It’s safe to say that Life With the Lamberts is different nowadays. Analyzing poop is just one of the many things I never imagined I’d do, but has now become a routine part of life as a Mama. Other thoughts, sayings, or behaviors that fall under this category include, but are not limited to:
· Doing a double take at a BOB in the Charleston Farmer’s Market. That’s a NICE stroller…
· Constantly asking myself, “How much time do I have?” as in: what can I accomplish between baby’s feedings?
· “It’s your turn.”
· Playing the game Things with unmarried friends at a Bachelorette party. The category is “Things that should not be shared.” First thought that comes to mind: breast pump. (NOTE: I did not submit this response. It would have been a dead giveaway in that crowd!)
· Grocery shopping wearing a Tshirt with spit-up on it. And not caring one bit.
· When bringing baby to a public gathering, always formulating a “meltdown” exit strategy upon arrival.
· Defining success according to sleep. Adequate sleep for Ava, Paul, and Erika=a good day. (Thank you Dr. Weissbluth. And thank you to the Moms who got me on the Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child train.)
The first six weeks of Ava’s life were simply ridiculous. Paul was finishing year 2 of dental school, which was a very challenging time for him. He had to devote tons of time to studying for his National Boards exam (he PASSED!) After my Mom and Grandma left Charleston, I felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants as a parent. Thank God for babycenter.com! Ava has acid reflux and it is just as awful as everyone says it is. She rarely slept early on, and cried most of the time when she was awake. Poor thing! There was not much we could do to help her.
Fast forward to present day, and those early challenges seem like a distant memory. It took us several weeks, but baby and I finally got the hang of the whole breastfeeding thing. Ava sleeps wonderfully at 7pm each night. Paul is a 3rd year, so he is actually practicing dentistry at school and that is rewarding for him. We were so proud to see Paul get his white coat in July J Plus, he has a lot more time at home. I got a great new job as an Assistant Coach at Charleston Southern University. That was a total blessing! I started believing God for a promotion back in January, without any real reason to believe that a position would open up for me. But the God we serve calls things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17). So…Go Bucs!!
My heart melts each morning when I get Ava from her nursery. She is always happy, rolling around in her crib and grabbing her toes with the SWEETEST smile on her face. I put her on the changing table and we have our usual morning “conversation.” Then I get to dress her in some precious little girl clothes and we sing the “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” song to start the day. I’ll be honest, even though I love to sing I have a hard time coming up with songs to sing to Ava. I can never remember the words to a whole song, so I invent some interesting medleys!
This has been a summer of celebrations: Ava’s birth, Paul’s White Coat ceremony, my little brother’s high school graduation, the Cafarchio wedding, the Brown wedding, and our 3rd anniversary. That is a whole lot of JOY! We have been able to enjoy this time because we’ve had a LOT of help from family and friends. Thank you so much for the encouragement, gifts, dinners, prayers, and babysitting.
Veteran parents have warned me that just when you think you’ve got the hang of things, babies’ needs change and you have to learn something completely new. That is very true. We’re smooth sailing for now but next up: solid foods! And then the real test: parenting during basketball season. When I’ve had a particularly demanding day, I have often asked myself, “How do you do this with multiple children?!” For now, we’re just taking it step by step, and cherishing the precious moments.
Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. Proverbs 14:26
