My Week as a Mama ( or Lessons of a Foster Mama: Part 2)

We said that once we started the adoption process that we were finished with the foster care business. We told our agency not to call us unless they had an emergency.

Well, last Monday, they must have had an emergency because as I type this, I have a two month old sleeping on my chest. He is a tiny little thing who just wants cuddles [[which I am more than happy to provide!]] He is only with us for 8 days, so we're doing our best to pour as much love into the little guy as we can.

Here are some things that I've learned in my short time with him:

{1} It is 100% okay [[and as it turns out very much expected]] to ask others for help! I was afraid that admitting that I needed help was admitting defeat and pretty much saying that I'm too much of a wimp for motherhood. But the truth of the matter is that you need people to help you do things for the first few days [[Weeks? Months?]] It doesn't mean that you're weak, it means that you are very, very wise.

{2} Let others hold the baby. I think that I have developed carpal tunnel syndrome from too many snuggles!!

{3} Once you get the "mama rock" down, you may, awkwardly, find yourself doing it even if you're not holding the baby. Yesterday at church, I had passed Little Dude off to someone else and was talking to another friend when I noticed myself swaying/bouncing...I even had my arms crossed as though there was still a babe there...I hope this isn't a lasting effect...

{4} You may also develop other strange habits.  I have recently started sleep walking. Josh was taking his nightly shift so I was in our bedroom getting in a good solid 4 hours. I don't know if I actually heard Little Dude crying or if it was in my dream, but I woke up in my closet...I remember being extremely confused as to why there were clothes in my kitchen and why I, for the life of me, couldn't find the bottles. Another night, I woke up to find myself frantically searching the bed covers because I couldn't find the baby and was afraid I had smothered him.[[He was fine + on the complete opposite end of the house...]]

{5} It is awesome when babies smile at you, even if it's just from gas...Although Little Dude smiled at me all morning and he didn't even have gas! So that was even more exciting!

I'm really looking forward to becoming a full time mama at some point, but until then, this has been a fantastic learning experience.


What are some things that you learned when you first became a mama? Did you develop any strange habits?

In the New Year...

Over the past few months, I've taken a break from my blog. I've posted a few times, but nothing major for a while now. I've just been focusing on other things.

• I've been growing my handmade business, Fāyán Knits.
• I've been focusing on my husband and my relationships. It's really important to me to have people on my side. People I would fight for and know would fight for me should I ever need it.
• I've been focusing on rest. I've had a few warning signs lately that I need to slow down my schedule [[migraines, etc.]] I also need to learn to say "no" to things because being a people pleaser leads to nowhere good.

But, with a new year, comes new hope! I'm taking a week of rest starting Christmas Eve. During this week, I plan on actually sitting down and taking time to create a working schedule for myself. It seems like I have 3 main parts of my life right now and I can't balance them equally at all. If I'm too into keeping up house, my business and blog suffer. But these last few weeks, my sole focus has been growing Fāyán Knits, so our home and my blog have taken a back burner.

Also, I've been reading The No Brainer Blog by Hayley Morgan. I will be making a few changes to the blog and how I do things around here. This book has been so inspirational and helpful! If you have a blog, please consider hopping over and picking up a copy. It's seriously great.

So, since this will be my last post of 2012, Merry Christmas, y'all! + Happy New Year!

Catch you on the flip side!

I Can't...

This week in #SheReadsTruth, we covered Colossians 3:18-25. One of the questions that was asked was "What is an area of life where you've chosen to work for man and not for God?" This really got me thinking. It struck me that there are so many areas in which I aim to please the people around me and not God. Even when I am serving, I do so to make others happy and not for the glory of God.

The other question was "Are there idols in your life that need to be replaced? What is He jealous for?" I decided that I have made an idol out of "self." Self-reliance, self-importance. Everything is about me and what I can do. But I realized that I can't. I can't do anything. I can't say yes to everything that is asked of me. I can't try to run a home, a business, and be there any and every time someone needs something from me. I can't make myself become a mother. I'm not in control of that. None of these things are in my power, yet I still act as if they are. Philippians 4:13 is for more than just running a marathon, folks. I need Christ's strength, daily and in all things. With God's help, I can do these things. It's just being brave enough to admit that I am not strong enough to do things by my power alone.

Here is a beautiful song by one of my favorite musical duos, Jenny & Tyler. It's called "Abide" and I think speaks perfectly about what I've been learning.

 

You strive, o man, and you strive again, your heart too proud to rest

You labor on, singing those songs, to cover your weakness

Do you fail to recall who you really are and Who caused you to be?

Return o man; return and rest, to a burden light and yoke easy

Abide in your Savior

Abide in His love

The labor of God is to trust in the Son

All you possess...do you forget, as if by your own strength

you earned it? No. He gave you all, everything you have.

Your righteousness, your life, your breath, your daily bread and wine,

His blood, His flesh, His love, His death, Your faith and endless life

Abide in your Savior

Abide in His love

The labor of God is to trust in the Son

Open up your doors

O my heart and soul

Open up your doors

Let the King come in

Let the King come in

Abide in me Savior

Abide in me Love

And daily I'll take my cross, follow after you Lord

Abide in me Savior

Abide in me Love

The labor of God is to trust

p.s. if you enjoyed this song, I highly encourage you to check out some of their other stuff...it's beautiful!

What has God been teaching you lately?