Daddy's On Board

As a new parent, you face different hurdles when raising your little one. Sometimes these hurdles can be quite difficult to climb over alone. That's why I think it's so important for a child to have 2 parents. When the going gets tough, it's nice to have a back up partner. Correct me if I'm wrong, but, as mommies, it seems as though life changes dramatically more than that of the daddies. Life revolves around pumping, breast feeding, long sleepless nights, early morning crying baby wake up calls, early rising, no private time, and the list goes on. Things seem to stay the same for the man. At least that's how I felt with my man. It sometimes feels like you have a partner for back up in just some areas, like during the day so they won't miss any sleep. That sort of thing. It's like help has its limitations. Where as for the mom, her whole life revolves around the baby. And when your hands get thrown up, the dad scratches his head wondering why you're exaggerating. They'll never say that of course but you can see it in their eyes.

 Apparently it's quite common for moms to feel this way. I thought I was thinking up irrational things and not being fair to my husband. Men have things that change for them just as women do. Their brains are wired differently. The financial burden and thought processes over security are probably what plagues their mind. 

Even though at times we feel like we are doing the brunt of all the "dirty" work, dads are right there with us. May not be in the way we want because let's face it, they just don't have the nurturing touch. And that can be something I wish they could have so that way when it's 4 am and the baby is wanting one on one nurturing time, we could tag team so I can get my shut eye as well. But God didn't program it like that I guess. 

My baby girl is almost 1. And what I've learned in this past year is to not be afraid to admit or feel guilty of your feelings. If you need help, ask. If you are fed up, ask for break and take a breather. I know sometimes we as moms can feel like we need to prove something. "We can do it all," just like we are superwoman. We unfortunately can't do it all no matter how many times we are fed the womens lib out cries. We most definitely can't do it without our men. 

To all the daddy's out there, just know you are appreciated. If it hasn't crossed your mind, make sure your women is feeling ok and ask if she needs some sane time. Or even a nap! Don't be afraid of that one on one time with your baby because you got everything under control, you are superdad, our heros at it's finest.
 Remember that the best way to learn is to learn hands on. Mommies learned that way, so you can too. 

Funny joke to express some humor on the topic:

"Little Blessings from Above"

In today's society, we are shown and told so many different reasons why we should depopulate this earth by taking a second thought on bearing and raising children. It has been embedded in our brains that success is what's important and you gain success by putting yourself as your priority. Success is wealth. Success is having the "American Dream." Having new cars, a new house, money saved up in the bank, and being able to travel all over the world is the most important thing! Success has no room for children. They try to brainwash us into thinking that children should only come to those who have so much money saved up to be able to afford them. It's funny to me that the very thought of not having children is based very heavily on the ability of the parent to be able to send their child to college. (Let's face it, with the world growing more and more expensive, there will never be enough money to have children nor to even think about putting them into college. There is no set price on how much a child will cost.)

It's very disgusting and down right disheartening to me to see the morals of society shade so dim. It has become incredibly numb to Gods word. I can probably sit down with any parent of the world and ask them about children and they would most likely say something along the lines as:  children are a burden, they're too much money, OR they wish that they would've waited and so on. But what happens when these very same views start to infect the church of God?

Christianity is something so uniquely special. We are his called out ones. A separate people. We are not to be like the world. The world has a selfish motive whereas Christianity is strictly selfless. Christ went into the world and taught his disciples  about loving your neighbor and loving your enemy. His very essence and being was to teach on having a selfless attitude and to teach the Good news of the great kingdom to come. You cannot be selfish and teach the world in His Kingdom. 

I believe God created parenting for very strong reasons. He wanted us to be fruitful and to multiply. To populate His world because He wants to make a huge God family. Every child born into this world is yet another spirit with the potential of being in His royal family. God has given humanity a precious gift that no other species or spiritual being in heaven possess: The opportunity to procreate beings with a high divine purpose. The very design of male and female show us one thing, He created us to do just that. Male and female, He created them. It's like a puzzle piece that fits perfectly. 

 

We see God in our unique design. We see HIM in the role of the female. How amazing is it to be able to say that we, as women, have been privileged to bear the load of having a potential spirit being growing inside our wombs. With each week that passes, and each trimester we pass, we can see the hand of God and His incredible design. As the uterus expands, our bodies adapt and make room for the little being. And the body does its job with the delivering process. The uterus begins to contract and open the cervix to allow for the baby to push into the birth canal for delivery. And it begins to heal itself when it's all over. Its so amazing, I get chills every time I think back to my pregnancy. The whole experience was an experience of a lifetime.

Being a parent is never an easy thing. Being a Christian is not an easy thing. Nothing ever

comes easy in life. In everything, we should expound on the lessons God is giving to us. What lessons does He gives us with being a parent?

1.) He's teaching us to be selfless. Being a parent will definitely teach us that. Parenting is presented with a multitude of opportunities to present selfless acts.

2.) He's teaching us how to have unconditional love. A love for a child is unlike any other love. It's something indescribable.

3.) He's teaching us to nurture. We'll definitely need to know how to do this to nurture others in the millennium

4.) He's teaching us holiness and virtue along with patience, humility, and trust in Him. When we have children, it teaches us to be patient with them when teaching them the ways of life, discipline, and the love of God. It takes humility to accept when we may make wrong decisions for our families and learn to trust in God to raise godly children in a perverse and wicked generation. Many people claim to not want to have children because of this wicked world. That proves one thing, we don't trust in Him to care for us and the well being of our children. We allow fear to get the best of us. And Christ favorite words to His disciples were to not fear. ("O yea of little faith.")

 

All in all, He's teaching us to be like HIM. He wants a family. How could He teach us each role in a way that we can fully comprehend His desires? By letting us live through it by example. When one marries, two lives become one. Its a comparison of Christ and His bride, the church and a comparison of God the Father and Christ the son and their partnership. So in marriage, we learn to be like Him.When a husband and wife begin to have children, we are taught Gods love as a parent so in turn are learning to be like Him in a role as a parent. Each role in my eyes is equally as important in capturing the purpose of His plans and seeing His heart with his ultimate design. Following by example helps opens a window into God's heart. He sees children as a gift and a reward. For His people to adopt the thoughts and morals of this world is disheartening and a smack to Gods purpose for his children.

 

 

 

"I thought that one day I'd become a famous artist and create great works of art. Instead, God made me a mother, and my children are His masterpiece. The design of their lives will live on after me. What is painted on their hearts will last an eternity."

-Anonymous

 

Spring Project- Dream nursery in the making

It's amazing how fast time flies. It feels like just yesterday I wrote my last post "Beauty after the bump". But apparently it was months ago! I never realized how time consuming having a baby can be. Sometimes, I'm so exhausted and tired I don't have the energy to get up and cook something for dinner. Welcome to motherhood. But it's all worth it.

A couple months ago, my little family and I had our dreams come true and we got to buy our first house to build so many new memories with our baby girl. When spring break came, I had to get to work on her room. I wanted the nursery I always dreamed of creating. I picked the vacant room that was already primed with white paint since it would be easier to transition.

 

I placed painters tape to keep the floor boards from getting paint on them

 

I also placed paint across the middle of the wall, measuring so it's the same height all the way across the room.

 



And I got some ideas from Pinterest. When I was pregnant with my little girl, I dreamt of creating a butterfly garden themed nursery. So I kept that in mind and wanted to create this.

I decided on the colors lavender and pink as the base colors for the walls. An idea I saw on Pinterest helped my creativity to go at work. I decided on doing two toned walls. Lavendar color on top and pink on the bottom separating the colors with a white wooden border. All supplies that I bought from our local home depot store. With the help of my big sister who flew in town, we went to work on painting my girl's room.
 

 

Started with purple and went over it with about 3 coats

 

 

Then painted the bottom with pink, about 2 coats

 

And with the assistance of my dad, he put the border up when the walls were completely dry. I proceeded to decorate the room to be bright and colorful and full of flowers and butterflies. On 2 walls by the entrance door, I painted the walls completely pink to be able to scrapbook a shadow box of all my babies first things and to start a "grow with me" chart to keep track of how big she's growing.

 

I got wall decals from Walmart to place on the wall

 

 

Made her changing table into a shelf to hold some of her toys

 and books

 

 

Her Shadow Box (below)

Pictured inside: Maternity photo, her preemie outfit and sock, hospital bracelet, hospital name tag, and first photo ever in my belly.

 

 

I got the frame and scrapbooking supplies from Michaels

 

 

Growth Chart

Took a measuring tape and placed on wall and decorated around it. Will mark her measurements with a wet erase marker/sharpie.

 

 

 

I am incredibly happy and excited of the outcome of all my hardwork. My husband, who is so not into this type of stuff, was very pleased. I'm happy to see the many memories my little girl will create in her new room.

 

<3