My definition of the two words "really quickly" has changed drastically since having a baby. Certain things that used to be really quick are no longer really quick....
For example...
Running into the grocery store...or the post office....or the bank
pre baby: 5 minutes
post baby: 15 minutes, after taking out car seat and diaper bag and purse, lugging inside, shopping, checking out, unloading groceries, then figuring out how to put the grocery cart away...is it close enough to put baby in car or does baby need to come with you in his seat to put the cart away.....
Getting ready for work in the morning....or church...or sports event
pre baby: 45 minutes
post baby: 3 hours, in order for Micah to only have one bottle while I am work, I feed him at 5:30 and 8:00 am before I leave for work at 9:00 am. In between, I am getting ready and getting him ready.
Grading papers...or cleaning the house....or any task needing to be done....
pre baby: 30 minutes
post baby: 2 hours, baby has fallen asleep and was put in his bed, that lasted ten minutes. Then baby wants mama to hold him. So I do, until he is passed out again, lay baby down, grade more papers. Baby wakes up again....but is still tired....goes back to sleep on mama....repeat....sometimes there are one or five dirty diapers in the mix too...oh, and if it takes long enough he might get hungry also....
And yet, other things that used to take a long time....have become tasks that can be accomplished "really quickly"....
For example...
Eating
pre baby: 30 minute dinner
post baby: 5 minutes (no, that is not heathly for digestion, but it is what it is) YES, I get to eat dinner!
Showering
pre baby: 20 - 30 minutes ( Yes, I was a long showerer!)
post baby: 0 - 10 minutes, YES, I get to shower today! Thank goodness for dry shampoo.
Sleeping
pre baby: All night long
post baby: 3 hour cycles....(until he started sleeping through the night) YES, I got 6 hours of sleep! I will be so energized tomorrow :)
Oh, Motherhood....you are quite a teacher of perspective....
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Good Gifts
On Wednesday nights, I have been helping out in the preschool class at church. Oh, are they adorable! It makes me look forward to hearing Micah's little voice and thoughts one day.
There is one little girl who is just cute-as-can-be. Her smile is contagious and she is always happy and excited about anything we do.
Whenever the teacher tells her we are going to do anything, her usual response is, "I LOVE" whatever we are about to do, followed by the cutest little laugh, of pure joy.
Seriously, WHATEVER we are about to.
Teacher: Okay class, let's color our pictures.
Little girl: Yay, I LOVE coloring!!
Teacher: Okay class, let's play follow the leader.
Little girl: Yay, I LOVE follow the leader!!
Teacher: Okay, class, let's cut out our pictures.
Little girl: Yay, I LOVE cutting our pictures!
And my personal favorite...
Teacher: Class, we are going to stay with the bigger kids tonight for class.
Little girl: The bigger kids? The ones who are taller than me?
Teacher: Yes.
Little girl: I LOVE having class with kids who are taller than me!!
My mom says the little girl reminds her of me when I was little....I know what she means. I used to and still can get really excited about things. Mom used to say I was like Tigger because I was always bouncing excitedly all over the place. As I have grown up, however, I find myself slipping more and more into Eeyore world at times, where it is easier to see the glass half empty.
I don't want to live there. I know that this is not my permanent home, and that when I get to heaven one day, the glass will always be not just half full, but completely running over, and overflowing, but I also know that God gives us good gifts now, here on earth and I don't want to overlook them.
Psalms tells us that "he leads us to green pastures" and James says that our "good gifts are from above coming down from the Father of heavenly lights", and yet I am so apt to forget that The One who made the stars cares enough to provide me with everything I need and even the "desires of my heart".
So as I begin to bring up my little boy, I am determined to return to Tigger world and show Micah that I am thankful for not just the big things in my life, but all the little things too....
chubby-cheeked baby kisses
hot coffee on cold mornings
a warm fire in the fireplace
a good conversation with my mom
afternoon sunlight in the fall
pumpkin flavored foods
hugs from my husband
delicious dinners
inquisitive students
family
....because at the end of the day, the little things add up to be big things. I want to LOVE the gifts, big and small, that God places in my life. Like the little girl at church, I want to always find joy in this life, in the One who created it, and in his gifts to us.
There is one little girl who is just cute-as-can-be. Her smile is contagious and she is always happy and excited about anything we do.
Whenever the teacher tells her we are going to do anything, her usual response is, "I LOVE" whatever we are about to do, followed by the cutest little laugh, of pure joy.
Seriously, WHATEVER we are about to.
Teacher: Okay class, let's color our pictures.
Little girl: Yay, I LOVE coloring!!
Teacher: Okay class, let's play follow the leader.
Little girl: Yay, I LOVE follow the leader!!
Teacher: Okay, class, let's cut out our pictures.
Little girl: Yay, I LOVE cutting our pictures!
And my personal favorite...
Teacher: Class, we are going to stay with the bigger kids tonight for class.
Little girl: The bigger kids? The ones who are taller than me?
Teacher: Yes.
Little girl: I LOVE having class with kids who are taller than me!!
My mom says the little girl reminds her of me when I was little....I know what she means. I used to and still can get really excited about things. Mom used to say I was like Tigger because I was always bouncing excitedly all over the place. As I have grown up, however, I find myself slipping more and more into Eeyore world at times, where it is easier to see the glass half empty.
I don't want to live there. I know that this is not my permanent home, and that when I get to heaven one day, the glass will always be not just half full, but completely running over, and overflowing, but I also know that God gives us good gifts now, here on earth and I don't want to overlook them.
Psalms tells us that "he leads us to green pastures" and James says that our "good gifts are from above coming down from the Father of heavenly lights", and yet I am so apt to forget that The One who made the stars cares enough to provide me with everything I need and even the "desires of my heart".
So as I begin to bring up my little boy, I am determined to return to Tigger world and show Micah that I am thankful for not just the big things in my life, but all the little things too....
chubby-cheeked baby kisses
hot coffee on cold mornings
a warm fire in the fireplace
a good conversation with my mom
afternoon sunlight in the fall
pumpkin flavored foods
hugs from my husband
delicious dinners
inquisitive students
family
....because at the end of the day, the little things add up to be big things. I want to LOVE the gifts, big and small, that God places in my life. Like the little girl at church, I want to always find joy in this life, in the One who created it, and in his gifts to us.
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