I think therefore I can!

I enjoy being a mom more than I thought I would. It has it's moments of frustration and fatigue but the moments of joy that my child brings to my day, seem to melt away those feelings!

I would like to share a few tips that have helped me put things in perspective throughout the day!

When my daughter was a new born, I couldn't wait for the night she would sleep through! I loved going to bed and being able to get a good nights rest. As most know that stops when you have kids. But those twelve, three and six am feedings were kicking my butt! I knew that if I didn't get some consistent sleep I would be more impatient, less loving and grouchy with her and my husband! Thanks to a good friend my daughter started sleeping through the night at 2 1/2 months! Oh what joy! My friend suggested I read a book called On Becoming Baby Wise, by Gary Ezzo and Dr Robert Bucknam. I bought a used copy and started to read. Being a new mom I had no idea what people meant when they told me I should get her on a schedule. I didn't understand how to time feedings. I would get frustrated when I would feed her and a few minutes later she would be crying again! Could she really be hungry again!? On Becoming Baby Wise helped me understand those things that people don't seem to tell you or explain very well. So I took what I thought was important from the book and through trial and error, we found what worked for us! She is now 13 months and goes to bed around 8:30p, her choice and sleeps till 7:30 or 8 am! Me, on the other hand it has been hit and miss, but at least it's more consistent and I feel so much better and I have more patience throughout the day. Every baby is different and so is every family. There are good ideas out there and what one must keep in mind is their own family and what works for them! You don't need to follow people's advice word for word. I like to think of it as taking the best of what they know and putting it together with what you know and making it work!

Take time to enjoy the little things. Being a working mom and trying to be a good wife, I often get frustrated when the hours seem short and the laundry and dishes seem to multiply like rabbits! I'm in the middle of finishing a task and my daughter starts to cry or gets into a cupboard and makes it her hiding place by pulling everything out! I clench my teeth (which isn't good for your jaw and makes your teeth hurt over time) and pull her away, angrily putting the cupboard back together while she's off on a new exploration! I feel exhausted and overwhelmed! My temper is short and my blood pressure is rising! It's then that I realize, I don't have to do it all! It's okay to load the dishwasher and walk away. It's okay to do a couple of loads instead of the whole Mount Everest of laundry. I have noticed that this tiny little mess maker can only go so long before it's time for another nap! So clean a few dishes, play with her which might only mean sitting on the floor while she picks things up and shows them to me. Then at nap time I have oodles of time to do a few more things and possibly even take a short nap myself! There really are enough hours in the day. We just have to figure out how to use them!
Children grow up so fast. One day you will have all the dishes done and the laundry put away and you'll turn around to play with your kids and they won't be there. They're in school or have a family of their own and live a couple hundred miles away. Don't waste the days of motherhood.
I have lots more to say but for now this will suffice!
Thanks and remember you're doing okay!