Perspective

Sometimes...actually most of the time...I place too much importance on unimportant things. I've noticed I do it a lot with parenting. I've read books and blogs and articles about the best parenting methods because I don't want to screw this up. Really, though, it's all confusing and kinda makes my brain hurt. Feed your kid solids at four months...no wait, six months. Let your kid cry so she will learn to fall asleep on her own...or don't because she will think you hate her and will grow up to never want hugs. Swaddle...stop swaddling. It's okay to hold her while she sleeps...or is it? There is an opinion about everything and an opposing opinion to go with it. And the end of every article/book/podcast sounds the same..."If you want your child to become an independent, happy person follow these 500 easy steps." The implications of not? A lazy, dependent kid who isn't a productive human, lives in the basement and leaves dirty socks all over. 

And then there are days when I realize how stupid all those opinions are. Either way, nursing or formula, this kid is going to grow. I'm making this parenting thing too hard. She will eventually eat solid food and someday her weight will probably jump out of the first percentile. Life is full of moments to be enjoyed. When I'm faced with the idea of mortality, all the opinions and books and articles and all that information fades away. We have today, maybe tomorrow, possibly the day after that. If something happened, would I regret rushing her growth? Would I wish I had held her for a nap or two instead of putting her down like all the books say? I don't want to live in a way that focuses on death but I wish I would live a life that focuses on life, on living it and enjoying all the moments. I sometimes feel like every decision I make has a long term impact. When I stack all the decisions up they probably do but mostly the long term impact, the way she grows up to view the world, the human she eventually becomes, is built when she watches me. Formula...eh, whatever. Mismatched clothes...sure, that's fine. Because, honestly, she will never be 142 days old again. So...I should hug her lots, hold her when she naps and let her suck on her toes even though it is kinda weird. Because those things are lasting, those things matter. 

 

 

Happy Father's Day!!!

Here's hoping your Father's Day was fantastic!!

And a shout out to all the Grandpas and Papas too. 

This Old House

With only a couple days left in this house, the nostalgia is starting to set in. I haven't really thought much about it so far. I knew buying a house meant we would be moving but I hadn't really considered that it also meant we wouldn't live here anymore.

We've made so many memories in this house and I'm glad the memories will stick even when we move. I've spent way too much time complaining that this house is too small or the street is too busy or the neighbors always blow their grass in the street. Here are some things I will miss...

1. Walking to the grocery store. Does it count as exercise when you walk to the store to buy donuts?

2. Being so close to everything...especially restaurants and Target. 

3. The big trees and our shady yard. I always pictured Lily playing kickball or learning to do cartwheels in our backyard. Actually, I can't do a cartwheel so maybe she should learn in someone else's backyard...close to a hospital.

4.  The five minute drive to church.  Why are Sunday mornings always hectic?  Clothes are set out the night before, everything is ready for a smooth morning but something weird always happens.

There are so many other things I will miss, things I probably won't even realize until I miss them. I know it was the right time to sell and move on but this old house has been great and special and will forever be our first house.

Change...eh...I'm not always so good with it. I'll work on that in the next house. 

Brace Free Smiles

This is the face of a little chica who loves her brace free time!!

 

Never Wake A Sleeping Baby...

Never wake a sleeping baby.  Take pictures of them...because their faces are awesome.

 

Tummy Time

 Before Lily, I didn't understand the big deal with tummy time.  Parents would talk about how it was a terrible but necessary part of their daily routine.  Why would a baby hate it so much?  If you do it enough, don't they eventually give up and start liking it?  And if you don't do it, does it really matter?  Are the parenting police going to hunt you down?

 

Turns out babies aren't born with super human arm strength (at least most babies aren't) so they have to spend time on their tummies to bulk up.  Eventually this helps them learn to crawl and then walk and then run and then go to prom and then learn to drive and then go to college. 

 

Side note...I think we're going to stop doing tummy time.