Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
I should be sleeping...
...but instead I am eating sunflower seed cookies (yummy) and playing on my new phone.
I have been such an insomniac during this pregnancy so far, it is driving me crazy. I have to pee three or more times a night, I wake up starving in the middle of the night, I get really thirsty (which does nothing to help with the potty trips), and my mind just will not slow down.
Unfortunately I NEED lots of sleep normally and even more while my body is working hard to grow a human being. All of this adds up to a tired and grumpy mommy/wife.
I would like to say this situation has given me an opportunity for introspection and self evaluation. However I have just developed an increasing addiction to audiobooks and apparently for my phone.
Ah well, this too shall pass and once the baby comes I will be praying for a few quiet moments to myself...and more sleep of course.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Anniversary Thoughts
Today is my 6th wedding anniversary. Some days I can't believe it has gone so quickly. Other days I feel like we've been married forever (mostly this is a good thing). I don't know if it is due to my impending anniversary or just because I am expecting kiddo #2 any day now and becoming introspective, but I have been thinking a lot the last week or so about what qualities I find attractive in a man. I am blessed to have found an amazing mate (husband, father, partner, believer) in James.
One of the many things I find incredibly attractive in my husband is his belief in babywearing. For those of you not well-acquainted with the term, check out http://www.thebabywearer.com/. Anyway, seeing a man hanging out solo with his children is extremely heart-warming to me. But, to see a grown man with no qualms about wearing his child really touches me. Whatever the type of carrier, that image really gets me going. Not only is my beloved comfortable with the concept of babywearing, he actively participates. One of my favorite memories of K's first few weeks in this world is James in the front yard raking leaves with K strapped to his chest.
In my opinion, a man's willingness to wear his child speaks volumes about the type of father he is willing to be. A friend of ours recently said that he wasn't sure how manly he felt wearing a sling, but he didn't care. I tried to assure him that it was attractive (to at least some women) to wear your children, but he still wasn't convinced it was quite "manly." Oh well, it may not be the hallmark of masculinity, but it is one of the things I find most attractive in a man.
Another attraction to my husband (also associated with his dedication to his child(ren)) relates to the task he is spending our anniversary accomplishing. He has enlisted the help of a friend of ours to dedicate a portion of our front lawn to K (and all of the neighbor kids). Months ago we had a friend help us hang a swing from the large tree in our front yard. The swing was not only a huge hit with K, but also many of the neighbor kids so a path has been worn under the swing where we are no longer able to grow grass. Instead of making futile attempts to re-seed, sod, or some other expensive effort my wonderful husband has decided that it would make more sense to lay a bed of playground mulch under the swing and around the tree to accomodate a small slide. Now, this may not seem like a huge sacrifice to some. However, pre-parenthood, my husband was known for actually mowing patterns into our lawn.
How sexy is it to see a man who has embraced fatherhood so completely that he risks not looking manly to wear his children and gives his front lawn over to a mini-playground!? Extremely...
One of the many things I find incredibly attractive in my husband is his belief in babywearing. For those of you not well-acquainted with the term, check out http://www.thebabywearer.com/. Anyway, seeing a man hanging out solo with his children is extremely heart-warming to me. But, to see a grown man with no qualms about wearing his child really touches me. Whatever the type of carrier, that image really gets me going. Not only is my beloved comfortable with the concept of babywearing, he actively participates. One of my favorite memories of K's first few weeks in this world is James in the front yard raking leaves with K strapped to his chest.
In my opinion, a man's willingness to wear his child speaks volumes about the type of father he is willing to be. A friend of ours recently said that he wasn't sure how manly he felt wearing a sling, but he didn't care. I tried to assure him that it was attractive (to at least some women) to wear your children, but he still wasn't convinced it was quite "manly." Oh well, it may not be the hallmark of masculinity, but it is one of the things I find most attractive in a man.
Another attraction to my husband (also associated with his dedication to his child(ren)) relates to the task he is spending our anniversary accomplishing. He has enlisted the help of a friend of ours to dedicate a portion of our front lawn to K (and all of the neighbor kids). Months ago we had a friend help us hang a swing from the large tree in our front yard. The swing was not only a huge hit with K, but also many of the neighbor kids so a path has been worn under the swing where we are no longer able to grow grass. Instead of making futile attempts to re-seed, sod, or some other expensive effort my wonderful husband has decided that it would make more sense to lay a bed of playground mulch under the swing and around the tree to accomodate a small slide. Now, this may not seem like a huge sacrifice to some. However, pre-parenthood, my husband was known for actually mowing patterns into our lawn.
How sexy is it to see a man who has embraced fatherhood so completely that he risks not looking manly to wear his children and gives his front lawn over to a mini-playground!? Extremely...
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
My new favorite blog to frequent...
In the last year (since taking the bar exam and an increase in K's ability to play independently both allowed more time to be somewhat free) I have become addicted to several parenting blogs.
My new favorite is one called How to be a Badass Dad. Although I am probably not his target audience I thoroughly enjoy his posts. He is so insightful and writes beautifully (as an English Professor should). I have forwarded several posts to my husband to either show him that there are other sensitive dads out there doing their best to put their family first - or - to show him that there are men out there willing to live their lives the way that is best for their families, regardless of what others think or say. My husband is a great catch so this is more to bolster his confidence than anything else.
One of my favorite posts from Badass Dad is The Breastfeeding Father. I can't tell you how heartwarming it is to hear the thoughts of a father who so utterly and completely supports his wife and her breastfeeding relationship with their children. Breastfeeding can often be a touchy issue for some fathers, especially if their own families weren't completely pro-breastfeeding. In my current very pregnant state, this particular post made me quite misty-eyed. I know that my husband will be less intimidated by breastfeeding with our second child, now that we have become more comfortable and confident in our personal parenting styles and what is right for our family.
Closely related to my views on the importance of breastfeeding, are my views on baby-wearing. Badass Dad also has a recent post on babywearing. Again, to see a father so comfortable with his manhood to willingly wear his babies makes me a bit teary. It reminds me of my own husband with our first child strapped to him, raking the front lawn when she was a few weeks old. Our neighbors (mostly parents 5-10 years older than us) cracked up. Or there was the holiday party we attended when K was 2 months old where my husband spent the majority of the evening with her once again strapped to his chest, only taking breaks when it was time for me to retreat to a bedroom upstairs to nurse or change her diaper. Our friends quickly became accustomed to one of us wearing K most of the time and rarely using babysitters early on.
K obviously remembers riding in the sling, front carrier, or backpack. When I was newly pregnant this time around I purchased one of those belly band things to extend the life of my pre-pregnancy pants. As I sit here writing I glanced over to my Google gagdet bar docked on the side of my screen and there is a picture of K with my belly band over one shoulder and across her body, "wearing" Cookie Monster in a perfectly toddler-sized "sling." Hoping to make her transition into sisterhood a little easier I bought a toddler sling for her to carry her "baby" in. I hope to give it to her when her new sibling arrives.
Thanks to Badass Dad for sending me down memory lane and getting me misty-eyed in reflection. I'm excited to venture onto the next phase of parenting with the arrival of #2 and truly appreciate the parents out there who pour their hearts into their blogs for others to read and benefit from!
My new favorite is one called How to be a Badass Dad. Although I am probably not his target audience I thoroughly enjoy his posts. He is so insightful and writes beautifully (as an English Professor should). I have forwarded several posts to my husband to either show him that there are other sensitive dads out there doing their best to put their family first - or - to show him that there are men out there willing to live their lives the way that is best for their families, regardless of what others think or say. My husband is a great catch so this is more to bolster his confidence than anything else.
One of my favorite posts from Badass Dad is The Breastfeeding Father. I can't tell you how heartwarming it is to hear the thoughts of a father who so utterly and completely supports his wife and her breastfeeding relationship with their children. Breastfeeding can often be a touchy issue for some fathers, especially if their own families weren't completely pro-breastfeeding. In my current very pregnant state, this particular post made me quite misty-eyed. I know that my husband will be less intimidated by breastfeeding with our second child, now that we have become more comfortable and confident in our personal parenting styles and what is right for our family.
Closely related to my views on the importance of breastfeeding, are my views on baby-wearing. Badass Dad also has a recent post on babywearing. Again, to see a father so comfortable with his manhood to willingly wear his babies makes me a bit teary. It reminds me of my own husband with our first child strapped to him, raking the front lawn when she was a few weeks old. Our neighbors (mostly parents 5-10 years older than us) cracked up. Or there was the holiday party we attended when K was 2 months old where my husband spent the majority of the evening with her once again strapped to his chest, only taking breaks when it was time for me to retreat to a bedroom upstairs to nurse or change her diaper. Our friends quickly became accustomed to one of us wearing K most of the time and rarely using babysitters early on.
K obviously remembers riding in the sling, front carrier, or backpack. When I was newly pregnant this time around I purchased one of those belly band things to extend the life of my pre-pregnancy pants. As I sit here writing I glanced over to my Google gagdet bar docked on the side of my screen and there is a picture of K with my belly band over one shoulder and across her body, "wearing" Cookie Monster in a perfectly toddler-sized "sling." Hoping to make her transition into sisterhood a little easier I bought a toddler sling for her to carry her "baby" in. I hope to give it to her when her new sibling arrives.
Thanks to Badass Dad for sending me down memory lane and getting me misty-eyed in reflection. I'm excited to venture onto the next phase of parenting with the arrival of #2 and truly appreciate the parents out there who pour their hearts into their blogs for others to read and benefit from!
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