thoughts i've had as a mother:
nora has a constant hunger that only her little hands can satisfy :)
Nora's toes are like fort knox for toe lint.
I think we blow Nora's mind every time she watches us eat and magically make things disappear.
How can such a small person change your entire world?
How can I possibly love someone so much?
How can such a small person love me so much?
I love how soft Nora's hands are. it's like touching silk.
Nora has a vendetta against my favorite onsie. EVERY TIME she wears it she has a blow out. And I mean everytime. I had to retire it just to make the blow outs stop.
I never thought milk breath would smell so good :) I love Nora's breath.
It's amazing how quickly poo, bodily fluids running freely and smelling someone's butt becomes totally normal.
It's also amazing how quickly you learn to stealth breastfeed in public places.
It's stunning how far a nursing mom can spray milk and the velocity at which it sprays.... who'da thought.
It's amazing how time seems to speed up and yet take forever when you have a newborn.
I am continually amazed to watch a little person develop, mentally, emotionally & physically. Just watching her learn to hold up her head or roll or master her hands...it's incredible!
Nora doesn't like it when i take a shower and put her in her chair in the bathroom. i think she gets freaked out by mommy's "floating head" poking out randomly. she will get upset if i just stick my head out. :) quite dis concerning i guess.
I never thought I would have so much pride when someone tells me how adorable my little girl is all dressed in pink. :)
Life has never been so hard or so wonderful.
family
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
It takes a village...
I have always loved the phrase "It takes a village to raise a child."
I wish that our culture lived by this more. I wish that it wasn't so common and easy for your family to disperse to all corners of the country. In family that is pretty literal. One in Alaska, one in Minnesota, one in N. Carolina & mom & dad either here in Colorado or arizona or traveling. O and Jeremiah is all over :) So we've got quite a distance to bridge to get the "village" together.
I know "village" can mean friends that are like family or a church family. But there's something about family being apart of your life and your kids' lives.
To me this phrase says so much more than "kids are hard to raise". It talks about the importance of a child learning from a group of people and not just mom & dad. Being exposed to different ways of thinking, living, loving & learning. It speaks to the need for parents to be supported, to get breaks or advice or just help or an ear to listen or a reassuring hug.
It speaks of how "the village" too, needs to be part of a child's youth. This is how our family history is passed on. This is how you can see a trait, like sarcasm or a sense of humor or how a word is pronounced or a secret family recipe (like addictive cookies), passed down from generation to generation. It is so meaningful for family members to be there and a part of a kids' childhood.
I can't explain how important it is for a new parent to be able to share their sudden understanding of their parents with them as they go through the same challenges the now grandparents did.
Anyway, really I just wanted to say how much I appreciate my own "village". Whether part of our life here in Colorado, via skype & phone or strictly virtual/internet village, I am so very grateful for you all.
I wish that our culture lived by this more. I wish that it wasn't so common and easy for your family to disperse to all corners of the country. In family that is pretty literal. One in Alaska, one in Minnesota, one in N. Carolina & mom & dad either here in Colorado or arizona or traveling. O and Jeremiah is all over :) So we've got quite a distance to bridge to get the "village" together.
I know "village" can mean friends that are like family or a church family. But there's something about family being apart of your life and your kids' lives.
To me this phrase says so much more than "kids are hard to raise". It talks about the importance of a child learning from a group of people and not just mom & dad. Being exposed to different ways of thinking, living, loving & learning. It speaks to the need for parents to be supported, to get breaks or advice or just help or an ear to listen or a reassuring hug.
It speaks of how "the village" too, needs to be part of a child's youth. This is how our family history is passed on. This is how you can see a trait, like sarcasm or a sense of humor or how a word is pronounced or a secret family recipe (like addictive cookies), passed down from generation to generation. It is so meaningful for family members to be there and a part of a kids' childhood.
I can't explain how important it is for a new parent to be able to share their sudden understanding of their parents with them as they go through the same challenges the now grandparents did.
Anyway, really I just wanted to say how much I appreciate my own "village". Whether part of our life here in Colorado, via skype & phone or strictly virtual/internet village, I am so very grateful for you all.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
3 month graduation
3 months
I am fully aware it doesn't make me an expert. In fact I'm more convinced than ever that parenting is 100 times harder than anyone could imagine.
But I have learned alot already. Mainly I've learned patience. People often say not to ask God to give you patience because He will give you "opportunities" to work on your patience. Never before in my life have I ever been so challenged with patience, and that's saying alot. I am not a patient person. :)
But these days my little girl can literally scream and sqeal away and yes, I may need to put her down and plug my ears occasionally, but I can also go back and pick her up and figure out what's wrong and sooth her. My ever patient husband, who I've always relied on to help when I reach my patience end, has now comment on how much more patience I have. So praise God for already using my precious daughter to teach me and make me a better person. :)
But today I really realized that I am finally starting to feel somewhat comfortable being a mom. I am able to shrug off a week of incredible struggle and challenges with my little girl and say with conviction, "yea it was just a phase."
I'm learning that my little girl is constantly talking to me, I just need to listen and pay attention. Like today I realized that when I'm trying to put her to sleep and she starts arching her back and insisting on being almost upside down, actually may mean, "mom I want to fall asleep alone, lay me down."
And now after making it through her 3 month growth spurt and week of challenges, she is such a sweet heart! she wakes up full of smiles, she squeals and talks away, she smiles when I walk into a room, she unknowningly says "mum" when she is crying and it makes me melt.
As I said, I could never have imagined how hard being a parent would be, but I also never imagined how incredible it is either. I've never been so in love with someones chubby cheeks, or milk breath or little chubby thighs.
all it took was 3 months. :)
I am fully aware it doesn't make me an expert. In fact I'm more convinced than ever that parenting is 100 times harder than anyone could imagine.
But I have learned alot already. Mainly I've learned patience. People often say not to ask God to give you patience because He will give you "opportunities" to work on your patience. Never before in my life have I ever been so challenged with patience, and that's saying alot. I am not a patient person. :)
But these days my little girl can literally scream and sqeal away and yes, I may need to put her down and plug my ears occasionally, but I can also go back and pick her up and figure out what's wrong and sooth her. My ever patient husband, who I've always relied on to help when I reach my patience end, has now comment on how much more patience I have. So praise God for already using my precious daughter to teach me and make me a better person. :)
But today I really realized that I am finally starting to feel somewhat comfortable being a mom. I am able to shrug off a week of incredible struggle and challenges with my little girl and say with conviction, "yea it was just a phase."
I'm learning that my little girl is constantly talking to me, I just need to listen and pay attention. Like today I realized that when I'm trying to put her to sleep and she starts arching her back and insisting on being almost upside down, actually may mean, "mom I want to fall asleep alone, lay me down."
And now after making it through her 3 month growth spurt and week of challenges, she is such a sweet heart! she wakes up full of smiles, she squeals and talks away, she smiles when I walk into a room, she unknowningly says "mum" when she is crying and it makes me melt.
As I said, I could never have imagined how hard being a parent would be, but I also never imagined how incredible it is either. I've never been so in love with someones chubby cheeks, or milk breath or little chubby thighs.
all it took was 3 months. :)
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