Lessons Learned

I must say it has been a chaotic couple of weeks. Sometimes life moves so fast that you have to force yourself to slow down and enjoy the small moments. Morning cuddles are the best moments for reflections. We've had a lot of stressors emerge in our life over the last couple of weeks. However we know that these things are only going to make us stronger. We are learning to effectively deal with them not only as individuals but as a family. Every step we take not only affects us but also our daughter. But as each day begins the light at the end of the tunnel gets a little bit brighter and we know that everything is going to work out.


Here are some lessons that I have learned..

1. Budgeting is my friend. Money has gotten a little tight so we have been forced to become friends the budgeting. It is actually working out really well! This is not to say that we threw money around like it was confetti - wouldn't that be nice! - but have really began to look at our finances to see where we can trim down fat. Preplanning meals is the best option. Since we have began doing that we have saved ourselves from the overload of crap that we don't really need.



2. My brother is awesome and I am old. Stevie turned 22 on the May 2nd. I love him dearly and he reminds me everyday how unimportant material things are. He is thrilled to recieve a pack of wrestling cards on his birthday that were only a couple of dollars. One of his biggest joys in life would be to go to the movies with my sister's boyfriend (although, that will never happen - ugh, don't get me started on that subject!).










3. Almond milk and coconut ice cream aren't that bad and babies NEVER forget the awesome taste of food! Around my brother's birthday Sophia broke out with a rash. I didn't think too much of it because a month ago she had what is called Contact Dermatitis. This means that she had a reaction to something that came in contact with her skin. We determined that it was her baby detergent and promptly stopped using it; the rash cleared up in a couple of days. Sophia also has eczema. So, between these two things a rash wasn't something to rush to the pediatrician's office for. However, the blood in her diaper a couple of days later was. Between the blood and the rash Sophia's pediatrician thinks that she may have a food allergy. She ordered us to exclusively breastfeed her and I was to cut out dairy until the rash was gone and then we would reintroduce foods one by one again. That meant no butter, cheese, sour cream, or milk... not to mention the millions of other things that have some form of dairy in it! LAME. It hasn't been the end of the world for me, there are quite a few options out there for a dairy free lifestyle and most of it isn't that bad. Unfortunately it puts the kabosh on some of our favorite recipes and Laurin has to be careful what he uses to cook with. The worst part about all of this is the look in Sophia's eyes when she sees us eating. The longing in her eyes with her lips smacking, it breaks my heart.

4. Being a mom is an emotional rollercoaster that infinitely loops. As every mom knows, everyday is a new adventure. Some days are relaxing and the babe takes her allotted naps at all the right times. She cuddles and giggles all day long. Other days the babe is cling, need and destructive. She gets into everything she's not supposed and throws continuous temper tantrums. Naps are the enemy and she will stay awake at any cost necessary. And some days are an odd mixture of both. Like I said, it is an emotional rollercoaster and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The concept of time needs to be thrown out of the window. From the time you find out that you are pregnant, you begin watching the clock. At least that's when I started. Each month is counted down. "How much longer?" - the all-so-exciting pregnancy clock. Then it becomes the labor clock, "I was in labor for this long!" Or "I've been in labor for this long!" After that it's watching the feeding clock to record how long he/she ate for and when the next feeding should be. This type of clock watching was exceedingly stressful for me. Sophia was - and still is- a bird eater. She would eat for five to ten minutes on one side of the breast and be done. They normally want babies to eat for fifteen on each side. As you can imagine as a first time mom, I stressed over this. Is she eating enough? She seems fine and happy. She gained the proper weight after birth and from that moment on I stopped watching the feeding clock. I stopped timing how long she had been eating for. She was an efficient eater and I fed on demand. Unfortunately that's not where the clock watching ends. Next it has becomes the diaper clock, "When did I change you last?" Nap time and length of nap are clock watching culprits as well. The worst culprit of all though is the age. This is the age clock. Month by month goes by and you realize that you're baby wont be a baby forever. They are growing and getting smarter. It always feels like a lifetime when you are waiting for your baby to arrive, but then time races by once they are out. Sophia will be ONE in two weeks!!! Yes, ONE! I guess I'm feeling sentimental. It's a mixed emotions milestone. Embracing my toddler but mourning the passing of the baby months.My point is that I hope that I haven't wasted too much time watching the clocks in my life. I want to soak up every moment with my baby (she's not one yet!) that I can. Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life. -William Faulkner