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Things My Daughter is Teaching Me

During her nursing strike a few months ago, "Annabella, you're clearly hungry! You're sucking on everything but me! Why won't you eat?"

"Barbi, your soul is clearly starving. You're trying to fill yourself with everything but Me. Why won't you come to Me just for a moment and take in My word?"

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.

(John 6:35)

"Annabella, you're SO tired! Why are you fighting going to sleep? Just sleep baby girl!"

"Barbi, you're so tired. Please, come to Me and rest."

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

(Matthew 11:28-30)

"Sweetheart, just because you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not right here. Mommy will never abandon you!"

God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

(Hebrews 13: 5b)

"Oh Bella! What do you want? You're fed, you just woke up, you're changed, Mama's holding you. What more do you want?"

Cease striving and know that I am God.

(Psalm 46:10)

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

(1 Timothy 6:7)

Oh Jesus, help me learn to let You love me like You want to so that I in turn can love Annabella and Nathan like You so love me. I know I'll never have the patience and the kindness and the love I need if I don't let You first love and take care of me. Thank You for Your patience with me. I'm ever so stubborn! But then again, You already knew that. :-)

Bella and I are more alike than I ever realized.

Bedsharing Nearly Eliminates the Risk of SIDS

Up until now, I haven't blogged about the different types of parenting methods Nathan and I feel passionately about, as I haven't wanted to offend anyone. I still don't, and understand that every mom is different, and every family is different. That being said, the more I research about the different ways of doing things and the more I learn about all the things we're doing, the more confident and passionate I feel about what we're doing. I often wonder if more people wouldn't try some of the things we're doing/discovering if they were more popular or well-known. So, I figured I would share. :-) If you know me, you know that if I feel passionately about something, I just have to share... so here goes with the first one. :-)

Annabella has slept in our bed since the day she was born. She's been safe, and has practically slept through the night since she was little! The first week she had some day/night confusion :-), but once that got figured out, she's slept so well! She does most of her eating at night, but she does it in her sleep and doesn't wake up for it, and I barely do. What this article says about the instinctual position of the breastfeeding mother is SO true! That is exactly how I sleep. She's super cozy!

If I had to pick the single best decision I've made thus far as a mother, it would have to be my decision to breastfeed. I feel as though I could write a book about it and so wish more mothers chose to do it, especially the ones that can or could with minimal effort. So, rather than writing a book, I'll try to post a few things about it here and there. There is so much I could write though, our blog might just become a breastfeeding support blog! :-)

One final thought on this article, this is only one of many I've found about the safety and benefits of bedsharing (but NOT in "mainstream" places); and in fact, one article I read said that the statistical presence of SIDS in Asian countries where bedsharing is the norm shows that SIDS is practically non-existent! And in countries where co-sleeping is the norm it's statistical presence is extremely high.

The AAP recommends that babies be placed to sleep on their backs with a pacifier in their mouths to help prevent SIDS. I so can't help but wonder if that recommendation was taken from observing the benefits of babies who bedshare and nurse frequently in their sleep. Oh how I wish American culture could be more open to the natural way of things instead of always wanting to force the artificial on us and especially our littlest ones.