Mummy is always right after all

I suppose every mother feels the same way when she gives birth. It's like the old saying "to become a mother is to have your heart forever go wandering outside your body". It's the truth. I look over at the crib now and I see my heart sleeping away, sucking on his fingers, the tiny Tigger toy never far from reach. The amazing part of all of this was that when Manny was born I never once second guessed myself or how I was doing something - for this same reason. I know what he wants, he's an extension of me. From day five he's had a toasty evening bubble bath, a massage with scented oil, been powdered and fed and snuggled and tucked into bed. Why you ask? Because that's how I would want to spend my evenings, that's why! He rarely wears hats, unless they are super cute with fluffy ears. Most of the time he wears hoodies. Why? Because I would want to wear fluffy ears and hoodies! When I am leaving him alone for a few minutes I simply tell him where I am going and when I'll be back and he rarely cries while I am gone. If I forget to tell him then I have a problem and he gets unsettled. I don't think he understands the words (of course!) but I think he understands the reassurring tone. When he cries I hold him close and whisperingly, I ask him what is wrong. And he tells me. He scrunches his little body or he tries to suckle my ears or he lets out his tired sob. I've never second guessed my ability to communicate with my baby, understand his cries and know what is best for him. Until this last fortnight.

This last fortnight I've received so much advice from so many places! I don't know what happened, it was like the flood gates opened and whooooosh - out it all came. And for the first time I began to doubt myself. Maybe that cry didn't mean what I thought, maybe I've been wrong all this time? He's such a strong boy, maybe he really does need to sleep less? Could it be that I'm actually freezing my baby by dressing him in only two layers? Sure I'm wearing only a teeshirt but still...

Needless to say, it hasn't been a rosy two weeks. He hasn't slept right. He hasn't been feeding normally. And he seemed fussy. I didn't realise what had happened until the other night I was washing dishes and it clicked! I felt all tossed and unsettled and confused and I thought to myself, "Where has this come from? Why do I suddenly feel like this?". The verse came to mind, "Be still and know that I am God." I was definitely not still. Well, well, well! I thought to myself. So that's what is wrong.

 I took a few deep breaths, closed my eyes, and asked the Lord to calm me. Manny cried. It was his I'd Like Someone To Talk To Cry (he's very social - doesn't get that trait from me ;-). Yes, I do believe that babies have different cries and if we are in tune to them we can pick up on what is wrong (at least, my baby does ;-). It was the first time in over a week I had recognised his cry, what joy! I was so happy.

I have an older friend who is a great example to me, especially while I am so far away from family and friends with babies. She has had five children of her own and certainly knows what's what with babies. But when she holds Manny and he begins to cry she says, quietly and assuringly, "Oh, you need your mummy. Your mummy will know what is wrong with you." Once he was crying and I truly wasn't sure why. She handed him to me and said, "You'll know. You'll always know. You are his mother." I raised my eyebrows at her confidence in me, but how I appreciated it!

We've been having trouble with Manny sleeping for the last week, as in, waking six times a night trouble. Last night I decided to stop listening to everyone else and go back to what I had been taught by a sweet midwife when Manny was less than a week old. Out went the rice cereal, out went the fancy new bedtime ideas. I just did what I have always done and what do you know - we had a great night.

I'm not always going to be right, and I'll definitely make alot of mistakes raising our children. All parents do. But a loving kind mother is never deliberately going to do something to hurt her baby - we're always looking for good ideas and helpful hints. Every Christian mummy has the leading of the Holy Spirit and her own instinct to guide her as to what is right, at this time, for this baby. So tonight I have a restored confidence in my ability to be a mum. It was scary being out on the tempestuous sea of self-doubt. If you are a mummy and you are doubting yourself - please don't! We can do it! We can raise a generation of happy, healthy, contended, confident Christians that will grow up loving the Lord.

And to close, a photo of the old confident me, two or three days after Manny was born. Baby in one hand, makeup in the other, getting all spruced up for vistors :-D

Mission Accomplished!

It's been an insane last few weeks with everything that's been going on. Even Chris looked at my calendar last Tuesday and said, "whoa, you got a lot happening". For Chris to think there's alot happening, there has to be ALOT happening!

So anyway, Item Number Favourite was decorating for the Ladies Seminar at Liberty Baptist. Funnily enough the theme came to me pretty quickly since I was onto a new craze (the distressed look) and had, unknowingly to me, already made what was to become the first of the "Spiritual Gift" signs for the tables. I love that I was given free reign - who doesn't love an empty canvas?

As you can see - I had alot of fun with this one!

The candles, birdcages and candle holders were purchased on midyear or closing down sales, the green picture frame with the meeting details was a second hand shop find, and all the signs were hand painted and distressed.

I have two favourite features, other than the obvious birdcages. The favours and the nests.

Since my last trimester with Handsome Little Darling I've managed to stay pretty on top of my game by doing things in advance, working out a schedule for things that need to be accomplished and working bit by bit. I know - WEIRD! Since when did I have a schedule?! Little Miss I Work Best Under Pressure has finally had to stop deliberately leaving things until the last minute. I sure miss the adrenaline ;-) I don't mind admitting that being responsible like this with a schedule has made me feel old. The secret to never aging is to never have a schedule. There. I said it. There is no magical water fountain.

So the day before the seminar I'm all happy-chappy (and slightly depressed) with the knowledge that everything is done except three signs need to be sanded and the boxes packed with birdcages. And then I start wondering why I don't have favours. I don't need favours. Never planned on them so no need to bother. But of course the night before I had been browsing wedding blogs (as you do during feeds) for inspiration and came across a couple of cool ideas that just needed to be combined, shook up, and given a little twist to be made perfect. Next thing you know I'm strapping Manny into his car seat and dragging him out to Spotlight. Less than 24 hours before showtime.

I absolutely adore these favours. It took a few hours of work as I used regular brown paper lunch bags and just refolded to suit my vision. The flowers are not paper. And that is the coolest part. The flowers design is on fabric. And not just any fabric. It's a fabric that I saw while in Rockhampton and fell head over heels with but couldn't justify buying (I wanted it for a skirt but decided that until I made a skirt with the fabric I had I couldn't buy more. I know, I know, what has happened to me?!). So I brought half a metre of this beautiful design and only used a quarter. The little cards were printed on some paper that I have been dragging around for over three years in a stationary collection, and was originally from Mrs Steers who brought the papers in America. All this time I have held to the faith that one day, one day the Lord would show me a use for them. And this was the day! The green went perfectly with the fabric and helped to tie in my second-hand picture frame, which as you can see was lined with the same flower fabric.

Inside the favour bags was a lady-sized caramel slice and a Dilmah Exceptional Berry Teabag. Just the thing a hardworking wife or mother needs for a treat!

The gorgeous nests were a gift from the Lord just as I was packing the car to leave. I had seen some nests during my midnight wedding-blogging, made from Spanish Moss, so in the morning I searched the yard for anything that might do. No spanish moss. I was disappointed but not altogether suprised so I just went on with preparations. However, as I was walking in the main house entrance (I normally use the side door) I noticed something long and beautiful hanging from the tree nearest the steps. Sure enough, Spanish Moss! Or at least, something resembling it enough that I was able to pluck it off the tree and whip up a nest in seconds. In goes the egg and suddenly you have something deliciously shabby-chic!

The driving motive behind making everything beautiful came from a lesson taught to me by a sweet, hardworking missionary lady (that would be YOU Miss Shari!). She taught me that when you do anything for a ladies meeting it should be done perfectly, because ladies spend so much of their time serving. They serve their husbands, their children, and their bosses constantly, so it is special to give them some nice time-out. I remembered that lesson over and over as I sat watching my little son and folding favour bag after favour bag. The reward came as I sat in for the luncheon and talked with people. One young mum approached me and started chatting away. Then she said, "I love coming out to ladies meetings like this. It's the only time my husband can watch the boys so I really savour it. The beautiful decorations and the sweet bags make it extra special, it's a real treat."

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;" Romans 12:10.