Posts
Top Five Victories
- Getting Harriet to sleep through [most] of the night and to go to bed three hours before I do. Those of you with needy nighttime children can understand how much of a victory this is.
- Nursing for 11+ months successfully. Breastfeeding made me nervous prior to H's birth because I was afraid to mess it all up. Thankfully, that didn't happen and she was more than enthusiastic.
- Teaching Harriet to enjoy all sorts of delicious food.
- Not succumbing to Harriet's whining when I know that I'm the Mom and I'm in charge.
- Having a little girl who genuinely wants to be around me.
Top Five Defeats
- Feeling pressured to do certain parenting things just because everybody else is doing/talking about them.
- Knocking H's head on the door when I picked her up after she fell off of the bed (tons and tons of screaming).
- Feeling like I'll never be able to do enough.
- Letting H get away with bad sleeping habits for much too long.
- Being inconsistent with my decisions just because I want H to be quiet for two seconds.
Top Five Awesome Things She Does
- Harriet loves, loves, loves to sing and dance. It is beyond adorable.
- She loves to be around other people, especially her aunts and uncles and cousin, and genuinely expresses interest and concern for them.
- She totally helps me cook and put laundry away.
- She can "read" What's Your Sound, Hound the Hound? like a pro.
- She loves to be chased and tickled by Steve and then follows up her squealing with a disapproving, "Daaaaddddy...."
Top Five Baby Purchases
- The SleepyWrap now-called Boba Wrap. I would not have survived without that thing. Not in a million years.
- Indestructible book
- Stroller
- The Baby Book
- Hyland's Calms Forte
Top Five Conflicting Feelings
- Wanting time for myself vs. not wanting to just plug Harriet into the Wiggles. Again.
- Feeling inadequate vs. knowing I'm the best mom for H.
- Needing sleep vs. wanting to get up and spend the morning with her.
- Loving how she loves to spend time with others vs. wanting to spend all of the time with me.
- Thinking that I'm the only one who can parent correctly vs. letting others give me a break.
Top Five Traits I Want Her to Develop
- Saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
- A brain that can really think, but is able to relate to people.
- A love of books and England and Playmobil and learning (most of all)
- A desire to serve her family and to be a good big sister
- The knowledge that her worth is not based on her being a good girl.
Top Five Pieces of Advice Thus Far
- You know your own kid better than anybody else and you know what is best for her.
- Harriet is truly a high-maintenance baby. You aren't insane.
- When all activities fail, read.
- It's okay for her to scream sometimes...and it's okay for her to be weaned.
- Use Lansinoh.
Top Five Perks of Being Harriet's Mommy
- Getting squeezing hugs.
- Having people notice what a cutie-patootie she is.
- Sewing outfits for her.
- Dancing around the house to Wiggles songs.
- Watching her become her own unique, intelligent, insightful, purposeful person.
(January 11 - 3 yellow things that strike you as fresh mercy: my beautifully cheerful yellow walls, my yellow Fiestaware dishes, and yellow Emergen-C which perks me up when my body says otherwise.
January 12 - Something above you: the amazing stars which Harriet now points out to me.
Something below you: my sewing/crafting spot in the basement which brings so much personal creative fulfillment.
Something beside you: snuggling in the security of Steve every night - not just on four-nights-off.)
