worshiper, wonderer, writer – seeking to encourage faithfulness in Christian women
I hope from time to time to be able to share some thoughts directly from some friends and other mothers. This is one of those occasions. Emily is a dear friend who encouraged me during those first difficult weeks of breastfeeding. Pictured below is Emily, her husband Ky, and their son Jackson. This photograph was …
Continue reading "Postpartum Thoughts: A Friend’s Input on Breastfeeding"
"Isn't it sweet?" My Mom poised this question to me as I nursed my newborn. Although I nodded my head and replied with a weak "yes," I felt quite the contrary to my response. Sweet was not the word I quite had in mind. Painful? Ouch! Difficult? Yes! Exhausting? Terribly! With this post I simply …
Continue reading "Postpartum Thoughts: What I wish I’d paid attention to concerning breastfeeding"
Whose life is this? I have no independence. When is there time to exercise or drink a cup of coffee or even finish a bowl of cereal? I might as well not even wear a shirt since this kid wants to nurse so often. My schedule suddenly revolves around naps and feedings. And I thought …
Baby blues. I heard the term multiple times while pregnant. I won't struggle with that, I arrogantly thought. That just isn't my personality. Then I had a baby after 33 hours of labor. And that baby was rushed back to the hospital following a choking spell. Emotions? What do you think? There are endless variations as …
Okay, Moms - pay attention: This is my list of what I've learned to be essentials and nonessentials for my family (or at least for kid number one!). I'm not claiming that this will work for yours, but simply sharing with you what I've learned works best for us. Here are a few good principles to …
Continue reading "Dear Expectant Friends Part Three: Newborn Essentials"
Let me begin by sharing about a great smart phone app that I used during pregnancy for organization - Sprout. A friend let me in on this piece of goodness and I used it mainly for the Organizer function, which contains lists titled M.D. Visit Planner, To Do, Newborn Essentials, and Hospital Bag (divided into …
Continue reading "Dear Expectant Friends Part Two: That Well-Known Bag"
I live in a community filled with young mothers. During B's dedication service at our church, we held only one of the fourteen babies being dedicated that day. I've lost count of how many babies are in the nursery, and even how many additional pregnant mamas there are in our faith family alone. Thus some …
Continue reading "Dear Expectant Friends Part One: Preparing for Your Little One(s)"
Several people who know details about how B arrived have made comments like, "He'll hear about this for the rest of his life - on his birthdays or when you're angry/upset at him." Although B will hear this story over and over again, and although it would be tempting to use it as leverage against …
Continue reading "What I plan to tell my son concerning his birth story"
I legally fit the title of "student" until completing graduate school this past December. From ages 4 to 25, I participated in various forms of schooling. After defending my thesis a mere four weeks before my son's due date, my husband and I celebrated me finally being finished. It felt so good. No more papers, no …
Yes, I read all those parenting books about necessary schedules and consistent atmospheres. Although I feel at least somewhat in control of B's schedule when we're home, there's simply no hope when we're traveling. It's just not the nature of our trips. I've also felt the guilt-induced panic as my child repeatedly never takes a nap in the same …
jami lee gainey 