When I meet Jesus and we get some time to chat, I'm gonna ask him why babies fight naps.
Seriously.
So this week has been kind of up and down for me. Pumpkin has been fussy and clingy. As long as I do exactly what she wants, which is to be no further than arm's distance from her at all times, she's relatively happy. Leaving me stuck between worrying about spoiling her by giving in to her whiny demands or possible long-term damage by moving away from her forcing her to feel abandoned and lonely.
Which my brain then takes to an extreme where she's 14 and looking to fill that void with promiscuous sex providing Chris and I with a grandchild way too early.
It's not that I don't want to play with her. Cause I do. And I'm not trying to do crazy stuff like cure cancer or write a novel. It's simple stuff. You know like brushing my teeth and going potty. Those moments leave me with the choice of holding her while I attempt to do those tasks or listening to her whine when I don't.
So if anyone has any advice on how to handle this, I am all ears.
But the moments when we're playing and she's just giggling are priceless. I love those. I love watching her turn the pages of her books or open and close a box. And yes, on the rare occasion she reaches for me without whining I'm almost knocked over with love for her. I love getting things done around the house when she does finally take a nap. I love my new wardrobe of jeans, tennis shoes and tee-shirts. I love getting into a made bed every night. I love the simplicity of our new life.
Yesterday, I turned on the TV for a few moments. There's a new show coming on in March about millionaires who agree to spend some time pretending to be poor and looking for the unsung heroes of the world. One of these millionaires was on Oprah and I wanted to hear her story. She worked with a food bank/kitchen during her time. It's run by two 82 year old twin ladies. They started it 20 years ago. Now I'm not the best with math but that sounds to me like they were in their 60's when they decided to start a kitchen to feed the homeless and home bound in their neighborhood. So the first thing that struck me was that they started something in their retirement years. Most folks would be intimidated by doing it regardless much less not at a time when "we" (meaning our society) seem to feel we've earned the right to play and relax.
As these two ladies are telling their story, they said their father taught them three truths:
1. There is only one Father and that's our Heavenly Father, Christ Jesus.
2. There is only one race and that's the human race.
3. Never eat the last piece of bread because someone else is hungry and needs it more than you do.
As I'm watching this story, I'm also watching Aubrey Kate playing with her toys. She had just gotten up from her nap, had a clean diaper, a full tummy and was generally content pulling each toy out of her toy bag one at a time. She's healthy, happy and loved.
I looked around my house and thought how ridiculously luxurious it is. Compared to the rest of the world. Is it the biggest or the fanciest or have the most expensive furniture? Not even close. But it's warm and comfortable with clean running water, closets full of clothes and a kitchen stocked with lots of food.
And I just felt so overwhelmed with gratitude.
Here I am, a full-time mom to a precious little girl living in complete comfort.
I sat there watching those women on my TV and prayed that the Lord will use me. And that we will be able to teach our daughter such simple truths as the ones the sisters learned. I pray Aubrey Kate will live a life of humble gratitude and God will help us to teach her how to be a gracious giver.
And I probably slipped in there a word or twenty about the whining. Lord, grant me the wisdom and patience to correctly guide my daughter away from the whining without leaving her to feel abandoned and lonely.
Right now, I'm going to go a bust her out of her cell, I mean crib. She's been in there an hour and for the last 40 minutes she's been playing with the crib bumper, Stripes and her socks. But at least now I feel more prepared to deal with an entire afternoon of exhausted whining.
Why do babies fight sleep Lord? Honestly, why?
Seriously.
So this week has been kind of up and down for me. Pumpkin has been fussy and clingy. As long as I do exactly what she wants, which is to be no further than arm's distance from her at all times, she's relatively happy. Leaving me stuck between worrying about spoiling her by giving in to her whiny demands or possible long-term damage by moving away from her forcing her to feel abandoned and lonely.
Which my brain then takes to an extreme where she's 14 and looking to fill that void with promiscuous sex providing Chris and I with a grandchild way too early.
It's not that I don't want to play with her. Cause I do. And I'm not trying to do crazy stuff like cure cancer or write a novel. It's simple stuff. You know like brushing my teeth and going potty. Those moments leave me with the choice of holding her while I attempt to do those tasks or listening to her whine when I don't.
So if anyone has any advice on how to handle this, I am all ears.
But the moments when we're playing and she's just giggling are priceless. I love those. I love watching her turn the pages of her books or open and close a box. And yes, on the rare occasion she reaches for me without whining I'm almost knocked over with love for her. I love getting things done around the house when she does finally take a nap. I love my new wardrobe of jeans, tennis shoes and tee-shirts. I love getting into a made bed every night. I love the simplicity of our new life.
Yesterday, I turned on the TV for a few moments. There's a new show coming on in March about millionaires who agree to spend some time pretending to be poor and looking for the unsung heroes of the world. One of these millionaires was on Oprah and I wanted to hear her story. She worked with a food bank/kitchen during her time. It's run by two 82 year old twin ladies. They started it 20 years ago. Now I'm not the best with math but that sounds to me like they were in their 60's when they decided to start a kitchen to feed the homeless and home bound in their neighborhood. So the first thing that struck me was that they started something in their retirement years. Most folks would be intimidated by doing it regardless much less not at a time when "we" (meaning our society) seem to feel we've earned the right to play and relax.
As these two ladies are telling their story, they said their father taught them three truths:
1. There is only one Father and that's our Heavenly Father, Christ Jesus.
2. There is only one race and that's the human race.
3. Never eat the last piece of bread because someone else is hungry and needs it more than you do.
As I'm watching this story, I'm also watching Aubrey Kate playing with her toys. She had just gotten up from her nap, had a clean diaper, a full tummy and was generally content pulling each toy out of her toy bag one at a time. She's healthy, happy and loved.
I looked around my house and thought how ridiculously luxurious it is. Compared to the rest of the world. Is it the biggest or the fanciest or have the most expensive furniture? Not even close. But it's warm and comfortable with clean running water, closets full of clothes and a kitchen stocked with lots of food.
And I just felt so overwhelmed with gratitude.
Here I am, a full-time mom to a precious little girl living in complete comfort.
I sat there watching those women on my TV and prayed that the Lord will use me. And that we will be able to teach our daughter such simple truths as the ones the sisters learned. I pray Aubrey Kate will live a life of humble gratitude and God will help us to teach her how to be a gracious giver.
And I probably slipped in there a word or twenty about the whining. Lord, grant me the wisdom and patience to correctly guide my daughter away from the whining without leaving her to feel abandoned and lonely.
Right now, I'm going to go a bust her out of her cell, I mean crib. She's been in there an hour and for the last 40 minutes she's been playing with the crib bumper, Stripes and her socks. But at least now I feel more prepared to deal with an entire afternoon of exhausted whining.
Why do babies fight sleep Lord? Honestly, why?
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