if emerald could talk i think she would tell me her favorite song is "amazing grace", sung by mommy.
if emerald could talk i think she would tell me she loves to sleep with me.
if emerald could talk i think she would tell daddy he's just the best!
if emerald could talk i think she would tell me she doesn't want to take a nap!
if emerald could talk i think she would say, "i really wanna nurse! milk!!" (that one was courtesy of matthias).
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
manual labor
this is just a post to say how much i appreciate those who do manual labor.
for some reason my heart is always tugged when i see a janitor, construction worker, builder, or any other person doing manual labor. maybe because i think many people look down on them because they aren't behind a desk or something. but i truly admire them. to clock in day after day, sweat, work really hard, come home, then do it again the next day is amazing. they are not ones to be looked down upon!
my husband is one of those men. he builds high density shelving. (i didn't know what it was either). he works 10-12 hour days and doesn't ever complain! he comes home sweaty, dirty, and tired. i truly admire my diligent, hardworking, handsome husband! his dad owns a sawmill and i think that's where he gets his great work ethic from.
so the next time you see someone at the mall sweeping up trash, or a sweaty road worker...pray for them and their family, instead of just walking right by them. i'll do the same!
for some reason my heart is always tugged when i see a janitor, construction worker, builder, or any other person doing manual labor. maybe because i think many people look down on them because they aren't behind a desk or something. but i truly admire them. to clock in day after day, sweat, work really hard, come home, then do it again the next day is amazing. they are not ones to be looked down upon!
my husband is one of those men. he builds high density shelving. (i didn't know what it was either). he works 10-12 hour days and doesn't ever complain! he comes home sweaty, dirty, and tired. i truly admire my diligent, hardworking, handsome husband! his dad owns a sawmill and i think that's where he gets his great work ethic from.
so the next time you see someone at the mall sweeping up trash, or a sweaty road worker...pray for them and their family, instead of just walking right by them. i'll do the same!
 | ||
| My hardworking husband--hard at work lovin on his baby--sporting his Amish beard at Christmas. |
| PS-I REALIZE MY SITE LOOKS CRAZY I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT LOOK NICE. heh |
Monday, February 21, 2011
thoughts on mother/baby separation
since becoming a mom i have thought about what is good and natural regarding being away from baby and what is not.
i babysat so much before having children. overnight, for many hours at a time. i really enjoyed it--especially when i got to watch an infant. there's just something about babies that's so amazing.
it wasn't until i had Emerald that i began thinking about what is, i think, good and healthy and natural in regards to being away from your infant. i am a very logical person so here is how my train of thought goes:
God intended for us to nurture and feed our babies via our breasts (doesn't always work out, i know). when i breastfeed, i am holding emerald snugly against my chest, (usually) looking her in the eye, connecting with her. baby and momma. momma and baby. it's not just a duty, it's an experience. i breastfeed a lot. we really have no set schedule and i usually never refuse if it seems like emerald wants to nurse. nursing is stress relieving for both of us. i know it is very important for emerald. if she is fussy or upset, a quick nurse can make her happy-go-lucky again. in the first few months after her birth she nursed hours on end at times. it was so soothing to her. i was her pacifier!
because of this i never felt right about being out of her presence for very long at the time. it wasn't until she was about 7 months old that we went on a date without her (in between feedings for about 2 hours)! funny i know, but don't judge us for it. we (i) felt convicted about that. maybe God didn't intend for me to be away from her for very long at the time? since i didn't want to use a bottle or pacifier and i wanted to meet those needs for her, i then could/can only be away from her for 2-3 hours at the time. i have come to terms with that and it doesn't bother me at all. actually, i love it! i need an hour or two of alone time every few weeks to recharge and matthias and i have to be intentional about our alone time, but it feels good to (almost) always be with emerald.
so maybe i am supposed to be with emerald all the time? maybe that is the healthiest thing for her and for me? one thing for sure is that i am very thankful to be able to stay home with her!
(this is not to say i am not thankful for bottles, pacifiers, and the like. i thank God for those things too! a feeding for a bottle fed baby can be very intimate and bonding with mommy too!)
just some thoughts.
in other news, emerald is trying to say dada.enjoy the video!
i babysat so much before having children. overnight, for many hours at a time. i really enjoyed it--especially when i got to watch an infant. there's just something about babies that's so amazing.
it wasn't until i had Emerald that i began thinking about what is, i think, good and healthy and natural in regards to being away from your infant. i am a very logical person so here is how my train of thought goes:
God intended for us to nurture and feed our babies via our breasts (doesn't always work out, i know). when i breastfeed, i am holding emerald snugly against my chest, (usually) looking her in the eye, connecting with her. baby and momma. momma and baby. it's not just a duty, it's an experience. i breastfeed a lot. we really have no set schedule and i usually never refuse if it seems like emerald wants to nurse. nursing is stress relieving for both of us. i know it is very important for emerald. if she is fussy or upset, a quick nurse can make her happy-go-lucky again. in the first few months after her birth she nursed hours on end at times. it was so soothing to her. i was her pacifier!
because of this i never felt right about being out of her presence for very long at the time. it wasn't until she was about 7 months old that we went on a date without her (in between feedings for about 2 hours)! funny i know, but don't judge us for it. we (i) felt convicted about that. maybe God didn't intend for me to be away from her for very long at the time? since i didn't want to use a bottle or pacifier and i wanted to meet those needs for her, i then could/can only be away from her for 2-3 hours at the time. i have come to terms with that and it doesn't bother me at all. actually, i love it! i need an hour or two of alone time every few weeks to recharge and matthias and i have to be intentional about our alone time, but it feels good to (almost) always be with emerald.
so maybe i am supposed to be with emerald all the time? maybe that is the healthiest thing for her and for me? one thing for sure is that i am very thankful to be able to stay home with her!
(this is not to say i am not thankful for bottles, pacifiers, and the like. i thank God for those things too! a feeding for a bottle fed baby can be very intimate and bonding with mommy too!)
just some thoughts.
in other news, emerald is trying to say dada.enjoy the video!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
walking
my beautiful little emerald took her first step yesterday! a bit early @ 9.5 months, but not as early as her dad at 7.5 months. excited for this next phase. time really flies. savor every moment. it's too sweet not to! pictures soon.
Friday, February 4, 2011
one thing i loved about having my baby at home: privacy
i am a very outgoing and extroverted person, but one thing i loved about having a home birth was privacy. my midwives really respected me and my space. i labored with just matthias most of the time with them checking on me every now and then. i was only "checked" twice. once at about 6 or 8 centimeters and again at 10. i had been sitting in the shower on the exercise ball for hours...right through transition i guess. the hot shower was my epidural!
when it was time to push, both midwives were there and made suggestions, but never were screaming push or do this or do that. i pushed standing up for a while and emerald crowned, but got pretty tired and laid on the bed on my side while matthias held my leg up and that's how emerald came out! the midwife simply "caught" her and laid her on my chest. i still remember that feeling. probably the most amazing feeling in the world. having my naked baby laid on my bare chest...oh the emotions. i then asked if it was a girl or a boy and they told me to see so i reached down to feel (lol) and i think matthias said it was a girl. WOOOOOOWW....i had no clue! we had planned to call her Lucy if she was a girl but i said...i just can't call her lucy!
the midwives suggested we take pictures (woops) and we did. since i had been in the shower, i was completely naked, so those pictures aren't really public. lol.
my midwives just let my brand new baby lay on me...didn't try to wash her or anything like that, just let us be for a while. loved that. no machines, monitors, IVs. just us in our home.
when it was time to push, both midwives were there and made suggestions, but never were screaming push or do this or do that. i pushed standing up for a while and emerald crowned, but got pretty tired and laid on the bed on my side while matthias held my leg up and that's how emerald came out! the midwife simply "caught" her and laid her on my chest. i still remember that feeling. probably the most amazing feeling in the world. having my naked baby laid on my bare chest...oh the emotions. i then asked if it was a girl or a boy and they told me to see so i reached down to feel (lol) and i think matthias said it was a girl. WOOOOOOWW....i had no clue! we had planned to call her Lucy if she was a girl but i said...i just can't call her lucy!
the midwives suggested we take pictures (woops) and we did. since i had been in the shower, i was completely naked, so those pictures aren't really public. lol.
my midwives just let my brand new baby lay on me...didn't try to wash her or anything like that, just let us be for a while. loved that. no machines, monitors, IVs. just us in our home.
nursing feet
So the other night as we were sleeping Emerald sat up and started fussing a bit wanting to nurse so pulled her to my other side to nurse her. At this point I was definitely still half asleep because as I tried to nurse her...I realize I had got her turned around and was trying to nurse her feet...lol. I though... aw poor Emerald and turned her around to nurse her the right way. Funny funny.
I want to make a Valentine's Day scrapbook...does anyone have any easy but cool ideas on how to do this? PLEASE SHARE!!!!
I want to make a Valentine's Day scrapbook...does anyone have any easy but cool ideas on how to do this? PLEASE SHARE!!!!
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