A lesson in comfort

Yet you are he who took me from the womb; 

you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.

(Psalm 22:9, ESV) 

As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;

(Isaiah 66:13a, ESV)

Isn't it amazing that God compares himself to mothers?  We've been struggling with sleep patterns lately.  The past couple of days, my 21-month old has been fighting off nap time and bedtime with a vengeance.  I mean screaming bloody murder at the top of his lungs type of vengeance.   If Daddy or I picked him up, he would stop his screaming.  We also suspect the 2-year molars are part of the problem, and have been giving him the meds.  But those are apparently not enough.

There are times for self-soothing.  But it's interesting that the Psalmist didn't say, "you are he who took me from the womb, you made me cry it out while my mother listened from a nearby tent to teach me to survive."

Likewise, there's the verse in Isaiah.  It doesn't say when the mother comforted, or that she stopped comforting at a specific age, but clearly God expects mothers to comfort their child.  And He promised that comfort to His children.  (In spite of the number of times they had protested, turned away, thrown tantrums, or just the fact that they really needed to grow up.)

Now, I do believe there are times when a baby or toddler needs to self soothe.  But today, after days of fighting this battle and then today, breaking down into tears (in my room, where the little one couldn't see or hear me as he wailed through the walls), the theme of these verses came to mind.  And when little brat, I mean sweet but needy Buddy, who had thrown his sippy to the floor, been given his pain reliever, and been left to go to sleep for a greatly needed nap awoke after maybe 30 minutes of sleeping, decided he NEEDED Mommy, I decided that for some reason, he NEEDED me, too, and this was not just a battle of the wills.  And I held him.  And rocked him back to sleep. 
And held him for another 40 minutes until he woke up peacefully and looked at me, a sweet, smiling copy of photographs of his Daddy at the same age.  It was good for both of us.  In fact, he's grown into such a big boy that I can't remember the last time my little wrestler actually slept in my arms for even 5 minutes.  Apparently I needed to be reminded that he is still a baby, and sometimes what a baby needs most is Mama.

bloggy baby fun

make your predictions in the comments for this post...

1) how much do you think lauren's baby will weigh at birth (lbs., oz.)?
2) how long do you think he'll be?

oh, and in case you are wondering, as of tonight my belly button is basically completely flat. not an innie or an outie.

labor dust is in the air!

just not my air yet. congratulations to my friend lisa from women@home on the birth of her little boy! her estimated due date was august 28th.

congratulations to zann and her hubby, j, on the birth of their little girl!
and canine big sister, sasha, who has no idea how her life is about to change.

Not-so Wordless Wednesday:
he's already spoiled (or maybe mommy is the spoiled one)


You have already seen the taggie blanket made by my friend Farmwife,
and the blanket a crocheted for our Little Guy,
These are some other handmade gifts which we have received.
Of course, all the clothes and other items we have been given are equally appreciated,
but I just can't take pictures of everything (believe it or not).

From top left, clockwise:
sling made by Tech Mom, blanket & burp cloth made by my friend Heather
blanket and soap from Mirella, and matching bib and burp cloth from Becca
(made by one of her online friends)

Baby prep...

Tonight, I finally emptied all but one drawer of the dresser we'll use for little guys clothes. The remaining drawer holds some miscellaneous gift-wrapping supplies which need to join the rest in a closet. Next step: line the drawers. I'm debating between splurging on scented drawer liner or just sticking with plain wax paper. I've heard of lining the drawers with wrapping paper from baby gifts, but these days most people seem to be using gift bags with tissue paper. (Including myself.) So, it will most likely be the wax paper.

Space is tricky. We have a bedroom set in our guest room which includes a wide dresser, a tall dresser, and a full sized bed. The kids' room has the crib (currently still toddler bed awaiting hubby's help), a small book cabinet, a dresser, and Bear's twin-sized bed. If we moved the book shelf upstairs, we could fit a small taller dresser in that corner, but then that would disrupt our bedtime routine of choosing stories and crawling onto the bed. So I decided to utilize the wide dresser in the guest room for our little guy's clothes and changing station. (I don't think I could manage to use the one dresser effectively for both kids' clothing. If you know me, you know why.) With so much of our family living out of town, we just can't afford to get rid of our guest room. And the sweet thing is that Bear already knows that the crib will be her brother's. She points it out just before laying down for a nap. Hopefully she won't think the laundry is supposed to be there all the time and dump clothes on top of him once he is here.

Wooden letters were purchased on sale at Joann's for 99 cents a piece, they just need a little sanding before painting.

Anyway, that's a glimpse of what's going on to prepare for our new addition. God apparently did not gift me with the pregnancy-long nesting instinct, so I am trying to be purposeful and do a little at a time before it gets too difficult. That means I need to stop taking that afternoon nap when Bear naps... and if I do that, perhaps insomnia won't be as much of a problem.

cultural norms

While most Americans will at least give lip-service to the idea that breastmilk is best for our newborns/infants, if nursing doesn't work out, for whatever reason, formula takes over. That's our norm.

Bear and I were outside playing one evening last week, and one of the girls in the neighborhood talked about how excited she was to see her other brother. She picked up on my confused expression, and explained that her aunt had difficulty nursing her cousin, who was around the same age as her younger brother. So her Mom nursed him for her. The baby was born in the US, he could have had free formula from WIC. But in their culture the question is apparently, "Why wouldn't you give a newborn breastmilk?"

Now, I love my niece, but I don't think I would have nursed her. (Ignore the fact that I only nursed Bear for about 3 months.) For one, she lives an hour and a half away. Feeding an infant is a round the-clock-adventure. The reason the girl calls her cousin her brother is because while her mother fed him, he lived with their family. (I don't know if his Mom moved in, too, or what...) And quite frankly, even if it were something I was up to doing, I don't picture my sister as being one to go for it. It's just not normal here. Change a baby's diaper? Check. Burp someone else's baby? Check. Give a bottle to another Mom's baby? Check. Breastfeed someone else's baby? Ummm... second thoughts there.

I find the fact that this 9 year old girl talked about her "other brother" with no inhibitions fascinating. In her family's culture, what happened is normal. And though I am 99.999% sure I would not make the choice to let someone else breastfeed my child (unless they were severely allergic to formula, and then I would prefer the breastmilk to be given in a bottle so I could feed my baby), instead of thinking "ew, gross..." I find myself fascinated by the cultural differences.... and how even though they live in the USA now, some aspects of their culture are being preserved.

let the nesting begin

baby boy's blanket is done!
it's not perfect. if you are type "A", then just looking at the picture may drive you nuts because there are some obvious imperfections.
but it is the 1st crochet project i began and the 2nd to be completed.
i could easily name 5 people i would like to make blankets for... and those are just the pregnant ones! that wouldn't include the friends who have been there through thick and thin, family members, etc....

i am hoping this approx. 26 x 29 inch blanket will make a perfect carseat blankie. it's not as thick as the other blanket i made, since i only used 1 strand of yarn.

it sure feels good to have not just one, but two projects completed!!!
now to tackle that list of things to do before little guy makes his appearance....

pray for a grieving mommy, daddy & siblings...

Baby Genny had a stroke and they removed her from life support. She has now joined her big sister in Heaven with her Heavenly Father. Please, please lift KayCee (her Mommy) up to the Lord. She is a believer, and really needs to feel the comfort of the Holy Spirit right now.

Genesis Rebekah (Genny)

6-23-2008 through 6-25-2008

pray for baby Genny

A Mom on one of my chat boards had her little girl yesterday.

26 wks
1 lb 8 oz
12.5 inches long

After a VERY difficult pregnancy, the placenta abrupted and the cord was wrapped around Genny's neck. The good news is that she is breathing (with assistance, not on her own) and alive!

Please pray for this sweet little one to gain strength and for her Mommy as she recovers!

It's done!

Tech Mom has been working hard on a special gift for me and baby, a sling. I sure hope he likes it. (I don't care if he likes the colors, I hope he is comfortable in it!) She just changed her status to say it's done. I can't wait to try it! A couple of my friends from church love their hotslings, and I am looking forward to having the option to "wear" my little one in something other than that awkward snugli thingy that my nieces hated so much. (It was an old design, and getting the babies into it was sheer torture for both Mom and baby if there was not a second adult to assist. Bear used it a few times, and after she was in, she seemed to like it alright... especially at the aquarium when she was 4 weeks old.)

Hubby says he won't wear a sling. But when he has the almost 3 year old tugging at him while he holds the little guy, I suspect he might find SOMETHING that works better than toting the infant seat. Even if it is the old snugli. Or perhaps Bjorn.

A bloggy baby shower

Ok, so just the guest of honor and I blog, to my knowledge. We met each other in high school youth group, and have stayed in touch through the years. She and her husband are about to join the adventure called parenthood, with their baby due in early August, about 3 weeks ahead of me. The adorable cakes were made by one of the hostesses, and tasted as yummy as they were cute. I'll let Zann share more pics if she so chooses, but I had to share a couple.

zann & me

congratulations, zann and mr. zann!
i'll try to finish your gift before your baby girl makes her appearance!

another sling to check out...

As our little guy's due date approaches, I can't help but wonder if he'll be naturally clingy or independent, and the idea of chasing a toddler and carrying an infant seat does not appeal to me. Someone on a birth board swears by the Lite-on-shoulder pouch/hybrid sling.
The price tag is certainly better than some... now to choose a pattern that isn't too girly... hmmm... these are my 2 favorites so far:

"Urban Garden"

"Sandcastle Stripes"

"Fern Batik"

... because little man is sure to spit up on the one Tech Mom makes for me using these fabrics,it will need to be washed on occasion.

Look what I got in the mail today:

There was a special offer in American Baby magazine for free Itsy Bitsy Yoga DVD's to the first 100 responders. Well, I wasn't in the first 100, but I then got an e-mail from the company saying if I sent them a check for 4.95 s/h, they would send me the dvd otherwise free. So I dropped the check in the mail to New England a little over a week ago, and the DVD arrived today.

I can't wait to try it out with our little guy when he arrives in a couple of months. They have a toddler book or program, too, which I could see Bear getting into, since she does like to copy me (and climb all over me) if/when I actually do my prenatal yoga exercises.

Review to come after baby is born...

random tidbits & news

tidbits:
The Memory Keeper's Daughter is going to be on TV April 12th. Too bad I have no way of watching it at home! If you have not read the book, it is a MUST read.

We are supposed to have 2-3 days break from the Spring rains. While I'm thankful God has been watering my garden for me, I'm looking forward to spending some time outside.

news:
Hubby's new "baby" is here! A work buddy offered to help him transport it with his truck and trailer, and they retrieved it last night. I think I scared Bear a little when I warned her not to touch it unless Daddy sets her on top and holds her, but the last thing I want is a motorcycle crushing my precious daughter. She's pretty perceptive, I think she connects the fact that something that's so loud can also be dangerous. (And it's quieter than a Harley.)

This means it's time for me to shop for the new car seats and stroller, right? I think the Graco Nautilus looks good for Bear and the Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stroller or Baby Trend Elite Sit n' Stand look good for both kiddos.... the Graco Quattro Tour Duo I'm still debating whether the higher price on the Joovy is worth it... we'll have to check them out in person side-by-side, if possible.) And then to find an infant carrier that is compatible with the new stroller. And lightweight. Consumer Reports seems pretty worthless in this shopping research, as they lack variety in their reviews, especially for 2-kid strollers.

Tackle It Tuesday: Operation Nursery, Phase Two

It's been a while since I tackled something other than dishes, laundry, or gardening. In case you are wondering, Phase One was turning the office into the nursery, which happened before I became a blogger. With child #2 on the way, we made the decision that Baby Bear will share her room with her new sibling. Most of our family lives out of town, so we need that guest bedroom. Plus, I need the place to dump Mt. Laundry until I get around to folding it or hubby gets exasperated with me and folds it himself. (That happens a lot.) Hubby also uses it as his office when he works from home. As you can see, we simply do not have a spare room. Well, my parents had a twin mattress, boxspring and frame to get rid of. Since we decided to keep the guest bedroom in tact, Baby Bear needed a big girl bed. This tackle started yesterday morning, and today I moved the stack of boxes of clothes into the not-so-spare room. The quilt was made by hubby's gramma for his high school graduation. I think it's too flowery for him, but it looks great in Bear's room!

Before:

During:

After:

Just don't ask me to show you what the inside of the closet looks like. That will be a future tackle, or series of tackles.

disconnected

my computer is dead... battery is dead, and the cord's short which required us to position it "just so" in order to use or charge the thing turned into a full fledged fire hazard when it sparked just after monday's post. i'm glad to see the post went through.

if you need to reach me, hopefully you have my phone #. i may try to go to the library, but i'm not sure if checking e-mail there will really happen with a 2 year old..


so.... quick baby update. HB was 144 BPM at today's visit. My OB had to rush off to deliver a baby. I forget she does do that for other women, too. ;) U/S has been scheduled for April Fool's Day (no joke). I gained 3 lbs since my last appt. Baby Bear got to hear the heartbeat, too. She was more impressed by the toys in the waiting room. But for the past 3 days she has been saying there is a brother in mommy's belly. Is God telling her something we don't know... we'll find out. She had previously been consitently switching between predicting boy or girl, but for 3 days her prediction has been the same. Hopefully she won't be too diappointed if it's a sister. She'll get over it, if she is.

So, see you when I get back. If you need to reach me,e-mail my sis, sis's in law, or mil if you don't have my phone # already. Hopefully I won't be offline for too long.

hasta luego...

the excitement is growing faster than my belly

yesterday, the boys (hubby and grandpa) went out and about to do guy stuff. they test drove vehicles and went for a motorcycle ride.

meanwhile, tech mom, bear and i went out for some girls' shopping. we checked out a couple of baby/kids boutiques here in the memphis area. our favorite was mango street baby.

they had a ring sling i tried on. bear did NOT like having her mommy messed with, and kept yelling "take it off!" i liked the sling a lot, but not the price tag... the brand was something like rock star baby, probably because most of us don't have the rock-star money required to buy it. it was good to compare to the pouch style hotsling, which i liked at another shop but the salesperson was unknowledgable and only knew how to get it back in the package. and i think as a soon-to-be attempting first time sling-wearer, i like the adjustablity however, she LOVED their classic pedal cars and trikes, as well as their toys. we ate lunch near that shop after church today, and hubby even tried on a toddler backpack which would be perfect for hiking with bear. he found it all by himself. somehow, i am nervous about taking her on some of the trails around Fall Creek Falls without some type of restraint, and strollers are so darn awkward. we'll see if we actually get it, but i think it was one that inkling and henry david might even approve of! (if i can find it online i'll get their opinion, as they are our expert outdoorsmen.)

after dream shopping at the expensive shops, we headed on a mission to find fabric. tech mom looked at the $120 sling I tried on and decided she could and would like to try to make one. so after perusing hancock's she found a sweet pattern at hobby lobby which we think is gender neutral enough. we also found a coordinating solid, so she'll make it reversible:

I've been doing some research on line and found the following helpful sites:

www.mammasmilk.com
www.slingrings.com
Jan Andrea (lots of patterns to make your own)
Pretty Momma Sling

Cute Slings

Hot Slings
The Sling Station

They have links to patterns for making your own slings, if you are so inclined or know someone who will do it for you! And lots of good info for us ignorant people who don't know much about baby wearing.

imagination or reality?

the past few days, i think i have felt the early flutters of my little baby's kicks. they are very soft, hardly noticable. it's still early, at 14 weeks, but i like to think it's more than just gas.

(not-so) Wordless Wednesday

approximately 10 weeks pregnant

During my pregnancy with Baby Bear, I set up a website for tracking everything pregnancy related. Well, with 2 blogs and a facebook profile, and message boards, I don't need another thing to keep me busy, so I am going to mix my pregnancy updates in on here. OR maybe this blog will turn into a pregnancy blog for a while, we'll see. Sorry if anything is TMI, this is my blog and friends have told me a can be blunt. I haven't had many thought-provoking posts lately, and I am in the process of re-evaluating my habits and trying to change some for the better....

Morning sickness has set in (and not just in the mornings), but so far it's not nearly as bad as it was with Baby Bear. I know every pregnancy is different, but I attribute it partially to getting to stay home instead of having to face a stressful job every morning. Thankfully, I have a patient hubby who puts up with my domestically-challengedness (yes, that's a word, at least in my vocabulary) under the best circumstances. Other symptoms? Insomnia... waking up to pee at 2 or 2:30 a.m., unable to get back to sleep til 5:30, breast itchiness and fullness comes and goes. Anyway, not much exciting at the stage of the game. We hope to hear our baby's heartbeat at my next appointment in a couple of weeks.

I am still very aware of the possibility of miscarriage, after what happened almost a year ago. But I also know that God has a plan and He is in control. He knows the baby in my womb. The hope of having another child in the near future warms my heart whenever I look at the precious toddler who is growing up so quickly before my eyes.