Gratitude

I've always had the pleasure of enjoying very easy pregnancies. Aside from a few months of nausea that, while miserable at the time, become a bit of a blur once 20 weeks rolls around and the wonder of baby's first kicks make their impression, carrying a baby inside of me for 40 weeks has pretty much been the highlight of my life for the past seven years. So, it's always been kind of difficult for me to relate to women who don't enjoy actually being pregnant.

Well, here I am, thirty-five weeks along with a dislocated rib & a pulled muscle in my chest both as a result of coughing while sick with a cold a couple of weeks ago. My newfound state of compromised physical ability has certainly put things into perspective and humbled me to appreciate the littlest of things that I have otherwise been taken for granted.

This week my heart is singing praises of thanksgiving to God for:

• my sweet baby's health: hearing that precious heartbeat at my appointment with the midwife yesterday was like music to my ears...
• my little babe's position: with all the pain, inflammation & treatments going on so close to my uterus I was a little nervous that my little nugget might have tried to wiggle his way out of his head down position but my midwife confidently confirmed with her skilled hands that head is down...
• online grocery shopping: never before have I been in a dire enough of a situation to feel the need to do my grocery shopping online...
• my generous sister: sacrificing pretty much all of her non-working hours to take my boys to the pool, drive me to the chiropractor, take my boys to breakfast, pick up my groceries, cook dinner for my family, clean my home...
• my hardworking husband: in spite of all the drama going on at home, he's been traveling overnight for work, coaching our son's soccer team, and moving us into our new home...
• my big-hearted oldest: if there was only one positive outcome from this experience it would be the opportunity it has given me to recognize how eager my oldest son is to help...
• our pool: feels so good to get in the water...
• decreased pain: being in a state of acute, constant pain really makes you appreciate the moment your body finds any level of relief...

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Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; 

his love endures forever.

- Psalm 118

Snakes & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails

I am one of three girls. All the cousins that I grew up with are girls. All the friends that I grew up with (with one exception) are girls.

Like the March sisters in Little Women, boys were foreign to me. (We didn't even have a 'Teddy' for a neighbor! Our neighbors were two more girls!)

So, while I always hoped to have a large family with a few boys in the mix, I never pictured myself having all boys.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

(Of course, I'm still holding out hope that eventually God will bless me with a daughter but, for now I wouldn't trade my three boys for anything!)

The toy box in our living room is overflowing with tractors, fire trucks, and dump trucks. The toy bins in our front closet contain army guys, legos, and train tracks. At least every fifteen minutes someone is holding up the latest insect they've dug up.

We read about dinosaurs, insects, and construction vehicles before bed. We take two baths a day during the warmer temperatures because it is a rare occasion for us to come in from outside without being literally covered in dirt.

Now, I'm sure many little girls play with fire trucks and get dirty but I was not one of those girls. My sisters and I were (and still are) as girly as they come.

Since we always keep baby's gender a surprise, most people, based on the fact that I already had two boys, assumed I was hoping for a girl.

I can honestly say that I had no preference either way.

My little boys have taught me so much. I never knew how sweet little boys can be. I never imagined that my little boys would love their baby brother so much that they would want to nickname him 'So Cutie'. I never imagined my little boys wanting to have afternoon tea parties with me. I never knew how much little boys love to cuddle.I never knew how special the bond is between a mother and her son. And I never knew how humbling it is to realize that God has entrusted me with the role of raising these boys to be men who will serve Him first and foremost.

As special as it would be to have a daughter, I absolutely love being the mother to all boys and I'm not quite ready to give up my place as 'Only Girl of the House' just yet. ;)

Her Little Shadows

This evening I was standing at the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables for dinner with my 9 month pregnant belly getting in the way and my two little guys running circles around the kitchen table, bumping into my legs every second or third lap when the poem Her Little Shadows came to mind. 

My mom found this poem years ago in an old book entitled Dear Mother: Beautiful Writings of Praise, Love & Gratitude. She shared it with me when my oldest son first started crawling after I had told her how endearing it was that he liked to sit on my feet whenever I stood at the kitchen counter. 

Now that I have two little ones and another one on the way I feel like I need these little reminders to enjoy this phase of my life even more. Regardless of how exhausted or overwhelmed I may feel at certain moments throughout the day, on a whole, my boys are such a joy to me and, like the mother in this poem, I never want to lose sight of what a blessing it is to be a mother. My children truly are the sunshine in my life. 

Her Little Shadows

by Martha Wadsworth

I saw a young mother 

With eyes full of laughter, 

And two little shadows

Came following after. 

Wherever she moved, 

They were always right there - 

Holding on to her skirts, 

Hanging on to her chair, 

Before her, behind her - 

An adhesive pair. 

"Don't you ever get weary

As day after day

Your two little tagalongs

Get in your way?"

She smiled as she shook 

Her pretty young head, 

And I'll always remember 

The words that she said: 

"It's good to have shadows

That run when you run, 

That laugh when you're happy 

And hum when you hum - 

For you only have shadows

When your life's filled with sun!"

image source

{motherhood} The Snack Cup

Perhaps most of you seasoned mothers are already aware of this great little snack cup but for anyone who's not, I highly recommend it. Ever since he started walking, this cup has been my son's constant companion.

via

Even after he's finished eating his snack he loves to just play with it, putting toys and other little treasures he finds around the house into it and carrying them around. He also loves to play with it in the tub, filling it up with water and watching it pour back out.

We love it for longer car trips when snacks are necessary since, for the most part, it keeps the food contained without making too much of a mess. It's also great during our morning jogs and as a distraction at church.

You would not believe the excitement that elicits when the words, "Would you like your snack up?" are spoken in this house! I guess it goes without saying that he has inherited both his parents' love for food! :)

{motherhood} Salt Dough Crafts

My mom used to make salt dough ornaments with my sisters and me when we were little. We would roll the dough out and use angel, tree, and star shaped cookie cutters to create shapes. Then after they had baked and cooled, we would paint them. As much fun as it was, I remember thinking it was certainly a pity that we didn't just make sugar cookies instead since then we could actually eat the finished product instead of just hanging it on the tree! ;)

Now that my son's a toddler I thought it would be fun to make handprint ornaments for the grandmothers. I kept it really, really simple - no paint, no cookie cutters. Just dough, ribbon, and a cubby little handprint. 

Since I had some dough leftover, once he went down for his nap, I had some fun of my own and created little gift tags for each of my family members, personalized with their first initial. 

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{Salt Dough}

2 c. flour

1/2 c. salt

1 c. warm water

Mix flour and salt. Slow add water, stirring constantly. Once dough is too thick to stir, finish by kneading until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. (The longer the better.) Roll out onto a floured surface. 

To make handprint ornament: 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Use a glass or cookie cutter to create a circle. Have your child press their hand into the circle. (Try to keep them from curling their fingers into the dough.) Use a straw to poke a hole at the top for the ribbon. Use a toothpick to personalize and date. 

Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for about 2 hours or until hardened. Cool completely for several hours or overnight. 

String a ribbon through hole and tie. 

To make personalized gift tags.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Use a shot glass or small cookie cutter to create circles. Use a toothpick to create the recipient's first initial. Use a toothpick to make a hold at the top for the string.

Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 2 hours or until hardened. Cool completely for several hours or overnight.

Use a small sponge to lightly paint. Use a hot glue gun to add an embellishments such as ribbon, sequins, holly, or pine.

Tie a thin string through the hole.

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{Merry Christmas!}

{motherhood} Kitchen Sink Fun

It's been a pretty rainy week here so to keep my little guy occupied, I tried out this activity, (slightly modified to accommodate my son's age) from the blog No Time For Flash Cards, (a great resource for moms, by the way).

I filled up a basin of warm water, (for whatever reason I couldn't get my sink to clog) placed it in the sink, and had my son stank up in his highchair, (tray removed).

I gave him a slotted spoon and a mini strainer. I filled the basin with a few floating toys, a handful of dried beans, and an empty plastic container.

This kept him occupied for well over an hour! That's a long time for a toddler!

{motherhood} Safety Pin Trick

If you are a breastfeeding mom perhaps you too will benefit from this little trick my friend shared with me recently.

I nurse my son on one side at a time and often forget which side I nursed him on last. (I know, such a simple little thing but when you have a hungry, crying baby in your arms, the last thing you want to do is get all situated and start nursing on the wrong side!)

The other day, as my friend witnessed this minor crisis, she suggested that I attach a safety pin to the side of my bra that I am currently feeding my son on. Genius!

Now, I merely check where the safety pin is before each feeding to know where I left off!

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Do you have any nursing "tricks"?

Her Little Shadows

My mom recently found an old book called Dear Mother: Beautiful Writings of Praise, Love and Gratitude and read a poem to me that reminded her of my son & me. I have to share it because it's such a sweet reminder to mothers of young children.

Her Little Shadows

by Martha Wadsworth

I saw a young mother 

With eyes full of laughter, 

And two little shadows

Came following after. 

Wherever she moved, 

They were always right there - 

Holding on to her skirts, 

Hanging on to her chair, 

Before her, behind her - 

An adhesive pair. 

"Don't you ever get weary

As day after day

Your two little tagalongs

Get in your way?"

She smiled as she shook 

Her pretty young head, 

And I'll always remember 

The words that she said: 

"It's good to have shadows

That run when you run, 

That laugh when you're happy 

And hum when you hum - 

For you only have shadows

When your life's filled with sun!"

source

Now that my son is crawling, he literally follows me around the house. It's so endearing but every once in a while if I really need to get something done, it can get a little frustrating. In those moments I try to remember this sweet little poem and be grateful for this precious phase of my life. I know that one day, when he's all grown up, my heart will long to have him here again, following me around and sitting at my feet once more.

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If you're needing a little extra encouragement today, head on over to Rachel at Finding Joy and check out this beautiful, uplifting post for mothers of young children.

Thoughts on Postpartum Healing

A recent conversation with some fellow new moms as well as an email from a friend who gave birth just a few weeks ago, prompted me to write this post about the healing process that takes place after giving birth.

When it comes to child-bearing, I have found that the focus seems to be mostly on the discomforts of pregnancy and the pain of labor leaving little warning of how your body may feel afterwards.

I, being the mom to just one and for only eight months am by no means an expert! So, if you are a seasoned mother, please comment and enlighten us newbies with your wisdom!

Everyone's postpartum experience is, of course, different and I think that mine might have been a little more extreme than most. (I gave birth naturally, posterior, and almost four weeks early.) So if you are pregnant with your first or plan on having children in the future, I am not writing this to intimidate you. Hopefully your healing process will be much faster and easier! I just want to share these thoughts so that you will, hopefully, not be as in the dark as I was.

Childbirth is a truly miraculous and life-changing experience that's totally worth all the discomforts in the world -- I promise! :)

• Pack your hospital bag & keep it in your car a few weeks in advance just in case. I don't mean to be dramatic but, as I mentioned, I went into labor almost 4 weeks early during an overnight stay at my in-laws. Had I at least packed my silly little necessities I might have felt a tiny bit more in control of the situation than I really was.
• If you plan to breastfeed, make sure you have Lanolin & use it, even if you don't feel like you need it right away. I didn't and my nipples were bleeding before I even left the hospital. (My son was in the NICU for the first 48 hours so I was using a pump which probably made them worse.)
• Breastfeeding hurts. But it will get better so don't give up! Imagine how your lips feel in the winter when they're chapped to the point of bleeding -- that's how your nipples will feel but worse because they're not used to that kind of exposure. After about a week, your nipples will toughen & breastfeeding will, most likely, be an enriching, bonding experience for both you and baby. (And I've heard rumors that nursing subsequent children is even worse as it entails the added bonus of uterine contractions...!)
• After leaving the hospital, stay in your pajamas for at least a week. Of course shower and all but afterwards, put on a clean, comfy pair of p.j.'s so you'll be more likely to stay in bed and rest. (Since you're uterus will still be contracting to pre-pregnancy size, maternity leggings with a tummy panel like these are great too!) My Mother in Law told me this and it was one of the best pieces of advice I received. Once you're wearing real clothes you start thinking you're fine and the next thing you know you're picking up around the house, throwing a load of laundry in, and emptying the dishwasher when, really, you should be resting. 
• Ignore your catastrophe of a house and just take this time to cuddle with your baby. Enjoy the fact that they're perfectly happy just curled up on your chest while it lasts.
• You may feel like your insides are falling out. After about a week I was convinced that I had a prolapsed uterus because if I walked more than eight steps, it felt like all my reproductive organs were hanging out of me. It took at least two months before that feeling went away completely.
• After your six week recovery period, when you've been given the green light to start exercising again, just walking to the mailbox to check the mail may leave you feeling like you've run a half marathon. Be patient with yourself and give your body time to build up its endurance again. Take it slow when you feel out of breath and you'll get there. 
• Weather permitting, take some time to sit outside and get a little sunshine. After a day or two of being cooped up inside, you may start to feel a little claustrophobic. I know that I didn't feel up for much walking, but just getting out of doors did wonders for my mood.

• Statistics show that 60-80% of postpartum women experience 'The Baby Blues' to some degree. I did, pretty badly. So if you find yourself crying at the drop of a pin, know that it's a completely normal reaction to the drastic change in hormones that your body is experiencing and that you will feel like yourself again soon. For me it took a couple of weeks. 
• Get ready for that baby to touch places in your heart that you didn't even know existed. Motherhood is such an incredible blessing from God and one of the most important jobs in the world -- its fruits are eternal, after all!

Again, I hope these pointers are helpful and not discouraging. I'm sure that many women feel great postpartum. Maybe even better than they did during pregnancy. But my experience was just the opposite -- pregnancy was a breeze while recovery was a lot harder than I had ever imagined it would be. 

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What was your postpartum experience like? If you had a c-section, do you have any thoughts to add?