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Motherhood: Tips for Being a Great Mom
8 hours ago
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
delayed weaning
I have decided to delay the weaning process....Israel has not been feeling well the past couple of days and he has been teething...poor lil guy has been using his fists to soothe the teething pains. He has been nursing a lot better and it seems to comfort him so I don't want to add another thing to the mix of changes. Also, I have been a little sentimental about it....not like crying or anything but just not feeling ready for this to end quite yet. There is some pressure from some family members that feel he is too old to be nursing and aren't afraid to say so. Sometimes, I am tempted to lie when they ask, "Is he still nursing?".....but I know that wouldn't be right. So we will see, I will be praying about what I should do:)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
11 months old
Israel is 11 months old today and it is an absolutely gorgeous day outside! Well this time last year I was anxiously awaiting his arrival and had no idea what a blessing he would be to our lives!
Some things Israel is doing now........
says in his own way.....bye bye, ball, mama, dada, dog, night night, and he tries to say book and bath but they sound a lot like how he says ball.
he likes to bark like a dog, to push chairs around so he can walk, to be outside, to look out windows and doors, to eat, to throw balls, to pick grass and flowers, to eat rocks (well, he tries to but I don't let him for obvious reasons), to cuddle his blankie and lamb, to drink from his sippy cup, to nap and sleep, to dump the nasty drooly dog water out of the dog bowl
he is very ticklish, he likes to have his space....not much of a cuddler unless it is the occasional random hug initiated by himself, he is very independent and knows what he wants and doesn't want :) he is trying to learn how to walk....just waiting until he takes those first couple of steps.
he has been a very easy baby.....slept through the night starting at 2 weeks old.....good napper.....good eater.....and just a happy baby.....hoping any future baby or babies will be as easy as him.
For the past couple of days I have been thinking about weaning him from the breast.....it makes me sad. On his end, I know he is not attached to it and I am pretty sure he will be easy to wean. He is to the point where he moves around so much that it gets a little frustrating to nurse him....I have been nursing him in the bed because anywhere else and he gets distracted by his toys. With him being so active I don't have to worry about him falling asleep while nursing.....instead he likes to do what I call "acrobatic nursing"....standing on his head and wiggling every which way.....it is driving me nuts so it is helping me be not so sentimental about weaning him but it is still hard. I haven't started yet but I think I will start in the next couple of weeks dropping one feeding per week.....His morning feeding will be the last to go because it is the one he enjoys the most and I may even keep it for awhile depending on how I feel. I have been giving him a sippy cup with water and he has gotten quite good at it....I have also already given him cow's milk and he loves that.....I will be replacing each feeding with a sippy cup of whole milk. We'll see how it goes.....my goal was to breastfeed until he was 12 months so time is almost up...who knows we may be done a little before his first birthday!
Some things Israel is doing now........
says in his own way.....bye bye, ball, mama, dada, dog, night night, and he tries to say book and bath but they sound a lot like how he says ball.
he likes to bark like a dog, to push chairs around so he can walk, to be outside, to look out windows and doors, to eat, to throw balls, to pick grass and flowers, to eat rocks (well, he tries to but I don't let him for obvious reasons), to cuddle his blankie and lamb, to drink from his sippy cup, to nap and sleep, to dump the nasty drooly dog water out of the dog bowl
he is very ticklish, he likes to have his space....not much of a cuddler unless it is the occasional random hug initiated by himself, he is very independent and knows what he wants and doesn't want :) he is trying to learn how to walk....just waiting until he takes those first couple of steps.
he has been a very easy baby.....slept through the night starting at 2 weeks old.....good napper.....good eater.....and just a happy baby.....hoping any future baby or babies will be as easy as him.
For the past couple of days I have been thinking about weaning him from the breast.....it makes me sad. On his end, I know he is not attached to it and I am pretty sure he will be easy to wean. He is to the point where he moves around so much that it gets a little frustrating to nurse him....I have been nursing him in the bed because anywhere else and he gets distracted by his toys. With him being so active I don't have to worry about him falling asleep while nursing.....instead he likes to do what I call "acrobatic nursing"....standing on his head and wiggling every which way.....it is driving me nuts so it is helping me be not so sentimental about weaning him but it is still hard. I haven't started yet but I think I will start in the next couple of weeks dropping one feeding per week.....His morning feeding will be the last to go because it is the one he enjoys the most and I may even keep it for awhile depending on how I feel. I have been giving him a sippy cup with water and he has gotten quite good at it....I have also already given him cow's milk and he loves that.....I will be replacing each feeding with a sippy cup of whole milk. We'll see how it goes.....my goal was to breastfeed until he was 12 months so time is almost up...who knows we may be done a little before his first birthday!
Monday, May 3, 2010
focusing and reading......
Israel likes to explore, probably the same with any child his age and trying to learn to walk.....but I want to teach him to be able to focus so I have him play in his playard around 30 minutes between each nap. He plays with his toys soooo much better in there...I set the timer and he knows that when it goes off it is time to get out. He is able to focus and not become distracted with the world around him:) He is able to learn better because he plays with an individual toy instead of going from one thing to the next.
Today I was thinking about when I read to him he will usually only sit on my lap and focus for one or two pages and then he wants to get down and explore or do the book himself, flipping through the pages. Soooo, I removed all the toys from his playard and got in the playard with him and we began to read....I read three whole books to him until he was ready to be done. He even pointed to a ball on the page and said "Bah" which is a first....YAY! I only brought in one book at a time because I knew he would want to play with the other books while I read instead of focusing.
I am happy with the results and plan to do this from now on....right now he just needs that option of exploration taken away until he learns to focus better:)
Today I was thinking about when I read to him he will usually only sit on my lap and focus for one or two pages and then he wants to get down and explore or do the book himself, flipping through the pages. Soooo, I removed all the toys from his playard and got in the playard with him and we began to read....I read three whole books to him until he was ready to be done. He even pointed to a ball on the page and said "Bah" which is a first....YAY! I only brought in one book at a time because I knew he would want to play with the other books while I read instead of focusing.
I am happy with the results and plan to do this from now on....right now he just needs that option of exploration taken away until he learns to focus better:)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
6 years ago......
6 years ago today the course of my life was drastically changed......6 years ago today I was heartbroken, horrified, terrified, shattered, scared, lost, at a loss for words......the words to describe the emotions go on and on. 6 years ago today I lost the man I was going to marry and spend my life with. He died suddenly with no real explanation approximately 6 weeks from the day we were to be married. We were going to open a joint checking account the next weekend and the following was my wedding shower, the wedding invitations were stamped and ready to be sent. The plans were in order and we were ready to start our lives together.......but God had a different plan.
God's plan was that Bryan's time on this earth was up....i guess we will never know the reason until we see Jesus in heaven. As hard as it was to accept, His plan was not for us to spend our lives together as husband and wife. I remember feeling so out of control, the shocking reality that at any moment the rug could be pulled out from under me and MY plans terrified me. Almost instantly, I knew I had to go to the One who knows all....the One who has created all....in order to find peace and rest. He is the One who holds this world in His hands and I knew He would hold me and He did and He still does! I find peace in knowing that even though I don't know what tomorrow holds.....God does.....and He will give me the strength to get through whatever crosses my path.
I also realized that the reason I am here on this earth is NOT to fulfill MY plans but to seek Jesus and to fulfill His plans for my life. He is the One who created me, He knows all and sees all so why would I look within myself to see what path to take. Since I was created and because I know nothing but what I can see in front of me, why then would I try to do things on my own? Shouldn't we be seeking Jesus, God, for guidance and for help?
He loves us so much and He wants a relationship with us. I am so thankful for the relationship I have with Him.....I remember talking with one of the ladies at Bryan's church after he passed away and telling her that I was trying to remember the scripture "all things work together for good".......and she said, yes but remember it says "And we know that all things work together for good to those WHO LOVE GOD, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) She emphasized that this scripture is directed only to those who love God....this really spoke to my heart. I think so many people quote this scripture but they don't ever see the power in it....they don't ever see it lived out in their lives because they aren't truly loving God.
Don't get me wrong I am not saying that what happened was good or that Bryan's death was good but I am saying that I called out to the Lord, He carried me through the darkest hour of my life, I fell deeply in love with Him and His word......and He has brought good in my life......He has given me peace in trials, hope in heaven, forgiveness from my sins, joy in Him, and love unexplainable! And He is slowly changing me and molding me into His image although I have a long way to go. AND I believe Bryan is in heaven singing with the angels.....joy unspeakable......even though he is deeply missed by friends and family.....he would not want to leave the presence of our Father.....I find comfort in that!
I will end with Isaiah 61:1-3 one of my favorite scriptures "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has annointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." In my Bible commentary it says Jesus took these verses as His text when He preached in Nazareth (Luke 4:16) and announced that He was ushering in the Year of Jubilee (Lev 25). It is a time of releasing the slaves, canceling debts, and making a new beginning. Today, those who trust Christ begin to enjoy their Jubilee; those who reject Him face judgment.
When I read these verses I feel my heart leaping in my chest and I imagine myself pumping my fists saying YES YES YES.....like I was at a Colts superbowl game watching the running back run across the field and into the end zone for the game winning touchdown.....lol....you get the idea! There truly is hope in Christ!
God's plan was that Bryan's time on this earth was up....i guess we will never know the reason until we see Jesus in heaven. As hard as it was to accept, His plan was not for us to spend our lives together as husband and wife. I remember feeling so out of control, the shocking reality that at any moment the rug could be pulled out from under me and MY plans terrified me. Almost instantly, I knew I had to go to the One who knows all....the One who has created all....in order to find peace and rest. He is the One who holds this world in His hands and I knew He would hold me and He did and He still does! I find peace in knowing that even though I don't know what tomorrow holds.....God does.....and He will give me the strength to get through whatever crosses my path.
I also realized that the reason I am here on this earth is NOT to fulfill MY plans but to seek Jesus and to fulfill His plans for my life. He is the One who created me, He knows all and sees all so why would I look within myself to see what path to take. Since I was created and because I know nothing but what I can see in front of me, why then would I try to do things on my own? Shouldn't we be seeking Jesus, God, for guidance and for help?
He loves us so much and He wants a relationship with us. I am so thankful for the relationship I have with Him.....I remember talking with one of the ladies at Bryan's church after he passed away and telling her that I was trying to remember the scripture "all things work together for good".......and she said, yes but remember it says "And we know that all things work together for good to those WHO LOVE GOD, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) She emphasized that this scripture is directed only to those who love God....this really spoke to my heart. I think so many people quote this scripture but they don't ever see the power in it....they don't ever see it lived out in their lives because they aren't truly loving God.
Don't get me wrong I am not saying that what happened was good or that Bryan's death was good but I am saying that I called out to the Lord, He carried me through the darkest hour of my life, I fell deeply in love with Him and His word......and He has brought good in my life......He has given me peace in trials, hope in heaven, forgiveness from my sins, joy in Him, and love unexplainable! And He is slowly changing me and molding me into His image although I have a long way to go. AND I believe Bryan is in heaven singing with the angels.....joy unspeakable......even though he is deeply missed by friends and family.....he would not want to leave the presence of our Father.....I find comfort in that!
I will end with Isaiah 61:1-3 one of my favorite scriptures "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has annointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." In my Bible commentary it says Jesus took these verses as His text when He preached in Nazareth (Luke 4:16) and announced that He was ushering in the Year of Jubilee (Lev 25). It is a time of releasing the slaves, canceling debts, and making a new beginning. Today, those who trust Christ begin to enjoy their Jubilee; those who reject Him face judgment.
When I read these verses I feel my heart leaping in my chest and I imagine myself pumping my fists saying YES YES YES.....like I was at a Colts superbowl game watching the running back run across the field and into the end zone for the game winning touchdown.....lol....you get the idea! There truly is hope in Christ!
Monday, April 26, 2010
signing more
Today at lunch I was feeding Israel chicken nuggets and I am pretty sure he was signing "more". I just recently started signing "more" and "all done" to him so I feel encouraged to teach him a few more signs. He likes to communicate and he is very good about "talking/babbling" and reaching toward something to communicate what he wants instead of whining or crying. Before I had kids, I thought teaching kids to sign was silly but I see the value in them being able to communicate their needs/wants before they can say a lot of words. When I sign to him I always say the word along with the sign so he can learn the word too.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
schedule
This is the schedule I try to follow with Israel, I don't follow it to a "T" but you get the idea! He has recently changed his schedule since he has been getting up at 7 instead of 8!
7:00-wake, nurse, solids
7:45-8:00-blanket time
8:00-8:30-playpen time
8:30-9:00-mommy play
9:00-11:00-naptime
11:00-wake, nurse, solids
11:45-12:15-playpen time
12:15-1:00-free play, errands, or outside play
1:00-3:00-naptime
3:00-wake, nurse
3:30-bath (every other day), free play, outside play, errands, etc.
5:00-solids and dinner prep while Israel is in highchair
mommy play, free play
Daddy play sometime after dinner
8:00-bedtime
7:00-wake, nurse, solids
7:45-8:00-blanket time
8:00-8:30-playpen time
8:30-9:00-mommy play
9:00-11:00-naptime
11:00-wake, nurse, solids
11:45-12:15-playpen time
12:15-1:00-free play, errands, or outside play
1:00-3:00-naptime
3:00-wake, nurse
3:30-bath (every other day), free play, outside play, errands, etc.
5:00-solids and dinner prep while Israel is in highchair
mommy play, free play
Daddy play sometime after dinner
8:00-bedtime
Monday, April 19, 2010
10 months
Israel turned 10 months old on the 6th! Only 7 weeks until he turns 1 year old. What a big boy. He has developed such a personality in the last month or so. He just started putting his hand to his ear to talk on a pretend cell phone.....haha. If I say "where is Israel?", he will cover his face with his hands and then take them off...then I say "there he is!" It is so cute! I am realizing that he understands a lot of what I am saying. He bear crawls pretty much everywhere now instead of the standard hands and knees crawl....everyone thinks it is pretty funny. He has started to let go of furniture while standing and will cruise from one piece of furniture to the next. He loves to play ball and even has his own golf clubs that he likes to use to hit balls around the house with. He likes to roar at people because daddy and I do this when we chase him around the house on all fours...LOL! One day at Wal-Mart he was ROARING at the people that walked by him....it was hilarious! He also talks a lot in his baby jibberish....I love it! He is such a blessing. I was thinking and sometimes I am concerned I might love him too much....I know that sounds wierd but I do love him like crazy. I guess I just want to make sure I love him in a healthy way not too smothery or obsessed...but this week I had two people tell me out of the blue....without me mentioning my thoughts that our love for our children is a reflection of how our heavenly Father loves us! I believe these people were used by the Lord to speak into my life about how much Jesus loves me....it really did blow me away when I related it to the way I think about my son and the thoughts I have toward him.....It is crazy to think that He loves me like that and MUCH more! Thank You Jesus for Your love....I would be so lost without You:)
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