The New Year

'Tis the New Year! Penny is almost 5 months old! What a great baby she is! She pretty much sleeps through the night. She only cries when she is hungry... I mean, she yells and shouts when she is annoyed or angry, but doesn't cry. She's pretty good with other people holding her besides me and Josh. We can leave her and know that whoever has her will be okay because Penny will behave...

I need to start working on my patience as a mommy this new year. Not with Penny. I am patient with her. I mean patience with friends and family who are just trying to help. If I refer to something you may have said on my Facebook or to me in person or message, please don't be offended. Because, quite frankly, you aren't the only person who said it! Yes, I hear all kinds of "advice" and "warnings" whenever I say or post anything. I know that they are merely stated because I don't have any children to reference and Josh and I are new to this parenting thing. But sometimes I just get so aggravated reading it, thinking that the people doling out the advice must think we are simply stupid in raising our child. I realize that is not the case. I realize it is friends and family trying to help. But it still gets me. I need to learn to not take it as an attack against my parenting skills. 

For instance, and I did this myself BEFORE I even got pregnant! The co-sleeping thing. We don't do it. Penny sleeps in her bed. She may lay with me if I am not ready to get up yet and we may fall asleep, but it is not a regular thing and I wouldn't call it "sleep" because I worry I am going to crush her. I used to tell my friends that sleeping with your baby in the bed is just crazy! You are asking for a constant sleeping partner besides your husband... who should ALWAYS be your sleeping partner. Your relationship with your husband should be more important because (hopefully) he will be there after/if your kid moves out! But I get it... the people who do it... I get it. There is nothing sweeter than watching my little girl scoot herself closer to me when we are laying together. But no, we don't sleep together and thank you for the advice on why we should/shouldn't. 

The hot tub. My God, the hot tub. Do people REALLY think I would put my baby in a hot tub at full temperature? I don't even do that! But, when I think about it, I shouldn't be so quick to snap at them. Some people may not even think about that and actually DO put their baby in a boiling hot tub of water! We see the news all the time and see what people do to their kids, on accident and on purpose! So, now I get it. People are stupid and do stupid things with their kids. I promise, we don't. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting my other half, Josh, I will tell you this: Josh don't play. He researches EVERYTHING. He is cautious and vocal about all he has found, using doctor advice and information from credible sources. When I suggested the hot tub thing to him due to a friend of mine putting her kids in at an early age, he went straight to research. He researches sounds Penny makes. He researches information obtained from other friends who have had kids, such as using Vicks for congestion. I promise, if we are doing anything with our baby, Josh has looked into the pros and cons. 

While there are so many things for me to take to arms, those 2 were pretty soft. I mean, I got irritated, but nothing too bad. Just mentioned it and that was it. And there were others that annoyed me but I got over them. I need to do better at not letting them get to me. But then Penny got sick. And people thought it was a good thing to tell me to check in with Penny's doctor. REALLY? Do you really think I wouldn't check into that already? With all the flu deaths and illnesses in kids? I am a first time parent (even though I count myself at helping with Taylor as a baby) and everything she does I email the doctor about! They KNOW me at the doctor's office because of my own hypochondriac ways... now I have a baby! Not only a baby, but a baby that I have wanted for 12 years! A baby we had to pay to help us create! A baby that I have dreamed of! The sweetest, most treasured, miracle baby that we created! Took us 8 years to even make her!! OF COURSE I have checked with her doctor! The first sniffle and I was on the phone! Did we take her in? No. She had no symptoms to worry about. This whole cold she has been all smiles. She gets cranky but just sleeps it off, as most of us do with a cold. No fever. She eats fine. The doctor has been kept in the loop. And even she doesn't think we need to bring her in, unless it would make US feel better. Why does this advice bother me so much? I mean, it's harmless. It's not said to be mean. But to me? I take it as judging my parenting skills. And I take it inside and it burns. And then I tell myself not to post anymore. Don't share anything about it anymore. Don't give any details. How dumb is that?

Which leads me back to my original statement:  I need to start working on my patience as a mommy this new year. No one is judging me. And if they are, I shouldn't care because this is me and Josh's baby and we are doing what WE know is right. 

On that note, thank you all for your advice and help. If I haven't said that before, I am saying it now. It HAS helped me. It has made me realize that I have so many people who care for us. All of you who even respond to our posts, letters and conversations show you care. The fact that you took the time to respond and offer advice is amazing and we are truly blesses to have you in our lives. I am sorry if I was ever short with any of your posts or thoughts. It came from a person who felt they were being judged and not loved and cared for. Thank you.

And now, I am off to go do some homemaker stuff while my precious gift sleeps on her daddy. What a wonderful year this is going to be!