Changes

It's been nearly 18 months since I've posted, because my baby boy will be 18 months old at the end of this month! Wow, how times flies!

A few changes:

1. Baby boy # 4: I will say the first few months after having my #4 were some of the hardest months of my entire LIFE!!! Oh my goodness! When I was expecting my third child, I was nervous about having three children, but when I had her it ended up being easier than I thought it would be. Well, with my last pregnancy I figured it was going to be hard. . . And it WAS!! The juggling, the guilt, the demands on my time. I felt soooooo overwhelmed. I felt that I was neglecting my first two, I felt guilty that my third baby was having to scoot out the way, so to speak, I had marriage problems, financial struggles, etc. Some days I thought I would lose my mind.

What I was unprepared for? How much I loved my baby boy. I am still to this day amazed at how someone could be so depressed during a pregnancy, but then be sooooo happy after the baby comes. That little boy brings me so. much. joy!!! It was unexpected the amount of joy and happiness his sweet little presence has brought in our family's life. I am so thankful. I truly am. Everyday. It's still a lot of work, but the super hard part when he was a newborn is over.

2. Being a working mother: My entire life I have always felt that a woman should be at home to raise her children while they are young. I still believe it. So, it's hard to now be a working mother. I went back to work when my #4 was four months old. I feel guilty that my youngest two children don't get to experience me being at home with them. But, I try to look at the bright side, and focus on the positives. And, I'm working on a plan to get back home, but still provide a substantial income. That would be a dream come true.

#4 is coming soon

So, it's been awhile since my last post. Life got in the way. My precious baby girl will turn one tomorrow, and baby #4 is due the day after her birthday. . . Yes. That is correct.

After having my daughter I looked forward to implementing a natural birth control method. Well, that didn't quite work out. And, it was completely preventable, because I knew that it was a fertile time of the month, but I took a chance, and tada. I have to admit that this has been an emotionally hard pregnancy, because I really looked forward to just enjoying my baby for awhile. I DID NOT want another one so soon, and it has been a huge adjustment to find joy.

I'm expecting a boy, so I will have two boys and two girls, which has always been a childhood dream of mine to have. But. . . I am nervous about becoming a mother of 4. It seems like it's going to be super challenging, and, . . . I'm scared.

I have had happiness about the baby in spurts. And, now that delivery day is nearing, I am getting excited about meeting my new little one. I've been happy about getting all of his little things together, and I look forward to holding him in my arms soon. Please pray for me as I adjust to life with four littles. I know it will be an adventure, and I just want to be the best mother that I can be.

The Baby Planner

Right now I'm currently reading The Baby Planner by Josie Brown, and I am loving it!! 




Being the baby lover that I am, I was so excited to find out about this book, The Baby Planner.  It's like Pregnant in Heels in novel form.  I have been devouring it since yesterday.  I checked it out from my local library a few days ago, but yesterday I had ample time to read it, because my older two children will be with their grandparents for a week.  That means:  I'm cramming as much reading as I can during this week of having just one child at home.

Also, I can't wait to get my hands on Where We Belong by Emily Giffin.  None of my local libraries have it.  And, I'm so amped about reading this book, and reading it during my free week, that I may buckle down and buy it. 

What I've Been Reading and Watching

Books:

I read Vanessa Williams autobiography, You Have No Idea.  When I first began reading the book I was very turned off by Vanessa's story.  She had quite a tumultuous relationship with her mother, and how she described her feelings about winning Miss America just seemed very flippant. 

But, as I continued reading, I became engrossed in it.  It was actually a very enjoyable read, and I came away from it with a newfound respect and appreciation for Vanessa Williams.  I recommend it.

Another book I read was The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn.
I really enjoyed this book.  It follows Ivy Ames, who has recently been fired from her job, and soon after getting fired she discovers that her husband is having an affair.  So, she is left to pick up the pieces of her life.  She begins a business advising parents on school admissions for their upcoming kindergarteners.  I laughed aloud quite often throughout the book, and I was amazed at the lengths that many of these parents would go to in order to secure a spot for their child at a "Baby Ivy."

Television:

Melissa Gorgas of RHONJ said on the show a few nights ago that the key to a successful marriage is to have sex every. single. day.  I do enjoy watching Melissa and Joe Gorgas.  They seem to be very hot for each other, which is sweet to see for a young couple with three children. 

The season finale of Pregnant in Heels came on last night, and I savored the last episode.  I love this show.  I'm even thinking about becoming a baby planner myself.  ;)  I was so happy for Rosie as she welcomed her precious baby girl, and tried to get over her own difficult relationship with her mother.  It was endearing for Rosie to allow cameras to see her vulnerable side. 

Teen Mom:  Yes, I still watch this, although maybe not for long.  All I do is fast forward through Catelynn and Amber's scenes.  I was absolutely appalled at the way Farrah and her sister treated her mother on the show last night.  There is no reason under the sun to treat a mother with such disrespect.  We are to honor our parents.  And, I don't even see where Farrah's mom is so bad.  Sure, she may be annoying at times, but that DOES NOT warrant the complete disrespect that her daughters show her.  I would be ashamed to even be on national television treating anyone like that. 

Happy 3 months!!

My little princess is 3 months old today!! It feels like time has flown by. She is so sweet and precious, and I just thank God everyday for blessing me with a new little gift.

Last night she slept 9 hours through the night!! I was amazed. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was trying to implement Babywise to a degree, but with no crying it out. Basically, I just try to keep her on a similar routine each day, and feed her a bit more than usual before bedtime. The other night she slept 8 hours.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will continue this. This is a first for me, because my other children never slept this long at this age. But, they may have if I had tried to work on it.

She's a pretty quiet baby who enjoys sitting back watching her brother and sister play and be rambunctious. She absolutely loves when they hug and kiss on her, which is all. the. time! She just smiles and laughs when they get all in her face. It's so cute!

I'm amazed that my older children are so in love with their baby sister. I thought the "new baby high" would have worn off by now, but they are just as excited as when she first came home! It really warms my heart.

Interestingly enough, they continue to talk about when I'm going to have a boy baby in my tummy. Ummmm. . . Not right now kiddos! Let's just enjoy our sweet little baby girl for now!! :)

Linking up with Women Living Well

Regretting children

Yesterday I happened upon a website about being child free. The blog author's goal for writing is to share the beauty of living a child-free lifestyle. She wrote about how the U.S. is such a family and child centered country, and how being child-free is really a wonderful option for couples.

I didn't find anything totally wrong with that if a couple chooses not to have children or they simply cannot have children, it's ok to cheerfully embrace being childless.

But, what made my heart sink was reading her guest posts from mothers who regretted having their children, and wished that they had remained child-free. These posts were to serve as "inspiration" to other women of the "reality" of being a mother. It's mainly a regrettable decision.




The main reasons many of the women cited for regretting their children:

1. Lack of time to themselves.

2. Compromises with their career.

3. Drain on their finances.

4. Missed their carefree, before children lifestyle.

I thought about a previous post I wrote about teaching our daughters to love motherhood.

I shared my struggles with motherhood. Have I had moments when I wanted to go back to my before children life of having an abundance of free time? Sure. Did the moment last? No.

I think many mothers have had their moments of wanting to have more time to themselves, and miss their pre children life. But, to just say you regret being a mother period is a huge statement. Yes, motherhood can be quite hard. It's challenging, and yes it's hard work to instill values, be consistent with discipline, and have the patience of Michelle Duggar while raising children. But, it's a wonderful job that I wouldn't trade for anything.

It did make me think about the fact that in Titus 2 the Bible admonishes the older women to TEACH the younger women how to love her children.

That would imply to me that it's not as natural as breathing to love your children, as in loving the day in day out task of mothering them. When you're exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated, you need someone to talk to who has been in your shoes, and can offer you a glimmer of hope that everything will be alright, or offer tips for how they handled discipline, whining, maintaining patience, maintaining sanity(?),etc.

Motherhood requires selflessness, and when you're really selfish, it is a lot HARDER to love being a mother. Praying daily, developing a servant's heart, and having mothering support is crucial.

I'll contine in a later post with great links to encourage mothers in this mothering journey.

Linking up with
Titus 2 Tuesday

Titus 2sDay

Cute Girly Book for Little Girls

My daughter loves this cute girly book, Summer Jackson Grown Up, by Teresa E. Harris. It is a picture book with beautiful illustrations, featuring a 7 year old girl who wants to be a grown up. It's so cute!



I like to read all types of books to my children, but I get especially excited when I can read them books featuring African American characters, because I think it is affirming for children to see positive reflections of themselves in books and television.

I searched for girly picture books along the lines of Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious, but with an African American girl, and I found Summer Jackson Grown Up. Just like I thought, my daughter absolutely loved the book and has often imitated some of the things Summer Jackson does in the book.

If you're looking for a cute, girly book for your little princess, be sure to check out this book.