BFF</div>
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Helping mommy with laundry</div>
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Eating avocado... her fave!! I don't blame her!</div>
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Getting into the pantry...</div>
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Posing with Sadie</div>
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Learning how to stick out her tongue!</div>
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Getting into the recycle bin...</div>
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Trying to conquer the dishwasher</div>
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We are having so much fun with her and loving this age! Happy 11 months baby girl!</div>
Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-26073454072099064732012-08-23T09:02:00.003-07:002012-08-23T09:03:20.934-07:00Giving My Child to God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My devotional for today (from <u>Jesus Calling</u> by Sarah Young) says the following:<br />
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<i>"Entrust your loved ones to me; release them into My protective care. They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands. If you let a loved one become an idol in your heart, you endanger that one-as well as yourself. Remember the extreme measures I used with Abraham and Isaac. I took Isaac to the very point of death to free Abraham from son-worship. Both Abraham and Isaac suffered terribly because of the father's undisciplined emotions. I detest idolatry, even in the form of parental love. When you release loved ones to Me, you are free to cling to my hand. As you entrust others into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them..."</i><br />
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Wow. Would I be willing to take Kaelyn up on a mountain top and sacrifice her if God asked me to? This chapter in Genesis 22 suddenly reads in a whole different way for me! Lately, I have been feeling like God has been challenging me to let go of my need for control and to trust God more wholly and completely with HIS will for my life.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Kaelyn's baby dedication)</span></div>
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As I have been preparing for the beginning of my counseling internship (that starts Monday!!) as the last part of my graduate program over this next year, I have been so filled with anxiety about leaving K for 15-20 hours a week. Scott is going to work from home one day, and my step mom has offered to take her for another full day, and yet I can't help but be nervous about leaving her in the care of others. Over-controlling much???? I'm leaving her with FAMILY! And yet, I'm still scared to be away. I'm scared to physically miss her, scared I'm going to miss out on something, scared to pursue my passion and dream of being a counselor at the risk of feeling like a bad mom... it's like I feel guilt for doing something for myself. Like if I finish this degree and am not watching her 100% of every minute 100% of every day, I'm not being a good mom or something. Wow. It sounds so weird when I write it out. Glad I did this post so I could get that out of my head and see just how strange my mind works haha. <br />
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Anyway, all that to say, I know I'm not a bad mom for pursuing this dream. I know that God has called me to help others in this way. I don't think this is about my concern for her. She is going to be fine! I think it will actually be really good for her to not be smothered by me all the time. This is about me. This is about me letting go of my need for control and to entrust my sweet child into the hands of the Lord. I don't ever want to have my parental love be an idol that I worship. My priorities are first my God, then my husband, then our child. Everything I have been given on this Earth is from my heavenly Father. Who am I to think I am in control? Every Earthly possession I have is a blessing from Him. God has extremely blessed me with a loving husband and precious daughter, but even they are not mine. I don't want to take them for granted one single day. He has gifted me with the privilege of being a wife and mama, but ultimately He is in control. With that knowledge, I can appreciate what He has given me. Today, I will entrust my loved ones to the Lord, and be thankful for all of these abundant blessings.Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-78650477286989683362012-08-06T14:00:00.002-07:002012-08-06T14:07:27.904-07:0010 Months Old!Happy 10 months to Miss Kaelyn Grace!! Here are some pictures and milestones from this past month.<br />
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Most of July was spent in the glorious mountains of Happy Camp, California at my Grammy and Grandpa's house! They were quite gracious to have us for 2 whole weeks! This is a picture of us at a beautiful spring. Kaelyn loved the outdoors and spent quite a bit of time exploring the world and napping in the Ergo carrier!</div>
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Meeting some of her first cousins once removed (my 1st cousins:)). It was so fun to watch them play with her!!</div>
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Learning how to clap and play patty cake! Yaaaay!!!</div>
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Always melting mommy's heart with that big smile!!</div>
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Showing off those two bottom teeth! </div>
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Loving eating a large variety of different kinds of fruits and veggies!! Especially watermelon on hot summer days! She is still primarily breastfed but gets snacks in between meals.</div>
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It was quite fun to be in Happy Camp where it got cold at night and in the mornings! I stayed in my comfy PJ pants and sweatshirt as much as possible and K got to wear cute footie PJ's! Here she is playing on the floor with some of my mom's old toys and wearing a hat that my grandma knitted for my mom when she was little!</div>
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Walking through the tide pools at a beautiful beach in Crescent City, CA and learning about sea stars!!</div>
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This is her newest smile.... we call it the cheesey grin. This was taken in Crescent City right after our hike down to the tide pools. She loves her Puffs and sippy cup!! She just learned how to eat food out of her no spill cup (shown on the left by her foot).</div>
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She also had fun playing with her great Grammy (my mom's mom) in Elk Creek who she hadn't seen since her birth! This is the Grammy that helped deliver Kaelyn 10 months ago. She is quite simply THE BEST!!!! Kaelyn had fun chewing on all sorts of different kinds of rocks in the creek!! Wahooooo!</div>
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And her latest trick... a picture of K taken this morning... standing up in her crib!! Such a big girl!! Time to lower the mattress!!</div>
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We are having so much fun with this little one!! This month went way to fast! Her main accomplishments this month are inventing her own version of crawling and learning to stand. She army crawls and rolls to get where she wants to go and is getting quite good at it! We are unsure if she is going to do the traditional crawl on all fours or not.. but in any case, she gets around pretty well! She is still incredibly vocal and has the cutest giggle anyone has ever heard! We love this little munchkin!! Happy 10 months baby K!!</div>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-35204891420150835402012-07-31T08:39:00.000-07:002012-07-31T08:39:53.371-07:00What it Means to be a Father Part 4: Lesson Learned<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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By now, we've looked at how being a husband prepares you for being a father (<a href="http://justbabysteps.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-it-means-to-be-father-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a>), and how being a father requires another level of selflessness to adequately care for your baby (<a href="http://justbabysteps.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-it-means-to-be-father-part-3-time.html" target="_blank">Part 3</a>). But it's not enough just to be a good husband, and to spend a lot of time with your baby, as great as those things are. There is actually a directive placed upon fathers to <i>teach</i> their children. Ephesians 6:4 states:<br />
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"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."</blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;">This is specifically talking about moral, ethical, and spiritual training, and the responsibility is the father's. Yet, what do we often see in society today? <i>Mothers </i>are going to church and dropping their kids off at the youth group, and showing interest in their children's spiritual development. </span><span style="background-color: white;">(God bless them for still going to church when the father is not interested</span><span style="background-color: white;">)</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Meanwhile, dad stays home and watches football. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Fathers are too often aloof and disconnected, leaving the responsibility of Biblical teaching to others. W</span><span style="background-color: white;">orse yet is when both parents merely expect the youth pastor to teach their children "morals and positive values" and don't make any effort at all</span><span style="background-color: white;"> to invest in their children's souls.</span><br />
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This parental responsibility to teach their own children wasn't a new concept that Paul came up with though. In fact, he borrowed it from one of the most important passages of Scripture for ancient Jews, the Shema.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold;">4</span> “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
<span style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold;">5</span> You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
<span style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold;">6</span> And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
<span style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold;">7</span> <i>You shall teach them diligently to your children</i>, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.</blockquote>
I talked about this command, and the failure of Israel's fathers to follow it, in my <a href="http://justbabysteps.blogspot.com/2011/06/fathers-day-challenge.html" target="_blank">Father's Day Challenge</a> blog post last year... If you didn't read it, I would encourage you to do so. In it, I examined the nation of Israel at the beginning of the time of the Judges when in the course of just a single generation, the entire nation fell away from God. And the heaviness of that failure falls squarely on the shoulders of the fathers of Israel. This is not to be taken lightly. This is not a responsibility that we fathers can just pawn off onto others.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">By embracing our God-given responsibility, we will be honoring God. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Practically speaking, the lessons we teach our children will benefit them immeasurably. </span><span style="background-color: white;">If we as fathers take the time to be the primary faith trainers for our children, we will be making a huge investment in the next generation and avoid the failure of the Israelites in the time of the judges. I know I don't want to repeat their mistakes, do you?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I know I had said this was the completion of my thoughts on fatherhood, but I couldn't help one last surprise coming up in Part 5...</span>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02741016423891654148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-60958858133315271692012-07-26T17:57:00.000-07:002012-07-26T17:57:29.562-07:00What it Means to be a Father Part 3: Time Well Spent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr69jW160-smMpwvkTP4cOTBqPwUpmjQqg-Lt4qUtK3lWTrIePELcYbBi_-JgAihw5EOc_pLIuNkb3QPQZlD-9p7AhqwfAYBvBmuv4P3yT2WYGgjSnE3v_-tNNQjc_KX2DKssATvU_gdtQ/s1600/2012-05-19+15.24.00-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Playing with K" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr69jW160-smMpwvkTP4cOTBqPwUpmjQqg-Lt4qUtK3lWTrIePELcYbBi_-JgAihw5EOc_pLIuNkb3QPQZlD-9p7AhqwfAYBvBmuv4P3yT2WYGgjSnE3v_-tNNQjc_KX2DKssATvU_gdtQ/s400/2012-05-19+15.24.00-4.jpg" title="Playing with K" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">Well, if you've made it this far, I'm assuming you've already read </span><a href="http://justbabysteps.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-it-means-to-be-father-part-1.html" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Part 1</a><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><a href="http://justbabysteps.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-it-means-to-be-father-part-2.html" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Part 2</a><span style="background-color: white;"> of my "What it Means to be a Father" treatise. If you haven't read them, go back and read them first. Don't worry, I'll wait.</span><br />
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Now before I really get into it, let me quickly dispel a lie that some parents buy into... Your child is <i>not</i> the most important relationship you have with another human being on this earth. That title still belongs to your spouse. When your baby becomes the center of your universe, you've made an egregious error in prioritizing your relationships. I love my baby <i>so much</i>, but my wife still comes first. Some day, after Kaelyn learns to drive (Lord help me) and goes out into the world on her own, she'll meet a boy (dear sweet Lord, help me!) that she'll fall in love with, and she will start her own family. And when she doesn't need me anymore, my wife will still be there... and I intend that we should not be strangers on that day...<br />
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So in Part 2, I examined the core lesson I've learned from nearly 5 years of being a husband: the concept of two becoming one, and the deliberate, selfless act of giving yourself up for your wife. The bonus to this is that if you do it right and take care of your wife, you empower her to be the best mom she can be too. Win, win! But the goal here is to talk about what it means to be a <b>father</b>, so what gives? Let's be honest, you've probably already figured it out.<br />
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Being a father gives you another person to give yourself up for! I could easily argue that my baby actually needs me even <i>more</i> than my wife does, so I'm required to be even more selfless for Kaelyn's sake. My wife could do pretty well on her own if I was a bum husband, but if I neglect my duties as a father, my baby won't fare so well. I've heard it said that compared to offspring in the animal kingdom, human babies are born far less capable of self care than almost any other species. The truth is, they could use another 9 months in the womb! (Imagine that ladies... YIKES!) <br />
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Babies have a ton of needs and lack the capacity to meet those needs on their own. And as a father, her needs always come before mine. If we're both hungry, guess who gets to eat first? If we're both tired, guess who gets to rest first? If we both have soiled diapers... wait... Scratch that one. You get the idea! And some of the primary needs of a baby are social interaction, attention, affection, and pretty much constant supervision. <br />
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As I'm sure you can guess, that kind of commitment takes up a lot of time! But that's what you signed up for. When you get home after a long day at work and want to relax, your job isn't over yet; you just clocked in to your real job as a father. If your kids are still awake, they need you there. Children need an actively engaged and present father. Whether it's wrestling with the boys, having a tea party with the girls, or just affirming your kids of how loved they are by you and by God, they need this. <br />
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A father can't afford to check out once he gets home. Will there be times after a particularly tough day at work that you just need to have some alone time to depressurize? Sure! When I get home from work, my wife knows that I at the very least like to be allowed the time to change out of my work clothes and get comfortable before diving in. But it's a fatal line of thinking that when you get home, you've already done your work for the day. This is even more devastating if your wife is a stay at home mom, because she's been at work all day too, and what makes you think you deserve to relax any more than she does?<br />
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Laying it all out like that seems like being a father is all work and no fun. That's not what I'm saying. I'm merely saying that a father's responsibilities don't stop at being a breadwinner. I don't view this responsibility to invest time into my daughter's life as a burden. Not hardly! When I've been gone all day, I LOVE to get to spend time with her when I get home! I love talking to her and kissing her and reading to her and playing with her and bathing her and soaking up those precious few hours I have after I get home before she goes to bed. There are times when I'm tired when I get home, and every night by the time my head hits the pillow, I'm wiped out, but that fatigue comes with knowing that I'm doing all that I can to be a good father to my daughter...<br />
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I know that I'm investing in her and loving her how she needs. Because when she grows up, she will gauge her view of other men through the lens of what I showed her a man is like... and her knowledge of God as her heavenly Father should not be hindered by her earthly father. This is no small consequence. Doing this right takes a lot of time. But there is no doubt in my mind that it is time well spent.<br />
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Coming up in Part 4, I will complete my thoughts regarding a father's role in the family...Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02741016423891654148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-65872312972035942172012-07-19T12:35:00.001-07:002012-07-31T08:23:18.258-07:00What it Means to be a Father Part 2: A Husband First<div style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">First comes love, then comes marriage...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you haven't read <a href="http://justbabysteps.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-it-means-to-be-father-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part One</a> of this blog, then go back and do that first, for this is just part two of my attempt to summarize fatherhood thus far. A discussion on what it means to be a father would be incomplete without a prerequisite discussion on what it means to be a <b>husband</b>. That is obviously not to say that all fathers are husbands, although it would probably be better if it were so (children need stability)... but instead simply that what a man learns about life as a husband is directly applicable to fatherhood. A good husband will almost assuredly be a good father.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So what does it mean to be a good husband? What is a husband's "job" so to speak? Well that's a larger undertaking than I care to tackle, and something that would require much more than a four part blog. But how does a man excel or fail at this calling?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To even begin to answer that, we have to go back to the beginning... the <em>very</em> beginning. To the first husband and his story in Genesis 2:20-24...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><sup>20 </sup>The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. <sup>21 </sup>So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. <sup>22 </sup>And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. <sup>23 </sup>Then the man said,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“This at last is bone of my bones</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and flesh of my flesh;</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><sup>24 </sup> Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">That last verse is the one I want to key in on, as I think this is where my core understanding of what it means to be a husband begins. What does it mean that the <i>two</i> of them shall become "<i>one</i> flesh?" Sometimes understanding what something means can best be ascertained by looking at what it does not mean</span>... It does <em style="font-style: normal;">not</em> mean that I cease being myself. I am still an individual, with individual likes, dislikes, desires, aspirations, and hobbies. I bet my wife could probably tell you that there are times she wishes I <i style="font-style: normal;">would</i> cease being myself and being more like her. And I would just as readily admit that since marrying her, I have changed in certain areas because of her influence (and all for the positive). But for the most part, she's stuck with who I am. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Becoming one flesh with my wife does not mean I cease being myself, but it does mean I cease being MY OWN. Now another person shares my life with me. I'm not a bachelor anymore. What I do or don't do, say or don't say, and all those likes, dislikes, desires, aspirations, and hobbies that in part define who I am... those must now be viewed in light of another person. My life now is <i>intertwined</i> with another. The Hebrew word in Genesis actually depicts two things being </span><i>glued together</i>. A husband does not live his life in a vacuum. His actions have weight, impact, and meaning far beyond when he was single. Husband and wife are inextricably connected; they have become one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">But even though I don't automatically cease being myself, there is a clear call in the Bible to still </span><i>voluntarily</i> give myself up. This is found in the apostle Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 25:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="s1"><sup>25 </sup></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The model for husbands is Jesus Christ himself, with the Church as his bride. And as the Church's groom, Jesus came as a humble servant, dedicated to loving his bride at all costs, gently leading and teaching her, willing to pay any price for her well-being, and ultimately doing so by laying down his own life for her with his tragic death on the cross. That is our model. That is the mold that has been cast. Jesus set a high bar, and even though I will probably never be called to walk such a dramatic path of sacrifice for my wife, that is the level of love that I need to bestow upon her. This is the love of a husband. This is the act of giving oneself for another. This is what it means to be a husband.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But what does that have to do with being a father? Well, I'll tell you...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In <a href="http://justbabysteps.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-it-means-to-be-father-part-3-time.html">Part 3</a>.</span></div>
</div>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02741016423891654148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-91732607139667134502012-07-15T21:16:00.000-07:002012-07-26T18:00:09.891-07:00What it Means to be a Father Part 1: Parenting Observations<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
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<span style="background-color: white;">Our sweet baby Kaelyn is now over 9 months old, and time is </span><i style="background-color: white;">flying by</i><span style="background-color: white;">! Parenthood is a pretty crazy experience and the learning curve is quite steep. See: "trial by fire." But I'm learning a lot on what it means to be a father, and I wanted to write about it. However, I quickly found I had too much to say for just </span><i style="background-color: white;">one</i><span style="background-color: white;"> blog post. I'll admit to being too verbose, but in my defense, this experience is not easily summarized! So I decided to break it into parts. And to start, I wanted to share some of my observations so far...</span></div>
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For those that don't follow me on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/scottpants">@Scottpants</a>), I have been tweeting my "Parenting Observations" and #DadLife reflections since Kaelyn was born. It's been a way for me to keep track of the little things I learn along the way, as often as I think of it. I thought the first 25 of these observations would be a fitting start, but be sure to stay tuned on Twitter to stay current as time goes on!</div>
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1. Since baby's birth, the use of Spray 'N Wash has increased approximately 314%.</div>
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2. Just because something worked once, doesn't mean it will work the next time. Soothing a crying baby is a crap shoot. </div>
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3. Eating with two hands available is a luxury that most people, myself included, take for granted. </div>
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4. We have clothes that my baby will wear once, if at all, before she outgrows them.</div>
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5. A baby is not concerned with your schedule, agenda, To Do list, or plans for the evening. They just need YOU. </div>
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6. Babies, or at least my baby, gets hiccups A LOT. If I got hiccups that often, I'd cry too!</div>
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7. A baby can go from content sleepy face to angry wakey face remarkably quickly and for no discernible reason. </div>
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8. Something about being sans diaper on the changing table triggers urination. I think she does it on purpose... </div>
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9. Hanging out with my daughter, giving her a bath, and then praying over her as I put her to bed is a great evening.</div>
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10. The humble coffee maker is actually one of the most important appliances for new parents. (and ours just broke)</div>
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11. Watching baby go from just awoken to fully awake is highly comical! She looks so CONFUSED as to what's going on! </div>
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12. I'm not sure I could handle a colicky baby... I can hardly stand it if Kaelyn cries for like 10mins and I can't "fix" it.. </div>
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13. Hold your plans loosely and don't be surprised if/when baby necessitates a change.</div>
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14. The peace and calm immediately following when a baby stops crying has no comparison. </div>
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15. Holding a baby is like holding a little heater against your body... Seriously sweating just from holding her! </div>
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16. The women who volunteer in the nursery at our church are SAINTS! Not sure how they do what they do...</div>
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17. These new cool mist humidifiers may as well be evaporative coolers! They seriously bring a chill to the air! </div>
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18. Dream feeding is a pretty ingenious idea. (I wonder if it works on adults...) </div>
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19. At no time in life do you get more smiles from strangers in public than when you are carrying a little baby.</div>
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20. The first command I am teaching Kaelyn when she's old enough is, "Watch where you're going." Kids are oblivious! </div>
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21. Only in infancy is it acceptable for people to tell a girl she has chunky thighs and chubby cheeks. </div>
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22. My little girl has learned how to growl... I find this hilarious. </div>
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23. Watching Kaelyn gradually learn that her hands are attached and that she can control them to manipulate things is fascinating.</div>
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24. Parenthood is a series of learning opportunities that begin with "I don't know," and generally end with uncertain action. It's a wonder any firstborn survives...</div>
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25. Seeing how intently Kaelyn watches even mundane things like wind in the trees reminds me it is all new for her. </div>
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I'll share the rest in future blog posts also, but for now, stay tuned for a look at what it means to be a father in <a href="http://justbabysteps.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-it-means-to-be-father-part-2.html" target="">Part 2</a>...</div>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02741016423891654148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-68756329020369604172012-07-14T09:31:00.000-07:002012-07-14T10:29:37.713-07:00New Beginnings... NEW Blog Title!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_1eJGWUr3ssVg8jljFEUPuAP2RruV5F09q32tBhqXD_yGi7-w-6oZnPqzsWtDo4IBTXJy1663EsXGFDirKfQtIB9PnWhlknpszLWLJUd4siXYXB4zIrJg75sjFz_zX07bxHFSxnmBsI/s1600/open_road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_1eJGWUr3ssVg8jljFEUPuAP2RruV5F09q32tBhqXD_yGi7-w-6oZnPqzsWtDo4IBTXJy1663EsXGFDirKfQtIB9PnWhlknpszLWLJUd4siXYXB4zIrJg75sjFz_zX07bxHFSxnmBsI/s400/open_road.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Scott and I have been thinking about changing our blog title for awhile now, but could not agree on one we both liked. I think we have finally come to an agreement! Obviously this blog has turned into an outlet to document pictures and things that we want to remember and look back on about Kaelyn as she grows. The title "baby steps" seemed appropriate in that regard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In addition, God has recently been teaching me about the importance of moving forward, one small step at a time. Becoming a professional therapist has always been a dream of mine. But looking into how to get there seemed overwhelming. A few years of classes, a year and a half long internship, numerous professional growth seminar credits, the comprehensive exam to graduate, the national counselor's exam to become licensed, the licensure paperwork... AH! That's enough to scare anyone off! And when to find the time to do all of that? Especially in the process of wanting to start a family? However, I had this small tug on my heart. God was telling me not to worry about all of that, and just to focus on that first small step of applying. Then, I took the next step to just start a class. And another. And another. And now I only have 2 classes left out of the 60 some credits I had at the start! I still have internship and all the exams ahead of me, but I can't believe how far I have come! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, the bottom line is that God has been constantly reminding me about just taking that next little baby step in every area of my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Matthew 6:34 says, <i>"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">No matter what lies ahead, I always want to be just focusing on what my next small steps are. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you have big goals and are a big dreamer like myself. But not if you just focus on that little baby step in front of you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some quotes that have inspired me:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for
an artist. The beginner's humility and openness lead to exploration.
Exploration leads to accomplishment. All of it begins at the beginning,
with the first small and scary step. <br /><b> Julia Cameron</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. <br /><b> Henry Ford </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a bias toward action – let’s see something happen
now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first
step right away. <br /><b> Indira Gandhi </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. <br /><b> Martin Luther King, Jr. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. <br /><b> Lao Tzu </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance. <br /><b> Friedrich Nietzsche </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have
it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step
forward, you're always in the same place. <br /><b> Nora Roberts </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The
secret to getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks
into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one. <br /><b> Mark Twain </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b> <b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Anything can be accomplished with the grace of God and taking small steps to reach the goal!</b></span>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-39410109294038208162012-07-05T07:45:00.002-07:002012-07-11T16:11:21.861-07:008 Months? No Wait, 9!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Someone asked me the other day if I still blog. Ha. YES! I mean... I intend to! I had a ridiculously hard semester of school last term, but am now off until August so hopefully I will be able to find some time to blog more. :-) With a combination of preparing for vacation and typing out a crazy long research proposal for school, Kaelyn's 8 month post got lost in the shuffle. So... this is going to be a celebratory 8 and 9 month post! Here are some of my favorite pictures of her from the past 2 months along with some of her milestones!</div>
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Getting ready routine... well... me getting ready... Kaelyn playing on the floor with my hairbrush. :-)</div>
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Hey, mom! Aren't I the cutest!</div>
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I love the beach!!</div>
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This toy is the coolest! Kaelyn playing in the "Under 2 Zoo" on our cruise ship.</div>
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Lovin' the ocean!! Gotta capture those beautiful little moments. I can't get enough of those piggies.</div>
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A little skeptical at first.... but she really did love it!</div>
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Hanging out in our room on vacation having a little snuggle time with Daddy</div>
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I love me some watermelon!!</div>
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Playing in the sand and watching the waves...</div>
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Or rather... eating the sand!</div>
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Our good friend Courtney over at <a href="http://www.inlovenessphotography.com/">www.inlovenessphotography.com</a> took some family photos of us to help us capture this beautiful time in our lives!</div>
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I got Scott a picture frame for Father's Day that said "Daddy's Girl" on it... so I did a little photo shoot with Kaelyn one morning to try and take a picture that would fit well with the frame. What little girl doesn't want to play dress up with pearls, ballet shoes, and a tu-tu!?</div>
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That bottom one was the winning photo for the frame in case you were wondering. :-)<br />
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Miss K is a joy to be around, and has an incredibly sunny personality. She is skeptical of strangers but it does not take long to become her friend. She is very social and prefers to be held almost all the time. She LOVES to be talked or sung to, and would much prefer to be interacting with others than doing anything else. <br />
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She is also quite stubborn and persistent wanting what she wants when she wants it. She is going to make an interesting toddler I am sure! She is quite insistent and vocal!<br />
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Speaking of vocal... Kaelyn is CONSTANTLY babbling and talking to herself, or to anyone that will listen, and loves to sing whenever there is music playing. She often extracts giggles from strangers as she is often babbling on rather loudly when out in public. She now says, "mama," "dada," "NOM NOM," and it sometimes sounds like she says, "HI!" She also likes to growl... often... and loudly. Sometimes she growls while babbling. It is quite odd, but also pretty hilarious! She is also experimenting with her girly screams. These are not as entertaining... but she truly enjoys the sound of her voice... who am I to tell her that it hurts my ears?<br />
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We are working on crawling, but she does not appear to be interested! She is content to just sit, and does not last long on her tummy. She can be quite the wiggle worm on my lap or in bed, getting around in her own little way... but it's not exactly what one would call crawling! She is getting better about kicking her feet and scooting though, so I'm sure she will be mobile in her own time!<br />
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She is still primarily breastfed, but I do offer her 1-3 meals of solid foods/snacks a day in addition to water in her sippy cup or diluted low sugar juice. She now has her two bottom front teeth all the way in which makes for some adorable little grins! She is a great eater and eats pretty much anything and everything I give her! Someone once told me that most babies are either good eaters or good sleepers but typically not both. Well, she excels in the eating department!! She is not working on mastering the "pincher" grasp and is doing pretty well with self feeding.<br />
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She sleeps roughly from 6 pm - 6 am on average but usually wakes 3-4 times in between. We still typically put her down in her crib to go to sleep, and she usually ends up in bed with us somewhere in the middle of the night when I get lazy and don't want to keep walking back and forth. :-) She goes right back to sleep after waking and goes down pretty easily on most nights. She is not much of a snuggler during the day, so I embrace the snuggles at night!<br />
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We are SO loving this time. I am trying to take as many pictures as I can and just live in each and every moment. This is the most amazing time of my entire life and I could not be more fulfilled or blessed!! We are so thankful for our sweet girl. Happy 9 months, little K!!Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-83038423446815438632012-05-11T16:55:00.004-07:002012-05-11T17:13:41.266-07:00The Day I Became a Mother<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In honor of Mother's Day..... here is a celebration of the day I became a mom in pictures! If you are a mommy blogger or have a facebook account, I would love to see pictures of the day you first became a mom!!!!! :-)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is an excerpt from <a href="http://scottandbrianne.blogspot.com/2011/10/kaelyns-birth-journey.html"><i>Kaelyn's birth story</i></a> starting from the part where she made her way into the world..... </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What followed after that were the most precious, amazing moments of my life on Earth so far. Kaelyn went straight on my chest and it was love at first sight. She looked right up at me with big eyes as if saying "Thank you for bringing me into this world, Mommy! I love you!" I looked up at my husband's handsome face and stared into his big tear-rimmed blue eyes. I had never been more in love with him than I was in that moment. </i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 30px;"><i>"She's here!!!! She's here!! Can you believe she's finally here??"</i></span></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 30px;">We kissed, and I felt like I was in a surreal dream... I was floating... I was ecstatic... I was glowing... my heart was beating out of my chest... I was too emotional to sob, and all I could do was just say... "Oh... she's here... she's finally here....." The natural birth hormones and flood of endorphins were incredible!!</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbLPLG2aAyz6BJWYzfwppUJce7pAmB1wbx9cLaYTGdjHwB08Gcd9LGFIlND_DMTCZ_W06tEcE-6bTw_rGA2hxd30zGUufL6FfEacTUn-ipqgy4ubGDtucsOC9MK6U0TJeVUK59gIihKE/s1600/IMG_1419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbLPLG2aAyz6BJWYzfwppUJce7pAmB1wbx9cLaYTGdjHwB08Gcd9LGFIlND_DMTCZ_W06tEcE-6bTw_rGA2hxd30zGUufL6FfEacTUn-ipqgy4ubGDtucsOC9MK6U0TJeVUK59gIihKE/s400/IMG_1419.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 30px;">I held her sweet warm body and snuggled it up against mine as Scott and Mary transferred me to the bed. I kissed her, I held her close, I gazed into her eyes, and I knew life would never be the same. Scott climbed into bed next to me and we laid there together in awe of what had just happened. Did I really just push her out of my (gulp!). WOW. Yes, that really just happened. Every moment I just experienced... SO WORTH IT. What a gorgeous little creature. What a blessing from God. I was so overwhelmed with emotion. Did Scott and I really create this little being with our DNA mixed together? She was perfect!!!! Every little feature was perfect.</span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 30px;">What a beautiful, memorable, amazing day! I will treasure the moments that I became a mother for the rest of my life!!</span>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-10241882108557959732012-05-11T14:07:00.000-07:002012-05-11T14:07:13.361-07:00Love Me Some ToeBlooms!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxiCtRkx_EgqQxgkYKKNoFSsXUFrqocK9KWzgym6t8RntdzMXvgD_NE3njhUgqeadd3oClaszbMktvFrFE5-R0ZGcD1zInyI3XrnK1MhRVOMgKiJ6R1yIo-ppENKOfFsQuWnEylMo26A/s1600/IMG_1074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxiCtRkx_EgqQxgkYKKNoFSsXUFrqocK9KWzgym6t8RntdzMXvgD_NE3njhUgqeadd3oClaszbMktvFrFE5-R0ZGcD1zInyI3XrnK1MhRVOMgKiJ6R1yIo-ppENKOfFsQuWnEylMo26A/s640/IMG_1074.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Like any other mom, I do happen to think my daughter is the cutest ever. And dressing her up in adorable little outfits is definitely one of the highlights of having a baby girl. I just wanted to tell you about one of my favorite places to get accessories!! The accessories you are witnessing in these pictures are an innovative creation by my friend Hallie called <a href="http://www.toeblooms.com/">ToeBlooms</a>! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgho40TifSe8Jjz1VOPa3UwMYGTNrdV7MM4B_DtY1Ha2jZybK6gDo8yeRV7FhIpAILwp7Hbc6qiIKcTuPk_J9MoXVDAIMIGaCpNTvpir2pdOIgecytJk1E6SGJWox9hoJU0kYwR0LzixFU/s1600/IMG_0961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgho40TifSe8Jjz1VOPa3UwMYGTNrdV7MM4B_DtY1Ha2jZybK6gDo8yeRV7FhIpAILwp7Hbc6qiIKcTuPk_J9MoXVDAIMIGaCpNTvpir2pdOIgecytJk1E6SGJWox9hoJU0kYwR0LzixFU/s640/IMG_0961.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Aren't Kaelyn's feet the cutest? No, of course I'm not biased!! I also love them because Kaelyn is a pro at kicking off shoes... but not these my friend! Annnnnnd, not that you needed another reason to get these, but we are coming into the hottest season of the year, and these lightweight, cotton <a href="http://www.toeblooms.com/">ToeBlooms</a> are the perfect way to accessorize AND stay cool! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCFZEQ0DJbZEd_U1w09fC1bGugJqxAl81YZrxJxF-1kn8L90XBOYsdg3SK8RVliIvVFh2dWEM0nMg8gGigcjoy6L77Ie5YV_pEzfhDxYiYJmHTf11CLbiQMWRqUOMh-3pHmrHxzNRkdU/s1600/IMG_0985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCFZEQ0DJbZEd_U1w09fC1bGugJqxAl81YZrxJxF-1kn8L90XBOYsdg3SK8RVliIvVFh2dWEM0nMg8gGigcjoy6L77Ie5YV_pEzfhDxYiYJmHTf11CLbiQMWRqUOMh-3pHmrHxzNRkdU/s640/IMG_0985.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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They fit newborns through age 1, come in a couple different styles, many colors, and they even have matching headbands!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGzUKCUnKJeKrAYIiF8gnYMRtH9ykzQ-9rglZWmgJkHtoSnmozTuFpdH7fRrnc06u60cdfBjqHBcrLz4QksB1lU5sYWiYS9NqsV07h-3vLr-RZn3SxCAPqH4uPOE5qZLDineJS3wM0kE/s1600/newborn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGzUKCUnKJeKrAYIiF8gnYMRtH9ykzQ-9rglZWmgJkHtoSnmozTuFpdH7fRrnc06u60cdfBjqHBcrLz4QksB1lU5sYWiYS9NqsV07h-3vLr-RZn3SxCAPqH4uPOE5qZLDineJS3wM0kE/s640/newborn.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DTdPXnZITWJ2IB7kCY2J8T5CCJqf_BEeoH5KM8cK0N8c8b2YOmdtIkLJw0Gn1JXxnc8e_EFr9FUkpnWRP8rrpf8Ndk4PtZvEvzUgdcencHkp6JbognwXVz4kfD3gRnqqK1ZHAj32Ox0/s1600/blooming+wraps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DTdPXnZITWJ2IB7kCY2J8T5CCJqf_BEeoH5KM8cK0N8c8b2YOmdtIkLJw0Gn1JXxnc8e_EFr9FUkpnWRP8rrpf8Ndk4PtZvEvzUgdcencHkp6JbognwXVz4kfD3gRnqqK1ZHAj32Ox0/s640/blooming+wraps.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They also have <a href="http://www.toeblooms.com/category-toebuds">ToeBUDS</a> for little boys. Adorable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyzkCT5l4WnaAKR2nbjgIaQXTuZDOK9BiEhB6IFJhHQX4xnyWcTSDZkpuqkInU3n3o5WaSR4S5q0OwjR3lJe7W8W104n8itFdcpJMJxcc0cHxXoKdLr-QuB87k8UdbqoNr08Kg9nFLKQ/s1600/toebuds.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyzkCT5l4WnaAKR2nbjgIaQXTuZDOK9BiEhB6IFJhHQX4xnyWcTSDZkpuqkInU3n3o5WaSR4S5q0OwjR3lJe7W8W104n8itFdcpJMJxcc0cHxXoKdLr-QuB87k8UdbqoNr08Kg9nFLKQ/s640/toebuds.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I seriously LOVE this product. Not to mention.... <a href="http://toeblooms.com/about-us">Hallie </a>is a local mom who happens to be a beautiful and amazing person, and who doesn't like to support local businesses????<br />
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Head on over to their website at <a href="http://www.toeblooms.com/">www.toeblooms.com</a> and see all the different styles, sets, and colors!Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-469599637453974352012-05-07T06:59:00.000-07:002012-05-07T07:07:49.785-07:007 Months Old!Here is the story of Baby K's 6th month of life in pictures...<br />
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Modeled for a company called <a href="http://www.toeblooms.com/">ToeBlooms</a> who sell really cute little baby "sandals" and headbands! This picture also shows off the new trick she learned this month of learning how to sit by herself! Such a big girl!</div>
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Showing off her Easter dress and how much better she is getting at tummy time!</div>
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Just sitting and being pretty in pink... showing off how long her eyelashes grew this month! Only a mom would notice these things and actually blog about them!!</div>
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Showing off her new "stink face." This girl has a bit of a temper!</div>
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Still loving bubble baths!! As long as she isn't too tired, this is one of her favorite times of the day! Ohhhh those big blue eyes and red rosebud lips. She really can't get any cuter.</div>
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After nap giggles. Those laughs are pretty contagious!</div>
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Sat up in the shopping cart for the first time! Lots of firsts this month!</div>
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Other Things to Remember About this Month:</div>
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-First words!! She now says "Dadadadadadadada" and "Bababababababa!!"</div>
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-VERY vocal. She is going to be a big talker for sure!</div>
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-Always wants to feed herself even though she doesn't have the coordination. She gets mad if we don't give her the spoon so she can chew on it and pretend like she's feeding herself!</div>
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-The first tooth popped through today! Quite the milestone!</div>
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Although there are days that I am utterly more exhausted than I have ever been in my life between grad school and figuring out this little one, I have never been more happy. We are having her dedicated at church next Sunday on Mother's Day, and we are very excited to celebrate my first "official" Mother's Day!</div>
</div>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-78820606997477902462012-04-16T12:04:00.002-07:002012-04-16T12:35:22.126-07:00Babywise, Schedules, and Co-Sleeping!!Babywise? Schedules? Co-sleeping? How often should my baby eat? How and where should my baby sleep? Being a first time parent is filled with questions. Navigating the waters of parenthood is strange enough, but add in parent's personalities, the baby's personality, the numerous parenting books available, our faithful friend Google, and well meaning friends and family with great advice, and you've got yourself a little recipe for confusion.<br />
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I've pondered how to write this post for some time now, mostly because as a great people-pleaser, I am afraid of judgment. Like.... GASP... your baby sleeps in a crib??? Or... GASP... your baby sleeps in your bed?? Or... GASP you feed your baby at scheduled times? Or... GASP you feed your baby on demand??.... Uh huh... you know the people... the ones that think you should do things a certain way and if you don't you're ruining your child forever??<br />
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I'm still new at this, being only 6 months into my parenting journey, but this post will attempt to sum up what I've learned so far in the areas of feeding, sleeping, and scheduling.<br />
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Here are some things that have been heard in our house:<br />
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"Should I feed her now?"<br />
"When should we wake her?"<br />
"Should I put her in her crib?"<br />
"Should I bring her in bed with us?<br />
"Do you think she's tired?"<br />
"Why is she crying?"<br />
"Do you think her gums are hurting?"<br />
"Do you think she's constipated?"<br />
"Do you think it's gas again, or does she have to burp?"<br />
"Wow... that's a really long nap.... is that going to affect her night sleep?"<br />
"She's so tired... why is she fighting it?"<br />
"We're late! But should we still change her?"<br />
"Did you bring an extra diaper???"<br />
"Did you put that extra outfit in the diaper bag?"<br />
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You get the idea..... a lot of it boils down to trying to figure out the best times to feed her or help her sleep better. As a new mom, I was filled with a myriad of questions in trying to figure out this whole baby thing. Being the good little perfectionist I am, I soaked up everything I could absorb on breastfeeding, baby sleep cycles, diapering, blah blah blah... you name it, I've thought about it.<br />
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One of the biggest questions I had was regarding if I should put Kaelyn on a schedule. It seemed that some people agreed that the times I fed her or how she napped during the day would indicate how she slept at night. So, I meticulously kept a feeding and sleeping journal to document every little thing praying and hoping I would notice a pattern. I just knew that with enough scientific documentation, I would eventually figure out this little creature society calls a baby.<br />
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As you probably all know by now, sleep deprivation has been one of the hardest things for me to battle as a new mom. Kaelyn had some good nights early on, but it seemed like the older she got, the more frequently she started waking. After talking to everyone I knew, and reading every baby sleep book on the shelves, I started to think that my baby was possibly a little defective! Like..... ooooops... God accidently gave me a bad one......<br />
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Isn't that the most horrible thing ever? But seriously... a large majority of these books document these magic nighttime solutions that made me feel like I was doing something seriously wrong since Kaelyn wasn't sleeping. Some people tried to warn me against them, while other people swore by them!! I was so confused!! Books like <i>Babywise </i>and <i>The Baby Whisperer</i> seemed to say,<br />
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"WE GUARANTEE THAT IF YOU ARE JUST CONSISTENT ENOUGH, AND DISCIPLINED ENOUGH AS A PARENT TO 100% FOLLOW WHAT THIS BOOK TELLS YOU, YOUR BABY WILL SLEEP, YOU WILL BE WELL RESTED, AND YOUR LIFE WILL DRASTICALLY IMPROVE."<br />
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<i>Babywise</i> even goes far enough as to document scientific studies that PROVE how effective their methods are. Tracy Hoggs, the author of <i>The Baby Whisperer </i>talks about the 100's of babies that she has worked with, and how even though some babies are strong-willed, if you are consistent enough, her methods will eventually work in time.<br />
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So for months, I stressed about how to get Kaelyn to sleep through the night, and tried to do exactly what these books and friends said. After all, it was guaranteed that she would eventually sleep if I just got my act together. It didn't help that I know people that have used some of these methods, and their babies sleep better then mine, so that just proves that these methods eventually work, right??????<br />
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HA. Funny jokes.<br />
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Guess my baby is just in that minute margin of babies that don't follow directions. ;-)<i> </i>Both <i>Babywise</i> and <i>The Baby Whisperer</i> seemed to send the message that little babies don't know how to sleep on their own, so it's our job as parents to teach them. These books seemed to say that as the parent, I teach my baby when and how to sleep.<br />
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HA. Funny jokes.<br />
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If you have given me advice in the past, it's probably because I came to you sobbing on my hands and knees talking about how tired I was, and you told me what worked for you. There's nothing wrong with this! It's good to brainstorm and throw ideas out there because you never know what is going to work! But my point in all of this, is that I <b>obsessed</b> over getting her to sleep through the night (whatever that means) way too much. That being said, waking every hour is enough to drive anyone insane, and it was starting to affect every aspect of my life. I didn't know what to do.<br />
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I recently spoke with a friend who has 4 children (currently preggo with her 5th child... love you, Kyndle!!) who told me that parents that tell you exactly what to do simply may just not have enough children yet! Loved that... and here is why.<br />
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I look at so and so's baby who is sleeping 12 hours a night, or so and so's baby who is sleeping 6 hours a night (still amazing to me), and think... "HUH, well... they use/used such and such method... so if I just do what they do....."<br />
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Lies.<br />
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My heart is saddened as I write all of this, because I realize how much time I wasted in those early months obsessing over things that don't matter. Well intentioned people giving me sleep advice and well intentioned authors trying to help me to be a well rested mama ended up giving me heartache and headaches. <br />
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Through all of this, there was a voice inside of me that was trying to tell me something, but I didn't want to listen. Somewhere inside of me, I knew that there was no magic solution... that I was trying too hard. Being stubborn and persistent, I just thought, well, if I try a little bit harder... if I read a little bit more, if I am more consistent, if I pray a little more...<br />
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All the while, God just wanted me to surrender what I wanted. I'll tell you what I wanted: my baby to sleep 12 hours every night in her crib, and to take 2-3 perfect 1.5-2 hour naps a day... or something of that sort. Kind of funny now that I write it out. Completely not realistic, right? Guess that's what happens when you listen to what the world and Satan tells you instead of listening to your heart, intuition, and the Lord. Yes, I did read and hear that I should lower my expectations and that babies often wake every couple of hours for the first year or two... but who wants that? I tuned that stuff out because it wasn't what I wanted to hear.<br />
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Sooooooo here is what we have finally started doing.<br />
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Kaelyn now starts off the evening in her crib, and then comes and snuggles with us in the middle of the night--whenever it is she decides to join us. This solution is one of the best things that has ever happened to me! Our whole family gets SO much more sleep this way, and I never walk to the other room frustrated that she only slept for an hour before I had to go reassure her again. <br />
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SHE IS A BABY for crying out loud. (HAHA get it.... yeah, I know, I'm funny). Some babies sleep long stretches and are better sleepers then others, but the majority of babies don't! Why do you think there are so many books out there on baby sleep? Why do you think that there is so much on the internet about it? Think about it. The reason there is so much information out there, is because more often then not, babies don't sleep how and when we want them to in that first year of life. Because they are babies. And that's what they do. If they sleep long stretches, GREAT. If not, there is nothing wrong with them... it's NORMAL. :-)<br />
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The sooner I accepted that, the happier I became. I don't think in terms of "that was a really bad night," or "that was a really good night," because every night is pretty much the same. When she is cuddled up next to me, she sleeps better knowing I am right next to her. And I like it that way. I know she is 6 months old and probably doesn't need to eat all night, but I feed her when she wants, because who knows if she is going through a growth spurt? Or needs comfort because she is in pain from teething? I have learned to sleep while taking care of her at the same time. Brilliant!<br />
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I look down at her sweet, angel face in the moonlight and thank God for giving me such a beautiful gift. When she kicks me in the stomach or punches me in the face, I kiss her and go back to sleep, thankful that I don't have to sleepily drag myself to the next room waking myself up in the process, frustrated and wondering how many more times Scott or I am going to have to walk across the hall.<br />
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Some of you are thinking... yeah, duh... obviously... but I initially didn't do this because I was reading these books that promised me that she would sleep through the night in her crib at 2 months old... and because the title "the family bed" sounded kinda gross! But this way, Scott and I get our alone time in the evening, and then she comes and joins us in the middle of the night for precious cuddle time. It's the best of both worlds! I love snuggling that sweet baby girl, and I feel great!<br />
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We were also worried that sleeping with us would be "starting a bad habit" as some of the authors said, and that if we let her sleep with us... she will be sleeping with us forrrrrreverrrrrrrrrr.... hahahahahaha jokes.. I mean.. we're only a few weeks into this sleeping arrangement, but we can make the choice to have her sleep the night in her crib all night whenever we want!! It might mean a few rough nights, but we can make that choice whenever we want. There are no rules in this people!! The best part is that I feel that I am doing the best thing for her, and the best thing for me. I just wish it hadn't taken me 6 months to figure this out, but it's all part of the learning process I guess!<br />
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So my new evolving thoughts about babies and sleep are simply this...<br />
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Babies are not science experiments!! Nor will they do what you want them to do a large percentage of the time! That sounds like a no-brainer, but <i>Babywise</i> and other schedule-type books will tell you otherwise! I'm done stressing and trying to force my baby onto some schedule that her body obviously doesn't want. Some of you have tried these methods and they worked great for you. AWESOME. I'm not trying to bash all these well intentioned authors, as there are gold nuggets in many of the books out there. But they honestly don't work for everyone!!! Maybe I'll have another child that will naturally fall into some sort of his or own schedule. But that's not Kaelyn, and that's okay. As my friend Briana says about these books, "take what you want, and leave the rest." <br />
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And more than that, seek to follow Christ. Pray about everything. It's okay to listen to the advice of others, but more than anything else, listen to the holy spirit. Parent with flexibility, love, and pray for a peace that passes understanding. Let the baby sleep where he or she is most comfortable sleeping, and where the entire family gets the most sleep. You may start out thinking things are going to go a certain way, but don't get upset if you end up doing something other then your initial plan. There are no rules, and there are no magic sleep solutions. Some babies don't take naps, some babies don't sleep well at night, and it's all normal. Seek the Lord. Snuggle, cuddle, and enjoy each and every moment of this blessed miracle that God has given you. Do what works. Now go take on your day!!Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-30445524199151981162012-04-05T11:53:00.006-07:002012-04-05T11:53:55.410-07:006 Months - The Best About You, Baby Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A letter for my baby girl:<br />
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Sweet Kaelyn,<br />
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You truly are my sunshine girl. I love you so much.. in a way that you won't ever understand until you have children of your own. I love to snuggle you, to kiss your sweet cheeks, and to give you eskimo kisses all day long. There are so many glorious moments every day that we share just the two of us... like the warm, cuddly moments right after you wake up from your nap, or when I sing to you and watch your wide eyes grow big as you get excited and break into that huge gummy grin of yours. I love playing peek-a-boo and patty cake with you... and I love how we have entire conversations consisting of high pitched noises and funny faces. My life is so complete. I have always dreamed of being a mama, and now I am fulfilling one of my lifelong purposes. You make my heart sing, baby girl. Oh, how I love you so.<br />
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These are a few of my favorite things to remember about you at 6 months of age...</div>
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-Your chunky little thighs.. you even have knee dimples!! ADORABLE!!</div>
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-Your laugh is music to my ears!</div>
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-Your squeals and shrieks of delight never cease amuse me</div>
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-You sucking on your toes = hilarious<br />
-Snuggling in bed right before the sun comes up<br />
-Holding you to my chest and rocking you right before naps... oh, I will miss this time some day<br />
-OH, those cheeks.<br />
-How are you SO SOFT?<br />
-You are quite the wiggle worm these days!<br />
-You tried some solid foods (sweet potatoes, rice cereal, and bananas!)<br />
-You LOVE your exersaucer! <br />
-You love it when I sing you silly songs... especially when I add your name to them!<br />
-You still don't like tummy time much, but you are very strong and love to stand with assistance<br />
-You love bath time... and you always save your biggest smiles for when Daddy gets home<br />
-You are getting quite good at grabbing things! You love to scratch people's faces with your nails that are always growing too fast.<br />
-You are getting to be much more social and are quite smiley!<br />
-You get bored easily and I need to change up your environment quite often to keep you amused! We know it's because you are a genius baby!<br />
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I LOVE the time I spend with you Baby K. I am so glad I get to stay at home with you and be your mama. I truly believe I have the best job in the world. Anyone can make money, but I get paid in baby snuggles, laughter, and precious moments in time. Those aren't things that just anyone can have! Thanks for making me a mommy!!<br />
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<br /></div>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-9159374747453688002012-03-26T17:10:00.003-07:002012-03-26T17:15:37.183-07:00Peace, Patience, Acceptance, and SurrenderSometimes it's a little scary to put yourself out there on the internet for all to see how you really feel inside. But if there's anything I've learned about writing and blogging, it's that it is extremely helpful to not only be able to articulate what I'm really thinking, but to do it in a genuine, sincere, and honest way. Through doing that, not only do I feel better as I use this blog as a journal of sorts... but I am always so rewarded to find that God brings others into my life that can relate... others that feel the same way... or have been there at one point in time. So yeah, I might word vomit on the world wide web from time to time, but it helps me clear my head, and hopefully you won't think I'm too strange and will still want to be friends if you know me in real life. :-)<br />
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With that long introduction, here is what I've been thinking about this past weekend.<br />
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I will admit to you, friends, that at times I strive for perfectionism instead of "good enough." And at times, I don't think that my best is ever "good enough." For small mistakes, I can be incredibly hard on myself! Thus, the nature of perfectionism. I used to think there was nothing wrong with this... I was just... always trying my best. How could that be wrong, right? Well, it's wrong, because perfection only exists in our minds! It's just not healthy! And now I'm starting to take out my perfectionism on my sweet baby girl. <br />
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My little girl is her own unique being, and I just can't control certain things about her no matter how hard I try! God is continuously calling me to let go. My little spunky gal has a world of personality, and she is going to do what she's going to do in her own time! It's not about me. <br />
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For example...<br />
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-She is not always going to sleep when and where I want her to - <i>and it's not about me.</i><br />
-She may cry and I won't always know why - <i>and it's not about me.</i><br />
-She may grunt and scream in the middle of Target - <i>and it's not about me.</i><br />
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Her personality doesn't reflect on my parenting! If she goes A-wall on me, or decides to wake up every 2-4 hours at night... it's not about me. I've tried everything! Now it's just about learning to be at peace, along with patience, acceptance, and surrender.<br />
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Being a parent is about learning how to be flexible, not stressing when things don't work out as planned, and learning how to love unconditionally.<br />
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But instead of thinking like this, sometimes I feel like Satan is whispering in my ear and saying things like...<br />
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<i>"If you were just a better parent and knew what you were doing... Kaelyn would <u>(insert desired behavior here)</u>......."</i><br />
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<i>LIES!!!</i><br />
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Regardless of how many books I read, or how many people I ask for advice, Ms. K doesn't fit the mold of what any other baby that I know. Nor will she ever.<br />
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God is continuously smiling and looking down on me... and reminding me that He is just teaching me more about peace, patience, acceptance, and surrender. Maybe one day I'll get it. :-)Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-55065675869840137492012-03-05T10:07:00.002-07:002012-03-05T10:07:21.886-07:00K is 5 Months and This Learning Curve is Steep!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Miss Kaelyn Grace is 5 months old! Ceeelllllleeebrate good times, come on!! Just like everyone said it would... these months are FLYING by. Here are some things that happened in this past month:<br />
<ul>
<li>Tried some mushed up bananas (loved them!) and rice cereal (not a fan!)</li>
<li>Learned how to grab things and stuff in her mouth</li>
<li>Discovered how to bat at objects <i>on purpose </i>and watch the effects</li>
<li>More head control</li>
<li>Knows how to scoot around a bit on her belly</li>
<li>A professional roller (from front to back)</li>
<li>Smile and flirt with everyone!</li>
<li>Chew on everything (even though she doesn't have any toofies yet)</li>
<li>Drool even more!</li>
<li>The development of a third chin and the chunkiest little cheeks!</li>
<li>Lost almost all of her newborn baby hair.. but is growing in some blonde peach fuzz!</li>
<li>Giggles and "talks" constantly</li>
<li>Is not as shy as she was last month and is more comfortable being held by new people</li>
</ul>
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While I fall in love with her more and more each day and am happier then I have ever been in my life, I have absolutely hit some of my lowest moment emotionally. Before I start whining, let me preface by saying how much I LOVE my life and my sweet baby girl, and as I just said above, I am truly the happiest I have ever been. My heart is so content and bubbling over with joy, and I could not be more thankful for all that God has blessed me with. I could do a whole blog post on how good my baby smells and how her little feet are the cutest feet any baby has ever had... EVER, but I'll spare you the details for now. I think you get the picture.</div>
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That being said... we went through a 2 week period this month where K decided to wake up EVERY HOUR (sometimes twice an hour!!) for her paci or to be comforted back to sleep. I could go into gross detail about all the things we have tried, but I don't need any more advice and don't wish to troubleshoot. <br />
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I'm just sayin'.... it is so hard to get through the day when your head is pounding due to lack of sleep and all you can think about is when you will be able to collapse onto your pillow next. In the past 2 days, she has only woke up between 2-4 times between 7pm - 7am, so hopefully we're turning a corner. That might sound like a lot to you, but it's really not that bad comparably!! :-) It <strike>drives me crazy</strike> is just so wonderful that some babies sleep through the night on their own without the parents having to do much of anything... not having to read any books or not having to let their babies "cry it out for hours on end"... what a blessing... for those parents.... ha ha ha ha ha ha (slow evil fake laugh.... grrrrrrrrrrrrr)</div>
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I've read every article and book on baby sleep and I think I'm doing myself more damage then good. I'm on informational overload and need to listen more to my heart and intuition vs. what all of these fancy schmancy doctors say. Some of these parental decisions (vaccinations, where the baby sleeps, the best way to get a baby back to sleep, best way to give birth, etc.) can be so overwhelming at times. I want nothing more then for God to just audibly tell me, "Brianne... the BEST thing for you to do in this situation is.. (INSERT GOD'S SOLUTION HERE)." </div>
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Sleep deprivation is definitely the biggest struggle for me in parenthood so far, but a close second is just not having all the answers that I want. I'm a student at heart. I LOVE to learn. I love class discussions, textbooks, the smell of a clean notebook, and yes, you better believe I am dragging grad school on as long as I can because I hate the thought of not being in school anymore. I know, I'm a bit of a freak. But my point in telling you all of this, is that in school, I can study hard for a test and know that the more I study, the better I will typically do on the exam. When it comes to a living, breathing, human being... it just doesn't work that way! I can read every book on babies, sleep, vaccinations, birth, etc., and still not know what all the RIGHT answers are. And it doesn't help that every person in the universe feels differently about all of these issues, and that every parent is different, and every baby is different... blah blah blah. </div>
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Why can't it just say in the <u>Bible</u>:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Thou shalt only give your child x,y, and z vaccines, but stay away from the "w"vaccine. </li>
</ul>
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OR</div>
<ul>
<li>It is okay to let your child "cry it out" for 30 minutes, at which point you should go in and do the baby whisperer "shush pat method"until she falls back to sleep.</li>
</ul>
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Or something to that affect....</div>
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Why do I get the feeling these parenting questions are just going to get more complex with time.... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......</div>
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I know I have the tendency to be too black and white sometimes. I want quick, easy solutions. Who doesn't? I know that the answers to a lot of my questions just have to do with praying about what to do, doing what we think is best, having confidence in it, and then being consistent. Through the process of figuring this stuff out, God is slowly but surely refining me into the person He wants me to be. </div>
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God has given me the spiritual gifts of mercy and encouragement. Because of these gifts, I feel He has called me to go into the counseling field. But in order to be a good counselor, I have to be able to relate to others. Because of that, I feel God has allowed me to go through some pretty crazy life experiences to mold me into the person He wants me to be. THANKS A LOT GOD (sarcasm). But really... (sarcasm over!), honestly, truly... I have a burning desire to be exactly who God made me to be and to live out HIS purposes for my life. I love Him with all my heart, mind, and soul, and know that He has a plan for my life. In this exciting adventure we call life, He uses many tools to shape me. He knows what He is doing, even if it results in me being exhausted and frustrated at times. :-) Everything is in His timing, not mine -- and I know He knows what is best for me far better then I. </div>
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God can use the wisdom I've learned from all the books I've read along with every tear, every frustration, and the cloud of confusion that sometimes invades my brain. I truly do love this journey I am on... even if the learning curve is a little steep! :-) </div>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-66790152795936208532012-02-26T20:46:00.001-07:002012-02-26T20:46:54.623-07:00Our Favorite Marriage Secrets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Marriage is something I'm pretty passionate about. I also believe it is something you have to be intentional about. Healthy, strong, relationships, take a fair amount of dedication and effort. Because of this, I believe it is something that we should be talking more about. How do we strengthen our marriages and develop healthier families? How can we work together as a community to build each other up and encourage each other to be better spouses?<br />
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Scott and I are just two regular people who love each other deeply and care about our relationship, and these are some of the things we've noticed that help us to build upon our foundation. We have our fair share of "off" days or moments, but there are certain things that we have discovered that help our marriage thrive. We've noticed that some of these things have been harder to keep up on since Kaelyn has been born, so we want to make sure we are even more attentive to them and are constantly adding to this list so that we can be happily married until we are 105! <br />
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1) Talk about the little things that happen during your day. It is important to stay connected whether it is through texting, instant messaging, phone calls, or facetime! Don't ever feel as though the "little things" aren't important enough to share.<br />
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2) Communicate your thoughts and feelings as much as possible. Don't let anything build up. Are you feeling stressed? Tell your spouse. Ladies... is it that time of the month? Why not warn him ahead of time if you know you are going to feel moody? Gentlemen... did you have a particularly stressful day at work or are you just having an off day? By letting your spouse know where you are coming from and how you are doing that day, he or she can better understand your mood and be more compassionate towards you.<br />
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3) Don't ever try to have conversations when one of you are hungry or tired! Let's be honest... it just never works! <br />
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4) Speaking of conversations... do you have a serious conversation that needs to happen? Set aside time to talk--don't just word vomit at the wrong times. Schedule a time to go to Starbucks and work it out when you are both feeling relaxed and objective. Or go out for ice-cream and talk when you are calm and in a good mood. Don't just air it all in the heat of the moment. <br />
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5) Talk face to face when asking each other to do things or when having a conversation. Make eye contact. When being critical of the other or asking someone to change something, this is even more important. Try to give an affectionate touch while saying something that is hard, and watch your tone and the WAY you are communicating. <br />
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6) Don't underestimate the value of saying "thank you." Build each other up. Give each other compliments. Are your negative interactions more than your positive ones? Make sure that your positive interactions are more abundant. <br />
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7) Remember, the two of you are on the same team! When approaching an issue you disagree on, remember that you are both working together towards a goal. He or she is not the enemy.<br />
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8) When you disagree, why not compromise? How strongly do each of you feel about the issue? Again, you're a team. So approach it as working together, instead of fighting from opposite sides of the fence. Rate the issue on a scale of 1-10. Maybe whoever feels more strongly about the matter will get their way for that particular instance.<br />
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9) Learn your spouses' love language and try to love them in the way that he or she feels love. Does he feel most loved when you give him back massages or write him a love note? Does she cry every time you get her flowers? Or she the type of girl that swoons when you do the dishes and mop the floors? Become an expert in your mate and keep your love renewed by serving your spouse. If you are both working to serve each other, it will make for a much better connection on a day to day basis!<br />
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10) Carve out time to talk. It is too easy to turn on the TV or get distracted by your phones, kids, or crazy schedules. Make time EVERY day to connect, and make time for date nights.<br />
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11) Hug and kiss when you leave each other and again when you return. It's a simple gesture, but a way to stay connected.<br />
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12) When you have some time alone together, take some time to assess how your marriage is doing on the following levels: emotionally, socially, sexually, intellectually, and recreationally. Emotionally: Do you feel that you are able to be open with each other? Do you feel supported? Understood? Socially: Do you have friends in common? Do you have the same social network? Sexually: Do you feel physically close to your partner? Are you on the same page with how frequently you are intimate? Intellectually: How are your conversations? Can you shoot the breeze about work, life, and current events? Recreationally: What do you do for fun together? How can you have more fun together? Do you have similar sports, hobbies, or passions? <br />
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Which of the above areas are you great at? Which areas do you need help with?<br />
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<b>If you have a blog, I would love to hear what your favorite marriage secrets are! What do you guys do that helps you stay connected? What works? What doesn't? Let's be intentional about loving our spouses and creating stronger marriages in our communities!</b>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-25828640780210912742012-02-06T16:13:00.001-07:002012-02-06T20:05:21.835-07:00All Grown Up... 4 Months Old already?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<b>Recent developments!</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Putting everything into her mouth and chewing and sucking on her hands and toys!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Mastering the front to back rollover technique, even though sometimes it still scares her! :) She just needs some positive encouragement and then she usually starts smiling afterwards. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>She has grown the chubbiest, softest, most kissable cheeks EVER to be found on a baby!</li>
</ul>
<div>
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<ul>
<li>It appears that Miss K may be a little on the shy side... or maybe it's just a phase?? When other people talk to her, even Scott and myself sometimes, she will often give a shy smile and try to hide her face. She is also slow to warm up to strangers, and will cry if I just hand her off to someone quickly without giving her a chance to "get to know them" from my arms first.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>She had her first belly laugh this month! She almost always laughs when Scott buries his face into her belly and blows.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>She is starting to lose quite a bit of her newborn hair... we find it in little patches on her mattress. In its place, if you look in the light... there appears to be little blonde hairs coming in!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Two words... drool... machine....</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>She is an okay sleeper, sometimes sleeping 6-8 hours a few times a week. On the other nights, she will sometimes wake once or twice to eat. I'm keeping a very meticulous food/sleep journal to try and figure out the patterns that work best for her. Other nights she will wake up every 3-5ish hours. Not bad... but I wouldn't mind a little more consistency. :)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I now finally understand what moms mean when they say, "Oh, I just want to eat you up!!" when talking to their babies. A phrase that once sounded weird... finally makes sense!</li>
</ul>
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So enjoying this little bundle of joy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynx7P5dBRaLDl6wbIpMN2NiwRUl7PovWobrLrUCJmEw8xs_66NlYKz3gSPWSNgIzaboRskjoxkcKZF5zkeQelcp8FN_3fUGjcltH_-ZDFaZuq4BLZ9Bh-tAOYFxlYdoQVxudNV5mTQrs/s1600/baby+toes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynx7P5dBRaLDl6wbIpMN2NiwRUl7PovWobrLrUCJmEw8xs_66NlYKz3gSPWSNgIzaboRskjoxkcKZF5zkeQelcp8FN_3fUGjcltH_-ZDFaZuq4BLZ9Bh-tAOYFxlYdoQVxudNV5mTQrs/s400/baby+toes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-43524445723238636502012-02-02T17:14:00.004-07:002012-02-02T17:16:32.508-07:00Dear First-Time Pregnant Self....I just finished visiting a beautiful friend of mine in the hospital who just had a very handsome little boy! In talking with her, it brought back sooooooo many memories of where I was just 4 short months ago! It made me reflect and realize how much I have changed and grown since that wondrous day that my first-born graced us with her presence. The following is a letter in wish I am talking to my pregnant self with the things I wish I could have told myself back then.<br />
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Dear pregnant self,<br />
<br />
You are about to enter a beautiful and glorious world called motherhood. In the next few months, you are going to go on a tremendous emotional roller coaster. You are about to feel the happiest you have ever felt in your life, and feel emotions you never dreamt possible. It will not be a rare occurrence for you to cry out of happiness on a regular basis. You are going to absolutely LOVE being a mom. The joy you will get out of this experience is indescribable. Get ready to love like you have never loved before in a whole new way. You now have a new purpose in life! This journey is going to be amazing.<br />
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Self, everything that I said above is 100% true. But you will also be going through a new time... one of transition. It's not bad, it's just different. For example, you will soon be learning what the word "patience," really means. When you feel more tired than you have ever felt in your life and want nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep forever, your baby is going to want to eat. She is going to be your alarm clock, and by the way, she gets to eat before you, no matter how hungry you are.<br />
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Self, you used to operate on a different clock. In motherhood, well... time is... time is....different. I'm not sure how else to describe it. The nights are longer... but the days are faster. Morning is always too soon... yet the days have more meaning. Regarding your schedule... get comfortable with being flexible, because that is your new middle name.<br />
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Oh, and get used to writing things down. Your brain is about to change in strange ways! If you lose your cell phone, try looking in the refrigerator.<br />
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Just so you know... postpartum hormones + sleep deprivation is no joke. You are going to have times where you cry and you don't know why. And in this new world where "up" means "down" and you don't know what comes next, it's okay. Your world is just different now, and the more you open up about it and talk to other moms who have been there, the more you will know it is normal and okay. While we're talking about opening up... trust your husband of yours. He's a good listener, and loves you more than anything. He wants nothing more than to help in any way he can. Just let him know what to do.<br />
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Other things that are normal and okay... trying on your pre-pregnancy clothes and shedding a tear or two, wondering how to take care of a baby by yourself when hubs goes back to work after having a week and a half off, not always thinking clearly, wondering if you will ever truly sleep again, and worrying a lot about if you are doing things "the right way."<br />
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Here's the thing, there is no "right way." Your baby is her own beautiful, unique child of God, and there has NEVER been another baby exactly like her in this entire universe. No matter how many books you read on babies and parenting, your daughter does not come with an instruction manual, no matter how badly you sometimes want someone to just tell you what the best thing to do is.<br />
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You are also a unique individual. And what you need is going to be different than your other mom friends. And that's okay too.<br />
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Speaking of mom friends... they are the best. The sooner you open up and talk about what you are feeling and experiencing, the sooner you will know that others have been where you are, and you are not alone in this. Join mom groups, have play dates, and go to women's bible studies. It will completely change your world.<br />
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Sweet self, make sure to take care of YOU. Take bubble baths, have a glass of wine, spend time in prayer and meditation. While you're at it, don't skip that pedicure or nap, watch a chick-flick, and please don't even think twice about feeling guilty about it. There is nothing better in those early months than taking care of yourself. The laundry and cleaning can wait. RE-freaking-LAX. I know you are weird about cleaning your floors, but you are not going to get some kind of gold star for it. You are working hard enough at sustaining a new little life for crying out loud. CHILL. Your body and your milk supply will thank you.<br />
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Speaking of milk supply, drink LOTS of water!!! What do you think that magic liquid is made out of? <br />
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Your relationship with your husband is going to change. You used to be able to hang out and talk with each other pretty much whenever you wanted. Not the case anymore. Schedule time to connect with each other both on social and intimate levels when she goes down for naps or to bed for the night. Communication is SO important right now between the two of you. Help each other. You are a TEAM!<br />
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God has called you to be a new mommy, and that means self-sacrifice in a way you have never experienced before. The sooner
you accept it, the sooner you will be able to enjoy your new life on a
different level.<br />
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Dear, self... this is going to be the most amazing, exhausting, tremendously fulfilling time in your life! Trust me... you <i>will </i>start to feel more like yourself again. Remember to give yourself both time and GRACE. ENJOY your new life. You are going to LOVE this!!!! <br />
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Love,<br />
Brianne<br />
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<b>P.S. Thanks for reading, friends! Tell me... what do YOU wish you could go back and tell yourself before you had your first child? :)</b>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-85758823292702090722012-01-23T09:35:00.003-07:002012-01-23T09:36:37.583-07:00Top 10 Baby Extras for Birth - 4 MonthsI recently had a friend ask me to create a blog post about what baby items we use for Kaelyn. She was getting ready to do her baby registry, and like many moms, overwhelmed with the numerous items to choose from! I decided to do a post on some of our favorite "extras," because I'm assuming you are probably aware that you will need some clothing items... and have already been brainstorming nursery ideas... and are already planning on getting some extra furniture such as a crib, rocking chair, baby bedding, etc :) So, here are some of our favorite "extra" items that we use most often! <br />
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<ol>
<li><b>Activity or Play Gym - </b>It is nice to have somewhere to be able to put Kaelyn down while I grab breakfast or finish getting ready for the day. The colors are great for stimulating your baby's development, and you can also use it for tummy time! The one we have is below.</li>
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<b>2. Bouncer and/or Swing - </b>Most moms with babies I know say they couldn't live without their swing... but Kaelyn doesn't care much for hers. She much prefers her bouncy seat! I think every mom would agree that this is a super handy tool to have around. Sometimes I put it in the kitchen with me as I'm cooking, or at my feet as I'm eating, reading, or doing anything really! It's also a nice place to be able to put your baby down that will entertain him/her when you have something else you need to be doing. I just got the cheapest one I could find at Target, and it works great! Kaelyn loves the gentle bouncing motion, and the attached toys keep her attention. The one we have vibrates too... but we've never used that function... I don't really think it's neccessary!<br />
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3. <b>Some kind of Carrier - </b>We have the Moby wrap and the Ergo carrier. Right now, I prefer the Moby. It is so small and lightweight, and I love having her so close to me. It's great to put on while doing chores around the house or at the grocery store! I typically put it on before I leave the house. That way it is easy to just stick her in once we get to the store. I hardly feel the extra baby weight at all! Granted she is still only about 12.5 lbs. :) As Kaelyn grows, I know I will love the Ergo more and more as it is comfortable and can be worn on the front or back. It has great shoulder and hip support.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moby</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ergo</td></tr>
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4. <b>Stroller - </b>We went ahead and invested in the Baby Jogger City Select. It is more expensive than your basic stroller, but we are viewing it more like saving money in the long run because you can turn it into a double. No, we're not planning for our second yet, just planning ahead! :) You can also customize it to fit into 16 different positions, and it folds in one simple step. Very easy to use and push around. Love this thing!<br />
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5. <b>Burp cloths - </b>A friend of ours made ours... so I don't have any suggestions on what kind to get, but you will need them! It doesn't really matter what you get... your baby will be throwing up on them... just remember to always keep them handy! :)<br />
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6. <b>Pacifier</b> - The ever controversial paci plug!! If you are going to use one, I recommend getting a couple of different kinds as every baby prefers a different type (if your baby even will take it). Kaelyn likes the Avent brand... it's the only one she will take! <br />
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7. <b>Breastpump</b> - We went with the Medela Swing for a few different reasons. First of all, I had heard good things about Medela, and I knew I wanted an electric pump. I am at home full time, but pump enough to have extra milk for the occasional babysitter or when I go to my weekly night classes. We went with the single pump as we didn't want to cough up the nearly $300 for the double.<br />
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8. <b>Swaddle blanket(s) - </b>I have heard amazing things about the Aden + Anais swaddle blankets... so you might want to register for a few of those, but we have LOVED our Summer Infant SwaddleMe blankets. They velcro on, so you can get as tight of a fit as you want, and they are harder for your baby to bust out of. Swaddling definitely helps K sleep for longer stretches of time because she can't accidentally hit herself in the face!<br />
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9. <b>Waterproof liners for changing pad - </b>Your baby WILL go to the bathroom while you are changing him or her at some point... so make sure you change your baby on something waterproof that you can easily throw in the wash.<br />
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10. <b>Baby Bath Tub</b> - We got the one shown below in the picture... it's the Fisher Price Aquarium Bath Center. If ya'll were like me, your parents probably used the sink to bathe you.... not anymore, my friends. These bath tubs are awesome! Kaelyn LOVES playing in her bath tub. It's great to not have to worry about holding her the right way, or bonking her head on anything. Definitely worth the $20 bucks.<br />
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<b> What are your favorite baby items or the items you are most excited to use??</b>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-22623314454552675542012-01-05T11:47:00.000-07:002012-01-08T21:35:52.906-07:003 Months Already???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXahqcCIg_4DJggDV3giakOhr8ID2NSixmFrCQv0CiM_MDkvu_6xW4ETk2HKHsNPzsN6cszuw90g-Vm53FIhPPrzxRnfqmNgrnGRkpAJezVRnXVVi-YunKsG-NaWNNzjXyBSWB_5ubSLE/s1600/IMG_2212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXahqcCIg_4DJggDV3giakOhr8ID2NSixmFrCQv0CiM_MDkvu_6xW4ETk2HKHsNPzsN6cszuw90g-Vm53FIhPPrzxRnfqmNgrnGRkpAJezVRnXVVi-YunKsG-NaWNNzjXyBSWB_5ubSLE/s640/IMG_2212.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Baby K is such a joy! I feel like we hit some kind of magic age or something in the last couple of weeks. All of a sudden, she doesn't cry as much, babbles and squeals way more, and is an infectious smiling machine. She has always been relatively easy going, but all of a sudden, things seem so much easier! Here are some things I would like to remember about her second month of life!<br />
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<li>First of all, she started sleeping between 5-8 hours every night which is a HUGE DEAL! She doesn't have a set bedtime yet, but from whatever time she goes down, she will sleep 5-8 hours from that point on. AMAZING. It feels so good to feel like a normal functioning person again! I am experimenting with eating and nap times during the day to try and give us both optimal sleep at night. </li>
<li>She rolled over from front to back! </li>
<li>She makes really high pitched squealing noises when she is talking to herself... so amusing. She has really found her voice this month!</li>
<li>I am feeling more confident and learning to trust my instincts. We are starting to establish a routine where she nurses, plays, and then takes a nap. I am getting the hang of determining between the hungry cry, the tired fussy sounds, and the I want to be held noises.</li>
<li>She is a super curious baby with the brightest, widest eyes imaginable. Right after her naps, I feel like she is contemplating quantum physics. When I put her Moby wrap or Ergo carrier, she can't stand to have her head covered up because she likes to be able to look around at everything around her.</li>
<li>When she has a bath, she looks down at her feet and then pumps them up and down making splashes in the water while squealing happily. Definitely her favorite part of the day!</li>
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It is SUCH a joy and blessing to be able to be home for each and every new noise and expression she makes and never have to be away from her for very long! I love that I have the time to be able to give her my full attention, focus on being the best wife I can be, take care of myself, actually enjoy time with friends and family, do more cooking, and keep up with housework for once (most of the time...)! In listening to a recent sermon on motherhood, it has come to my attention just how much of a ministry being a mom is. I have so much influence in her life and how wonderful it is to be able to be there for each teachable moment as she grows! Now let's see how I do when we add a couple night classes and x amount of hours of writing papers, presentations, projects, and reading to the equation. Hello, 2012! I'm ready for you!<br />
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Here are some pictures that capture her 2nd month of life!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBwSxaXVYDoz0WRV1mVh6AapINQTXb3BNCXSyqYKys0KO8ji1BgpMGUWAbzlhknWHPorRdganaAXg98Uunj9BhZJzLJKCoX8xkLltdARohCy83t5Ov37Ggp-zj8bWi5SpkVyb5fbI7mw/s1600/IMG_2149_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBwSxaXVYDoz0WRV1mVh6AapINQTXb3BNCXSyqYKys0KO8ji1BgpMGUWAbzlhknWHPorRdganaAXg98Uunj9BhZJzLJKCoX8xkLltdARohCy83t5Ov37Ggp-zj8bWi5SpkVyb5fbI7mw/s640/IMG_2149_2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Meeting Santa.... she decided to sleep on Santa's lap instead of tell him what she wanted for Christmas. I'm still not sure how she still got so many presents anyway.</div>
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A little blurry but who can resist that grin???</div>
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Christmas Eve right before church! </div>
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Cutest smile ever.... except I got distracted and didn't get her mouth. WHOOPS!</div>
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Then I couldn't get another smile. Dang it.</div>
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Learning to hold up her head! Almost ready to crawl! Well... maybe in a few more months. ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlzK2QDrV2H090tpJFg6zZtNDEIOUWBSlG96zRtim6dI4lJ4tqfn_GI99zNj-Hwl_g5mmgpOlR7KeAgSUL_v2aCohbB_CRQPnkxv-I9s1hti8c-TgI43F_SCHiR1-muHkvEOc7Cvj-Sk/s1600/IMG_2344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlzK2QDrV2H090tpJFg6zZtNDEIOUWBSlG96zRtim6dI4lJ4tqfn_GI99zNj-Hwl_g5mmgpOlR7KeAgSUL_v2aCohbB_CRQPnkxv-I9s1hti8c-TgI43F_SCHiR1-muHkvEOc7Cvj-Sk/s640/IMG_2344.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Love those smiles!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kB_8VzJclM42ROpdGiwsZ8etn_8Ww2_ZMQdHNxYaMG3wzB2Rwc9owmzPe6HEqQW3l3ELGKaQKUP07RE3c05pIQ-QZGplCPLVmcgcUe-mZmjWBxhxOOAITFStcM51TpVNKhtZjtaCOtI/s1600/IMG_2345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kB_8VzJclM42ROpdGiwsZ8etn_8Ww2_ZMQdHNxYaMG3wzB2Rwc9owmzPe6HEqQW3l3ELGKaQKUP07RE3c05pIQ-QZGplCPLVmcgcUe-mZmjWBxhxOOAITFStcM51TpVNKhtZjtaCOtI/s640/IMG_2345.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-67885392244967604912011-12-29T11:21:00.000-07:002011-12-29T11:24:05.759-07:00Mommyhood and Goals for 2012As I am still charting the new waters of mommyville, I would like to post some reflections on this new path my life has taken. I want to look back on these early days and remember what it felt like to be a brand new mom. And for all you new preggos out there that will have a little one soon, maybe you will be interested to know some of what it feels like. Basically, my life has turned completely upside down, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't know left from right, or up from down, yet every day I am filled with a joy I have never known. The love I feel is unlike any other, and my life has a new meaning. When people said that a mother's love is different kind of love, I had trouble understanding what that meant, or how it would feel. It is so different from a familial love, or a romantic love. How could I possibly begin to describe the feelings that bubble up inside of me each time she flashes me with that huge grin? Or the way she looks up at me when she is nursing staring, lovingly into my eyes, an innocence so pure, knowing no sense of time? When I cuddle her warm little body up against mine, my heart often feels as if it might burst. This new kind of love knows no limitations.<br />
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All the while, the days seem to be speeding up, and the days blurring together. How do I like being a stay at home mom? Well, I'm not used to it yet, and I'm confused by it. I'll describe it physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. My body is physically more out of shape and more flabby then it's ever been which results in feeling totally out of shape and lethargic. At the same time, I am so happy and filled with joy, every day feels like the weekend. My life has a renewed sense of purpose, and I can say without a doubt that I absolutely LOVE my life. Spiritually, I am starting to feel dry, as all of a sudden I have the attention span of a 2 year old. Whether that is due to never feeling fully rested, or because any second I get to myself I want to bask in the solitude and do absolutely nothing, I am unsure. Mentally, I am currently doing okay as I check out books from the library, keep busy with friends and play dates, and my husband keeps me in check.<br />
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2012 holds new challenges. I am posting them here to not only be able to record my new journey, but to help keep myself accountable. So if you are someone who reads my blog and I see you on a regular basis, feel free to ask me how these things are going!<br />
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<b>Goals for 2012 </b><br />
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1) Physically, I just started the Weight Watchers for nursing moms plan and am working on getting back to my pre-baby weight by August losing approximately 1 lb per week.<br />
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2) Spiritually, I am committing to read the new daily devotional that was given to us by our worship leader at church every day, as well as the corresponding verses that go with it. I also want to work on praying more throughout the day, and praying with Scott on a daily basis as well.<br />
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3) Mentally, school starts back up on January 9th, so I will definitely be challenged with homework and papers all too soon! I am really looking forward to being back in the classroom though, and the learning and class discussions that help me to expand on my passions and fuel for life. I have to admit though, I'm pretty nervous about how I am going to balance class, reading, and homework with this new little bundle that takes so much of my time! However, I am not going to worry about it, because God is always challenging me to trust Him with this stuff, and He has told me that not only can I not worry about it since I haven't even tried it yet, but secondly, I am not allowed to worry about it because that would mean I'm not really trusting Him!! :) So, my goal is to balance the baby and the school work, and not STRESS, but trust God with all of it.<br />
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What are your goals for 2012??? Are you one of those people that doesn't make goals because you're afraid of failing? No matter where you are in your life, and whether you like new years resolutions or not, I challenge you to make at least one goal for 2012 and either post it in the comments section, on facebook, or tell someone close to you!! :) That's how we grow right!? :)Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-522543687889710513.post-78739988166250783372011-12-14T15:20:00.001-07:002011-12-14T15:40:58.789-07:00My Daughter's Hands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Does the story below make you cry too? Or am I just a post-partum mess????? I read this as I sat nursing baby K to sleep. I often stare at her precious, dimpled little hands in awe and wonder. I praise God for giving me such a beautiful child, and I pray blessings over her. This story made me think a little bit more in detail about those tiny hands of hers, and made me want to savor each precious moment I get to rock her to sleep even more.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">My Daughter's Hands</span></b></div>
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by Shannon Lowe - taken from <u>Chicken Soup for the New Mom's Soul</u></div>
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My daughter Miriam had a cold and was having trouble sleeping, so tonight I had the distinct pleasure of rocking her--for a long, long time--to sleep. We sat there in her dark room, the rocking chair creaking slightly, her slow, even breaths a little raspy from her cold. Her head was nuzzled into my neck, and her right hand softly gripped the fabric of my shirt on my chest. </div>
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Miriam's hand. It's a plump little thing, dimpled, smooth, and creamy white. I've always been fascinated by my children's hands, but tonight as I looked at Miriam's, I was overwhelmed with happiness, and a little sadness, to think of where those hands will travel. Tonight they're flawless little hands, untested by life's challenges and inexperienced in its joys. But where will those little hands go tomorrow, and the next day and the next?</div>
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One day soon those little hands will let go of mine as she takes her first step.</div>
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They'll grasp a pencil as she clumsily but surely learns to write.</div>
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They'll grip bicycle handlebars with a mix of joy and horror as her daddy runs behind her holding on, almost ready to let go.</div>
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In her teenage years those hands will wipe away many adolescent tears and slam many doors, but maybe, if I play my cards right, they'll still reach out for mine every now and then.</div>
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They'll pack her belongings as she leaves home. And they'll open our front door again as she comes back to visit. Often, if she knows what's good for her.</div>
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How I pray those precious hands spend more time spread open in joy, rather than clenched in anguish. But wherever they travel, I hope they're often clasped in prayer. I hope they're helpful hands, and merciful ones, and I hope they always have many, many other hands to grab onto.</div>
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They'll wear a diamond from a handsome young man, and they'll loosely hold her father's tuxedoed arm, eager to reach out for her future at the end of the aisle.</div>
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Those hands will grasp the bedsheets in pain as she fights to deliver her child, and they'll tremble in joy when she holds him or her for the first time. They'll feel many little foreheads, apply many Band-Aids, and hold open many books. And then, one night, she'll rock that baby to sleep, and she'll stare in bittersweet wonder at its little hands.</div>Briannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12634112624388092162noreply@blogger.com3