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!
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