Life with a 4 month old

For the purpose of someday looking back and remembering what my days looked like...

Reese got up at 2 a.m last night, ate a small bit, and {only} cried til 2:45. This is actually a small victory.

She was fussy this morning so we took a blanket out front to enjoy the cool Fall morning on the lawn. I was feeling generous so I allowed Penny to come too, unleashed. A few seconds after we got settled, I looked over just in time to see Penny ROLLING in POOP.

Speaking of- I got pooped on this afternoon. Sometimes it happens if Reese is sitting a certain way in my lap.

Our latest solution to Reese's nightly fussiness is going on a LONG walk right up until bedtime. She usually goes down around 7, so we typically leave for the walk at 6.  She loves it and it does all of us good to get out of the house together. Not sure what we are going to do come winter- just bundle up I guess!

It is so sad to pack away Reese's 3 mo. clothes- but equally exciting to get out all the cute 6 mo. outfits she received or that I bought back in Dallas at Salvation Army before she was born.

Baking has become my stress-reliever. The first 2 months after Reese was born I gave up sugar, but the last month I have gone crazy - chocolate chip, and lemon sugar cookies... Muffins and yellow cakes and apple dumplings. Puppy chow and cinnamon rolls. Just to name a few of my delectable indulgences.

I think I can...

It's time to put on my big-girl panties. I know, I know- that phrase is tacky and over-used but today I am embracing it.

Sometimes I am my own worst enemy. I am just now realizing how true this has been in recent weeks in regards to my parenting. And how it will probably be a life-long battle, as long as I am a mother.

Since the day I found out I was pregnant with Reese I have been a sponge, soaking up any and all information on all things baby related. Really, most moms are like this and I am not alone. We try to be informed and make wise decisions. The blessing and curse of my generation is our easy access to the internet- loads of material on every topic have entered my mind and been filed away.

This is where things can turn sour. When these opinions and suggestions and theories become more important than what I know as Reese's mom to be true. Why on earth should I buy what someone else is selling? Has God not equipped me with instincts and discernment? Should I feel guilty because we do things differently? 

I DO welcome advice, and I seek it often. But I must stop comparing. I must stop second guessing myself in EVERY situation and just accept the fact that I will make mistakes but it will be okay because I will learn from them!

Advice is only helpful when it applies to your situation, to your child. It is up to me to recognize when certain things just arent going to work for us even if it worked for someone else. These differences are ok!

It is my honor to raise and care for Reese and it is my responsibility to nurture her specific needs as only I can. Her dad and I together.

I Never Thought....

That I would be one of those moms who had anxiety about leaving her child in the nursery.

That I would enjoy rocking with my little one in the glider for hours on end.

That I would feel so fiercely about protecting her morning nap times.

That I would still be breastfeeding.

That I would be so sad to move my daughter to her own room at nighttime.

That I would feel so attuned to her needs, often sensing them before she expresses them.


I will admit that I was quick to judge others forms of parenting. Since having Reese I have eaten my words many times. I have had to let go of my pride. I am not as tough as I thought I would be. I am not as productive as I wish I were. I am constantly analyzing my choices, because they will have a lasting, even eternal impact in the precious life of my daughter. Michelle Obama said something in her speech last night that I think applies to many of us in whatever stage we are in (quote changed to illustrate my point) along these lines- "Being a mom does not change who you are, no it reveals who you are."

Oh how I love that little girl!