A Gift

As I sit here watching my baby sleep, I can’t help but think “being a mommy is awesome”. Of course there are long nights of little to no sleep, sore breasts, fat to lose and feeling clean for only 30 minutes after a shower because I’m either spit up, pooped or peed on but the little smiles and precious expressions make me forget all about all the other stuff and make me proud to be just that…a mommy.

Colton is so expressive already and I think he’s going to have quite a personality. If he learns how to use his smile to his advantage, one day those dimples are going to make him a heart breaker. During and after meal time is when I get to see his  wonderful expressions the most, 1) because while eating is when he usually makes a dirty diaper for mommy (and smiles about it) 2) after eating is when he is the happiest and 3) feeding time is when he is actually awake. He used to fall asleep right after eating but now he’s staying awake, looking around and interacting for about 30 minutes or so. These moments (though short) are precious to me and I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to be at home with him and experience every little smile, yawn, cry and everything in between.
 
One of the most heartwarming parts of being a mom is the ability to comfort my child just by touching him. When Colton is crying and I pick him up, I feel him relax and sense recognition in his body language. As I talk to him to comfort him, I can see his eyes searching and it brings a sense of security to him. A baby has no choice but to trust that we, as parents, are going to take care of them. It’s very humbling knowing that I’m responsible for the care of another human being. I know that I will make mistakes and I will sometimes be off the mark on what his needs are but I do know that I love him and love never fails.

I waited for so long on Colton to arrive. I worried about what I was doing to make sure he had a comfy ride for 9 months and I prayed that he would be healthy and strong. Now that he is here, I feel so very blessed. I had a good pregnancy and he is healthy, strong and absolutely amazing. My life has been changed forever and every time I look at his precious face, I know that God has given me a priceless gift. A gift I will never take for granted.

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 16, 2013 at 11:57 PM

    You warm my heart and I know what a wonderful family Colton has with you as his Mommy and Matt as his Daddy! Much love and pride for you all!

    ReplyDelete
  2. JennieJanuary 17, 2013 at 8:50 AM

    Love reading your blogs. Debi and I were talking a few days ago about parents now and this generation of parents, how they want to send there kids to school or off somewhere so they are not a bother. Can't wait for them to return to school after summer break. etc. We are so thankful that this next generation of our family has such great views/values on parenting and loves being a parent and ENJOYS their children. We are blessed with wonderful kids and grandkids, nieces, nephews, so thankful you are setting a standard for others too. Proud... Proud of the mommy you are.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We Made It

Image
Full term - I never thought I would be so happy to hear those words! Even though we have about 3 more weeks to go, as of Friday, December 7 th , I reached week 37 and Colton reached full term. Most babies at this point weigh about 7 pounds and are measuring around 20 inches long (of course this varies between babies, some weighing more or less).   He is most likely between the size of a wintermelon and a miniature watermelon and either way, I’m just happy that we reached this point with no complications. This week, I’m finding it harder to sleep due to the fact I can’t get comfortable for long periods of time. Leg cramps are an almost nightly routine now and my lower back has starting letting me know it’s tired of the extra weight. I read that the quality of sleep in the third trimester is worse than any time before, but I’m probably going to be thankful for the little sleep I am getting, once Colton is born. Today is my weekly doctor’s appointment and I’m excited to s...
Read more

A Sawmill - Good for the Soul

Image
Forklift Operator I don't know if there's anything more awesome than watching my child experience things that I got to experience in my childhood. For those of you who know my family and my background, you know that I was raised in the mountains of Western North Carolina (and when I mean in the mountains - I mean literally, IN the mountains)! We lived on a dirt road near my Grandparents and my Uncle Pat and Aunt Teri. My family ran a sawmill and raised a small patch of tobacco, so my sister and I made lots of toys out of sawdust (makes great toppings for dirt pizza), mud (cupcakes), sticks, slabs, horse buggies and everything else we could get our hands on. We spent lots of time outside. Not only were we just outside playing, but we were learning to work and to be involved and interacting with our family. It was our life.  We don't live in the mountains of North Carolina anymore, but we live right over the hill, in Tennessee. My family still runs a sawmill and I...
Read more

Brining

I could say I have never heard of the word "brining" before, but that wouldn't be 100% accurate. I think I've "heard" the word but I haven't ever paid attention to what it was...until now! I got a few chicken breasts at the grocery store the other day and I was looking for new ways to bake them. I always bake them because it's supposed to be "healthier" (even though I usually have a bowl of ice cream for dessert)! So I was looking on the handy-dandy Internet for baked chicken recipes when information "popped up" about brining chicken. Curios, I clicked on the link and began reading. For those of you who have been doing this already, you're probably thinking "welcome to the club" but for those of you (like me) who haven't - here's the deal. Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis. The salt and sugar in brine make changes to pr...
Read more