Spring has Sprung

I love springtime. The warm weather,  the beautiful flowers, everything coming to life after the long winter. I feel like i just can't get enough sunshine soaked into my bones to erase the memory of the preceding grey, dam, chilly days. Then the trees start producing copious amounts of pollen, and I am done for. Sneezing, coughing , sore throat, and I can just forget about being able to breathe.
When we lived in our previous apartment, we not surrounded be flowering trees, and shrubs, so allergy season passed by causing little discomfort. Not so with our new house. Matt and I both feel like we have run over by a heavy delivery truck, even the bumper is uncomfortable. So last night I made our favorite comfort food: Cream of Wheat porridge and this morning I made myself a large cup of broth and have been reveling in the soothing steaminess of it.
Every day this week has been the same weather wise: Partly cloudy  in the morning and thunderstorms at night. I am hoping the rain will clear out the pollen and we will be able to go on a picnic on Sunday. In the meantime I am going to make myself a cup of tea, and curl up with some tissue.

Kim

A little late

It has been over a week since US forces killed Osama Bin Laden. It took me a little over a week to decide how I felt. Conflicted is the best word I can come up with. At first I was shocked: after all this time they finally got him! Then I was sorrowful. Let me be clear:I am not sorry his particular reign of terror is at an end. I am sorry he was the cause of so many deaths both in the US on 9/11 and afterwards. Christ taught us to love our enemies. Christ taught us to forgive. Christ also taught us that sin will be punished and the wages of sin is death.  All this past week I have been praying for the victims of 9/11, their families, the victims of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the soldiers and their families. Osama Bin Laden's death will not bring back those who were lost, but perhaps it will bring some closure.

Kim

Mother's Day - is on my mind

The Bumper

The Bumper and her Grandmother(Nana)

 This is my first mother's day. My little bumper at 5 months old. Oh how those months have flown! She will be crawling any day now.On some days it seems like she wants to skip crawling  and go straight to running. Mama is not ready for that! I want to hold on to these precious baby days as long as I can.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Kim

Just Thinking - The Three P's

Patience, Practice and Perseverance. I am just learning to crochet. My February goal was to knit a granny square. The picture shows how far I've gotten. So far it looks more like an octagon than a square.*grin*  I hope I will soon be able to post a picture of a competed square.
Yet it occurs to me that the tree P's can be put to use in every area of my life.

When Matt and I decided I would stay home with the bumper, I really had no idea what I would be getting into.
How hard could keeping house be? Just do the chores and go along my merry way.  I thought I would have plenty of time for writing, and all the crafts I have been longing to try. Well the bumper has proven to be a lot of work. I am on 24/7. It is hard work with a capital W! I am learning to be patient with myself and with the bumper, especially on days when my nerves are frazzled. I am practicing the skills I need to be a better homemaker. Some days I feel like need to take a cleaning 101 course!  I am persevering in changing my attitude. I am actively looking for the joys and blessings of the everyday. I have to remind myself that no matter how seemingly dull, boring, or unimportant., even the smallest thing when done with a grateful heart is pleasing  to God.

Co-Sleeping and other Confessions of a New Mom

Matt and I attended the bumper's baptism class this week. It was emphasized over and over that parents have the responsibility of teaching their children the faith. What a daunting task! Even now she watches how mama and daddy behave. As she grows older she will watch as we pray, read the Bible and try and live our faith.

Before the bumper was born I had a list of do's and don'ts that I planned to enthusiastically adhere to. I planned to have a natural childbirth ( see bumper's birth story), exclusively breast feed, use cloth diapers and the bumper would have a strict bed time in her own little crib. Ahem! Well it is four months later, and things have changed. I had to get real. I haven't adjusted any of my moral standards, I still believe in doing each of those things, but I had to accept that the bumper is a unique child with her own needs.

I had to supplement with formula because my milk didn't come in for nearly three weeks and that was with round the clock pumping! I still would like to use cloth diapers, but in the first few weeks after bumper's birth it was all I could do just to change her. I was recovering from my C-section and my husband was laid up with an injury, so disposables it was and is. We would still like to transition to cloth, but aren't really sure how as they don't seem to be readily available in the States. Last but not least the crib issue. My pediatrician and I have been at loggerheads over this one. I co-sleep. Yes that is right, the bumper shares my bed. I didn't want to, I resisted, but in the end I caved. It was the only way to get her to sleep at night. Before I let her sleep with me, she would wake to nurse and then wouldn't fall back asleep for several hours. I felt like I was awake 24/7!  It is not ideal, but now I can get some much needed rest.
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She will not remember having slept with mama for the first few months of her life and she will move into her own bed someday, just as someday she will sleep through the night.:) I am learning her moods, and have the joy of watching her little personality develop. (Saying the word "purple" cracks her up.) I try not to worry about how I will teach her to know, love and serve God, but to pray for His guidance., knowing that I will make mistakes. I am learning to be flexible and not too hard on myself. The most important thing I can do for my daughter is to love her and God will take care everything else.

Spring is Here!!!

Just a few springtime images from around my neighborhood:

The people who live here before planted daffodils!! Yay!!

The Trees are budding --

The bumper was sick last week, so we were grateful to get out and enjoy the warm weather.

Kim

On MyMind

When Matt and I went to California to visit our former roommate, (He and Matt are the ones skipping stones into the Pacific) I was nearly eight months pregnant with the bumper. We were full of worry and woe, our lease was up at the end of November and we still hadn't found a house. As crazy as it was, we took off on a much needed break. Sometimes, even adults need to play once in awhile. At the time I thought this would be the last bit of playtime we would have in a long time.

I was wrong.

Just the other night, Matt and I took turns trying to make the bumper laugh again.We had so much fun! It is the simplest of things that bring a sense of peace and happiness.