Lessons Learned

They said you would learn a lot with the coming of a baby. You would learn patience, love, discipline, true fatigue, and grace. I have learned a lot and I would like to share.

Be The First To Say You're Sorry: Trivial things become big in marriage when a little stress maker comes along. I was told this would be an issue but I promised Caleb we would handle it better than every other couple out there. Ha. Pride is a big one and when you cast it aside and approach the other with a humble and apologetic heart, your spouse's heart will melt too. Hopefully. Issue dissolved.

In Marriage, Do Not Take Everything So Personally: There is a lot on your mind when caring for a baby. How many more hours until I have to feed him again? Why is he crying? Why won't he sleep? What if I drop him? What should I eat for lunch that is super fast? The last thing you need to be worrying about is why didn't he text me back right away? Why is he so quiet? Why is he working so much? I wonder if he is disappointed I have a mom body now? Don't take it personally. Your man is going through just as much with this huge change in his life as you are. He is processing, grieving his bachelor life, grieving his wife's body that used to be only his, and is equally tired and stressed about how he is going to pay for the hospital bills, doctor bills, and diapers. Give him some room and do him a favor by not putting your emotional stability on his plate too. Advice noted. I'll try that next time.

Turn Off Your Cell Phone: When you pull your eyes away from Facebook, text messages, Pinterest, and email, you will notice a whole world out there to feast your eyes on. The peace and trust on your child's face as he nurses, the crazy neighbor riding his bike with an American flag attached to his seat, the leaves slowly yet quickly opening up the Spring sun. Plus, now I have two hands to hold my baby instead of an awkward one.

Your Baby Loves Your Voice: Whether you are a famous opera singer or tone deaf, your baby will coo and sing along to your beautiful voice. He has heard it for nine months in the womb and it is the safest noise he knows. I don't talk much, especially when no one is home, but talk about anything with your baby. My husband is a pro at this. He just tells him what he is doing and pretends Locklan asked why to give him more to talk about. I'm working on it.

A Smile Goes A Long Way: It is something else to get up in the middle of the night or wee hours of the morning cranky and tired only to find a smiling baby greeting you from his crib. Your irritation melts away and a smile bursts from your face. His smile is so innocent and full of joy. Smiles truly are contagious. My goal is to do more of it not just with my own baby but with strangers I pass on the street.

Maybe May

Whelp, April is over with and I was not so good about keep up with my "All Out April" challenge goal. I worked pretty hard the first half of the month and it petered out after that. It got a little redundant doing the same workout video over and over and then finding the time to get Lock to my husband's work for a run was just draining. Excuses excuses. Yeah well.. I bought a running stroller. Yay! So May will be a different story!  Plus the Bolder Boulder will top my month off in the end. It will be a good month. The "Maybe May" challenge.

Any challenges you guys have come up with? Be creative! Let me know!

Nana's House

I took a mini vacation to my mama's house. Walking into her house, I immediately feel cozy and a part of something special. She always has little touches of the season throughout her house. Bright leaves in the corners and on the piano for fall, boughs of pines on the banister for winter, and of course my favorite tulips from papa on the coffee table for spring.

It was just me and Lock this time. I left Caleb at home giving him the chance to catch up on sleep and stay up late with his pals. It was also a chance for my mama to get to know Lock a little bit better and spend hours catching up over tea with me!

My mama is now called Nana. She loves her new role of  being a grandma. She shared with me the other day how after being a grandma, she realizes what she missed out on as a mother. New to the role and usually young, a mother can get caught up in the shoulds and stresses of doing what she needs to for the baby to keep him alive. Life is just one poopy diaper to the next with maybe a sip of coffee in between. Life goes by in a blur as your baby grows from scrawny helpless baby to gurgling drooling love bug, to running-away-from-a-spanking toddler. Then they graduate. Though we try to enjoy each moment with out little ones, we often look forward to the first smile, first time they sit up, first walk, or first day of school. Not only are we new mothers, we are still wrapped up in a busy social life, school, or a career. It is hard to balance sometimes.

What my mother learned in her first years as a grandmother is that life isn't about what is happening in the world around us. Life is our little ones. It's simple, but profound. As a grandmother, she gets to live each moment fully devoted to her grandson when he is around. Because of that focus solely on her grandson, she has been able to witness things a busy mother trying to balance laundry or another child might miss.

So, as a mother, how can I translate the life of a grandmother into my own life? My life is Locklan David.