Today is Kevin’s 25th Birthday. 

Although I always had the tendancy to go for “older men”, I couldn’t have found a more perfect man when I “robbed the cradle” the night we met in back in the summer of 2005 (he is a whopping 6 months younger than me!). 

In my quieter moments, thousands of reasons of why I love him toss through my mind.  In tribute to his special “quarter of a century” day, here’s the top 25.

1. We met at my church…a small church I’ve attended since I was 5 years old.  He is one of the few guys “my age” who had ever even entered our church building..making our meeting that much more special!
2. He hasn’t missed a Sunday morning service since we met (even though I have)
3. His dedication to providing for our family - especially through my layoff, pregnancy, and the birth of Jack
4. He never skips out on work, come rain or shine
5. He never complains…ever.
6. Listening to him pray
7. He has never yelled at me (something I, sadly, can’t say about myself in return)
8. He’s a great listener, and understands me very well
9. When he reads my mind and tells me the obscure thing I just thought
10. He still opens doors for me….after almost 3 years together
11. His wonderful, beautiful, gorgeous face
12. Eyebrows that transition from almost-invisible-light blonde to brown
13. His muscles…and shoulders…oh.my.goooodness.
14. His work-worn, strong, calloused, manly hands
15. The respect & love he shows my parents & extended family
16. He’s very sentimental
17. His kooky fun-loving side
18. His northern accent
19. When he grabs my hand while walking
20. The way he winks at me in a crowded room
21. His silly dancing
22. The sweet songs he makes up about me
23. When he compliments me (especially when I think I look horrible!)
24. The way he still slips me long love notes when I least expect them
25. The love, adoration, and tenderness in his eyes when caring for our newborn son - our first child

Thank you for all that you are to me, Kevin!
Happy 25th Birthday!! 
The past 3 years of knowing you have been an awesome adventure…
I look forward to spending the next 25 with you as well.
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Love, Lisa

I don’t know about all the other mothers out there, but I sure do love being one.

Each day, the gift of motherhood becomes more and more powerful and consuming. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I love Jack even more today than I did when he was born. 

It’s as if a piece of life’s puzzle has appeared and made the picture a little more clearer.

It’s as if my heart is going to burst.

And what’s more incredible to me is that I am someone’s “Mama”.

His mama.

To those who know me in general, I’m “Lisa”.  A 25 year old married lifelong South Carolinian with a barely there occassionally-heavy southern twang.

At my parent’s house, I’m known as Lisa-Bug, their obstinate, slightly messy (probably due to the fact I never cleaned my room as a teen), wear-her-feelings-on-her-sleeve, loveable only child.

In school, I was known as the shy, brainiac, slightly nerdy, never-talked, teacher’s pet.

To my husband’s New York family, I’m known as “Lisa”, the girl they met only a few days before Kevin and I married.

To my husband I’m known as…(ok well, I can’t write that on my son’s blog)..

But to Jack-Evan?

I’m known as Mom.  Mommy.  Mama.  Mother.  The caring, doting, adoring, sings-off-key maternal figure of home.

Not Lisa.  Not Lisa-Bug.   Not girl-I-went-to-school-with. 

He won’t ever care what grades I made or my previous accomplishments.  He may even carry the slightly off-kilter belief that I myself wasn’t born until the day he was.

Forever and eternity he will always see me in his mind and memories as Mom.

 And that is just the most magnificent, unbelievable feeling in the world.

I simply can not believe that this Sunday will mark 4 weeks since Jack, my first baby, was born. So many months went into anticipating his arrival - and now time is flying by now that he is here! Already he has hit milestones (such as lifting his head, staying awake more, refusing to be swaddled, smiling) that makes me feel like I’m already losing my teeny newborn. Gee, if I have this much trouble watching his one month birthday arrive, I can’t imagine what it will be like celebrating his 1 year…or 10 year…birthday!

Today marked another milestone that made even my mom get teary eyed.

Not only did Jack go for the first time to our local ice cream shop with family (where Kevin and I had our first date), he also had his first bath!

Now, one would assume that newborn babies don’t get dirty. Right?

Wrong. With daily spit ups, leaky diapers, and the occassional potty showers during diaper changes (when mommy forgets a peepeeteepee), babies get mighty dirty.

And after a few weeks of nothing more than nightly sponge baths, the sweet baby smell is…just…not…there.

So anyway. It was bath time!

After leaving the ice cream shop, we headed back to my parent’s house (Jack’s “Grammy & Papa”) where I fed Jack and then prepared him for his very first bath.

Whilst he was snoozin’ on daddy’s lap (completely and blissfully unaware about what awaited him), I filled up his little baby tub, got out our little bath kit (Foaming wash, baby shampoo, sponge, rag, lotion…the works!), and of course, the camera.

Then, as Grammy and Papa watched, “Daddy” undressed Jack and carefully set him in the water.

Now, one of the big jokes around here is how much Jack-Evan completely hates to be naked. So, of course, we expected him to start bawling the moment his little nakky tushy hit the tub. But nope…he was a total champ. Not one whimper emerged from him as Kevin and I, together, carefully washed, sponged, and rinsed him off!

With washing (and pictures) done, I wrapped him in his blue towel and prepared to wash his hair.

So here comes the crying, right?

Wrong again.

Talk about taking one for the team! Jack just stared around in amazement as I gently massaged his delicious smelling baby shampoo into his thick, blond hair - and then slowly rinsed it off.

Then…after drying him off completely, I messaged some warm milk & honey scented baby lotion from Grins & Giggles all over Jack-Evan’s baby body and slipped on his pajamas. After a short meal, he was off to dream land where he has been for the past 2 hours (not even waking during our trip home from my parents.)

What a wonderful experience this was! My baby had his first bath & shampoo, and it was a very touching moment for all of us.

I don’t dare hope for all bath times to go this smoothly (as I know they most definately wont!), but I do hope to forever hold this perfect memory in my heart!

(Voiced by 3 week old Jack, but typed by Mommy…of course)

INTRO: Psst…this is Little Jack. I am so glad to be down here in this new world. I miss living in heaven, but God sure did put me with a fun family. I’ve been having a blast the past few weeks! Since this is my blog, I asked mommy if I could describe what a typical week day looks like for me. She said yes! So here is my version of what goes on in my world. Weekends look quite different, (so perhaps I’ll talk about those later.)

——

5:00 AM : Gee, what is up with my parents thinking they should get up so…*yawn*…early! Why can’t they stay here in bed with me? Dad kisses me bye, and says something about this place called work that he must go to. He goes there for a long time when it’s light outside. I miss him.

5:30 - 7:30 AM : Time to eat! But first mommy changes me out of my diaper. It’s chilly in here so I cry to let mommy know how unhappy I am to be naked. The sheet also feels a little squishy. I think my diaper leaked. As much as I hate my diaper being changed, it feels so much better once she’s done… and I snuggle back up close to her.

7:30 AM : Time to eat again! (I get hungry very often)

10:00 AM : I wake up and discover Mommy is gone! Fearing that someone has stolen my mommy from me, I start to cry. Plus, it’s very scary in here by myself! Thankfully, mommy magically reappears as soon as I cry. It seems that she was only in the other room doing some laundry. Good, because I’m hungry again.

11:45 AM : It’s time to wake up for good, and get out of bed. Mommy calls me her little sleepyhead. What she doesn’t realize is that if I could walk, I would have been out of bed hours ago! With my new diaper and playtime clothes on, I’m ready to tackle the world.

12:00 - 5 PM : Playtime! I’m always wide awake for 4-5 hours strait each day, so there is a lot to do and see. Mommy and I do lots of fun things together. Some days she reads books to me, sings special songs, and makes funny faces. Sometimes I lay in her lap while she checks email on the laptop or plays musical CD’s for me (today we’re listening to children’s opera). And other days we pack up and head to Grammy & Papa’s house! Yesterday me and mommy took our first trip alone - we went to the library! Or, at least thats what she told me. I was in my sling on mommy’s chest and had fallen asleep. Oh…let’s not forget breaks to eat and refresh my diaper! At least I don’t cry quite as much any more when my diaper is removed.

5:30 - 7 PM : There is so much excitement in the air!! My daddy is arriving home!! I sure did miss him. As soon as he comes in I yell for his attention. I love it when daddy finally picks my up and cuddles - although I don’t see why he always insists on changing my diaper first. Usually I fall asleep on daddy’s chest as he watches TV. On other days, me, dad, mom, grammy and papa go out to eat. Mom always feeds me before we leave. For some reason she refuses to let me eat food at the restaraunt. I wonder why?

(I love it when I have my mommy and daddy all to myself!)

7:30 - 10:00 PM : Night time is relaxing, so I usually just nap, eat, get changed, and eat some more. Often, you’ll find me curled up on dad’s chest while mommy takes a bubble bath. If we’re still over at gammy & papa’s house, I get to spend time snoozing on papa’s big belly. Life is great!

10:30 PM : It’s bedtime! While mommy brushes her teeth, daddy changes my diaper… then they switch and mommy washes me off, puts on my comfy pajamas, and messages my legs and feet with baby lotion. It sure is relaxing! Mommy always giggles when I stretch my legs and toes out for more. Then it’s time for one last meal and a story book before drifting off to sleep.

ZZZZZzzzzzz….

To most folks, Memorial day weekend means little more than the beginning of backyard summer barbeques and a Monday off.

On this special day, however, we should pause to remember the point for which this day was created - to honor those who have died in battle….to proudly lift up those who’s blood was shed so that our freedom can remain in place.

Whether you are a staunch American patriot or not, you probably know a military service person who has offered up their skills, time, health and, perhaps, life, to the American cause.  I know I do.  My father served in the army, most of my uncles served other branches, with two of those uncles serving in the vietnam war (one of whom received a purple heart after being buried alive). 

Men and women throughout the history of America have fought to protect our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - our individual freedom. 

Today we celebrate them.

And what symbol bespeaks of their sacrifice the best?

Our beautiful flag…Old Glory.  When we honor our flag, we honor the thousands upon thousands who have shed their blood so that we may retain the ideals that it stands for.

But how many of us in today’s society truly know how to show honor to the flag that we all are so familiar with?

You do so by following the standards of respect and behavior set forth for that flag.

And here they are:

• The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.
• The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.
• The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard.
• The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations.
• The flag should never have placed on it, or attached to it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind.
• The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

Please visit www.USflag.org for more flag information. 

Hello.

My name is Lisa and I am a blogger.

*clears throat*

My story begins well over 2 decades ago when my technogeek uncle - who happens to be my godfather as well - gave me my first robot.

….for my first birthday….

Yes.  I said for my first birthday.

My.

First.

Birthday.

THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE

It was an “Armatron” and could pick up things with it’s little hand.  When I was 5 years old, he also presented me with my first computer - a Tandy series keyboard that plugged into the television.  I remember him telling us that computers were “the wave of the future”.  That was 1987.   At that time, long (pages and pages) of almost undecipherable code was needed to run a 3 second script on that particular Tandy model - and that code had to be hand typed.  I remember sitting there for hours pecking along on the keyboard just to hear the robotic tones to Mary Had a Little Lamb.

It was 1980’s high tech excitement at it’s best, folks.  The PC had not yet hit mainstream, the name Bill Gates would still elicit a “WHO??” and even usenet was in it’s infancy.  Yet there I was, a 5 year old little girl enthralled by the coded wonders of what I could make computers do.

It was from this same uncle that I received my first real PC - complete with a paid 3 years subscription to America Online 2.0 - in the humble year of 1996.  Myspace, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Amazon, and the other heavy hitters of today were yet to be heard of.  

In those days our high school teacher did not even allow the internet to be used as a source of information for anything.  “It can’t be trusted!” they would shout.

CAN THE INTERNET BE TRUSTED?

Over the years, I have heard this refrain of “It can’t be trusted!” shouted time and time again by those from the generation “above me” (people who are over 40).  Along with that same statement also comes comments such as “You’ll be stalked”, “The internet is junk”, “There are nothing but weirdos and creeps on that internet”,  and even “The internet is nothing but the devil”.

Throughout the years, I have noticed that these statements typically come from those who have never owned a computer, owned a computer but never had internet, or owned a computer but never focused on learning more about the internet culture.  I’ve been lectured time and time again by those older than me who could not understand why I wasted time online, enjoyed networking with old friends on myspace, or blogging.  Once I even spent nearly an hour under the lecture of a woman (who I truly respected) that felt it was her duty to warn me and some friends of the perversion of myspace and how only “trash” went on that “nasty site”.

My response?  The internet - whether myspace, a personal blog, web pages, or other internet subplace - is what the human in charge makes it out to be….just like in the real world.  We have high society and we have the slums.  And best of all, you can choose “where” you go!

All throughout world history, new technology has evoked a primal fear from those who are unwilling to accept change in the way society communicates, evolves, or mobilizes itself.  Even the Model T Ford was once feared by many for it’s loud noises and speed!  It was an invention of the devil. 

YOU MUST LEARN HOW TO “PLAY THE GAME”

After 12 years online, building websites, networking, using chatrooms, managing message boards, and running ecommerce businesses, I have finally found the answer to whether the internet can be trusted.

Yes it can…AND…No it can’t.

The world wide web is a whole culture in and unto itself.  And to delve into the internet culture, you must learn the rules of the game.  You wouldn’t go into a foreign country without studying up on something about their culture, would you? The same applies to going online!  The internet is made up of the same exact things that this physical offline world is made of - human words, human emotions, human communication, human intellect, human knowledge and human history.

Both good and bad.

To avoid blogs, myspace, or the internet in general based solely on the blatant fear that a “stalker will get you” or “it can’t be trusted”  is akin to walking everywhere you go because you are afraid of getting into a car wreck.  

Dangers are everywhere in life!  Just like you learn to stop at red lights to avoid hitting a car at an intersection, you simply have to learn what dangers to avoid online as well.

STAYING SAFE AND HAPPY ONLINE

Here are some tips I’ve taken to heart over the years.  Many are just basic, common sense rules that we follow every day offline as well.  Keep them in mind whether you run a blog, website, or simply have an email address!  Of course many business owners / professional people online give out their full names and locations every day - and that’s fine for building confidence in the buying public.  This list is just for those who are concerned about the perceived “threats” of the internet.

1. Don’t publicly give out your last name.  However, it’s common in internet culture to give one’s first name.  Honestly, unless you’re Madonna, no one truly cares enough about you to want to know more.  (Do you have any idea how many Kims, Lisas, or Michelles blog each and every day?  Although you may think it’s unique, chances are there is absolutely nothing identifiable about your first name!)  And if someone does ask for your full name, politely tell them you don’t give personal information out.  Or say your last name is Maphibosheth-Wahooza.  In my 12 years online I’ve only had one person demand my last name.  I demanded that she needed her head examined. If you are ultra-concerned, give yourself and family members a fake Pen name.  One of my favorite bloggers derrives their pen names from the Peter Pan story!
2. Don’t tell your city / specific location.  Telling your state is common online as many people just like a frame of reference when speaking to someone or when they read your blog.
3. If someone bugs you, you don’t have to talk to them!  This one is a biggie.  If you encounter someone who is rude or obnoxious, you simply do not have to respond.  Put their email on block list, or hit “ignore” if it’s on a message board.  It took me years to learn this simple, stress free rule!  You owe NO ONE an answer online.
4. Put your myspace account on private, and set up your myspace inbox to where only friends can send email.  Everyone does this nowadays!  And be very cautious as to who you allow on your friends list.  There is usually no reason to allow a pure stranger access to your myspace account.
5. If you own your own domain name, make sure it is private in the WHOIS database.  If that’s not possible, put fake information (or a PO Box) in the contact area when you purchase your domain. 
6. Do not post pictures of your street or front of your home on your blog or website. 
7. Be cautious what you say online about someone as it can easily be found.   Talking about someone online is the fastest way to discover the “creeps” of the internet!  Feel free to air your dirty laundry, but never air someone else’s dirty laundry.  The same goes for publicly posting personal information or private photos of friends without knowing if they would approve.
8. Be cautious in what you say online about yourself.  Many, many employers use google to their advantage to search out incriminating information on future employees!
9. Google your full name and even your online penname every once in a while.  You want to ensure things being said “by you” are actually being said…by you.  Identity theft online is far more prevelant than the oft feared stalker who shows up at your physical doorstep!
10. Don’t give the names of places you frequent, your doctor’s real name, your child’s school, or any other identifiable “landmark” in your daily life.  Unless, of course, the only place you frequent is Walmart, since we all know there is practically one on every street in America.
11. Your children do not yet know the cultural “do’s and don’ts” to survive alone in the real offline world - don’t let them wander online by themselves either!  Children should never have unsupervised access to the internet.  Their trusting nature and desire to make friends will make it harder to say “no” to a scrupulous covert pervert trying to pry personal information out of them.  Their curious nature also makes them more susceptible to wandering into the more slummy areas of the world wide web as well (bomb making pages, cult information, pornography, and not-so-family-friendly areas).
12. Never become too complacent.  As with our offline world as well, dangers still lurk and bad situations sometimes do occur.  Never become so emotionally involved with an internet chat room, message board, or blog that you are unable to pull yourself away permanently! 

Just like you would in the real world, keep your eyes sharp, know where you are at, guard your family, protect your home, stay safe, and keep your mental road map in mind should you need to “drive home” from the depths of the vast information highway!

Thursday was a busy day for us.  Company was coming for the weekend, and my house was a mess. 

Three weeks of focusing on learning “new parent” skills had left our usually tidy home in quite a disarray of dishes, dust, and disorder!  And as of Thursday morning, things still did not look presentable.  Therefore, as you can imagine, my pride-of-home self conciousness took over and I was in a mad, hurried dash to get things done.

And, as you can also imagine, the mad hurried cleaning dash does not always fit well when you have a 3 week old nursing infant to care for!  By 2 pm, I was in a terrible mood.  Nothing was getting done, the dryer was broke, the guest bed hadn’t been set up, and a good ol’ fashion pity party was starting to set in.  

“Why should I have to do all this?  It’s not fair.  Kevin should have thought to do this…and this…and this.  He should…,”  my mind began to fume as I began to lose site of all my husband truly does for us.  All I could think of was that I was tired, all alone with a messy house and cranky baby, my husband wasn’t due home until 8 pm, and company was expected by 9 pm. 

All I could think of was how embarrassed I would be if our company saw our home in it’s less than perfect state.

I was living in the moment while worrying about a future event and anger was taken over.  I felt like stomping.  I felt like crying.  It was only due to the fact that my parents came over for a couple of hours to watch Jack-Evan for me that I kept my sanity.

Not only was I frustrated, I was frustrated with being frustrated.  What was wrong with me?  Where’s the do-it-all-super-mom gene at in me?  Had it bypassed my DNA?  For the upteenth time in the past few weeks, as I looked around at all the work left to be done, I felt useless.  And it seemed like time was standing still in the midst of my uselessness.

Why is it when we anticipate an unknown future, worry, frustration, and dispair sets in?  Like the Apostle Paul warned about in Ephesians, when we let frustration get to us, we are weakened in spirit and the devil gains a foothold.

Instead of focusing on the knowledge that I had many hours left to ensure things were tidy….Instead of focusing on the fact that our company was coming to see us and our son - not a perfect home…Instead of resting in the strength and peace God provides when we ask it of him… I was giving the devil a foothold, and I was making myself miserable. 

One lesson my mom has always taught me is that only WE can allow ourselves to be miserable - meaning, we as individuals have a choice over how we react inwardly to any situation.  Either we can choose to submit to our human weakness and let misery enter, or we can choose to look toward God and his peace during trying times. 

It took my husband’s own kindness to return my focus that evening.  As he returned home (after being away working for over 15 hours), I found myself spouting an array of “do-this” and “do-thats” before saying hello. 

And what did he do? 

He just smiled, kissed us both hello, and pulled out a small goody bag of presents.  After his long, tiring day, he had swung by the store and picked up a stuffed monkey and two books for Jack, as well as a lovely woman’s christian devotional book for me.

“I remember you said your dad use to surprise you with small gifts once in a while after returning from work, and I want to carry on that tradition with you and our son.” he said.

I felt immediately convicted - especially since the first devotional I turned to after opening my new book was entitled “Freedom from Worry”.

We both had a tiring, rough day - yet here I was, allowing selfishness to enter my heart, while my husband had focused on selflessness. 

In that moment, my husband showed me a good picture of how a Christian husband shelters and protects his wife, and he became an example of Christ - not because of the physical gift he gave - but because of his unselfish showing of love, and how he had sensed my needs that day.  Just as Psalm 40:2 paints a picture of God’s protective love for us, that day it also represented my sweet husband. ”He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” 

And you know what?  All of the cleaning was done before company arrived.  The worry and distress had been all for naught.  
 

Yesterday was quite an exciting day around here.  As my mother and father arrived over at my house for their daily visit with Prissy (my dad’s yorkie), mom said (with a bit of curiosity in her voice)…

“You have a package on your porch…”

Hrm.

Who would send me a package?  I had thought the days of receiving baby gifts were already over. 

Excitedly, I ripped open the cardboard box and found…

Another cardboard box.

‘Cept this one was a very very very cutesy deep blue one with a neon green ribbon attatched.  The attatched card noted that the gift would help me avoid Jack’s ever present 3 foot streams while diaper changing.

(Excitement builds)

After carefully untying the ribbon, I find the real deal.

And I mean, the really. real. deal.

An honest-to-gollyreal life, mass marketed, 5-to-a-pack PEEEEE PEEEE TEEE PEEE set!!!  All I need to do is just slap one of these absorbant babies over my Jack’s little manhood, and no-more-potty-mouth.

My awesome friend Tracy, whom I use to work with, had sent us the surprise gift.  :)  THANKS TRACY!!  (Jack says “goo ga coo”, which of course means “Thanks!” too.)

With all of the world calling out, fresh and new in the eyes of a baby, now’s the best time to start your infant on the road to conversation.  And I don’t mean “conversation” in a way that will turn your baby into a reading Einstein at 6 months of age.

I’m talking about relationships - guiding infants into a world of words that will stay with him throughout life, and show him how to relate to other humans through our gift of speech.

So how do you converse with someone who’s noises consist entirely of grunts, burps, farts, and whining?  The same way many of us do with our husbands - only with a bit more enthusiasm. :) 

Just talk!  And keep talking.  Pause at times to allow him to respond (a coo, sigh, or arm jiggle)….then talk some more. 

But what, may you ask, should you talk about?  Anything.

NARRATE YOUR DAY

Are you changing a diaper?  Walking through the park?  Listening to the radio, or buckling a seat belt?  Describe what is going on.  Tell your baby what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how you are doing it.  He may not understand right at this moment, but you are exposing him to an important facet of human existance - language, vocabulary, and grammatical structure.  His ears are tuning in and brain cells are rapidly firing to make way for the connections that will enable speech and understanding later on. 

Studies have shown that babies and toddlers understand far more words than they are able to vocalize.  Just because  your infant can not say “tree” doesn’t mean you can’t tell him what the gigantic, fascinating brown and green moving thing in the park is.  Describing your day and naming objects in your baby’s environment in such a manner is a wonderful, caring way to hold conversations with your baby.  Using proper nouns for everything is preferred (”Mommy’s bag”, “Jack’s diaper”) as babies have a hard time grasping the mental concept of pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).

Also, be careful to avoid ungrammatical baby talk such as the “Wookey at the wittle bitty witty kkkuuutee ducky”.  Although using a high pitched mothering voice is fine (as babies tend to prefer a more femalish voice), speaking in baby gibberish has been shown to actually slow verbal development in children. 

MAKING UP SILLY SONGS

Don’t have a Celine Dion voice?  Your baby won’t care.  Sing till your heart’s content!  If you know how to rhyme two words (or even if you don’t know how to rhyme), you can make up songs to sing to your infant.  At this stage, the sound of mommy or daddy’s voice is the most comforting, beloved thing in his small world.  Sing-song-y melodies introduce rhythm and music into his brain, stimulating special cell connections.

In our home, each of our family members (even our pets) have their own “special song” that gets sung to them.  The songs are just short, rhyming ditties sung to a familiar tune - but it offers a comfort that can’t be found in mass marketed songs and it creates a special bond with our family.

For instance, Jack’s song goes like this:

Mommy loves her baby,
Her tiny little baby,
Mommy loves her baby,
And Daddy loves him too.

Yes we love our baby,
Our beautiful little baby,
Yes we love our baby,
Jack-Even Elijah (Insert Our Last Name Here).

If you aren’t comfortable with making up songs, feel free to borrow any one of the magnificent children’s songs you remember from childhood (B-I-N-G-O, The itsy bitsy spider, Old McDonald, This Old Man, Row Row Row Your Boat) or head over to Walmart and pick up one of their $7.00 preschool CD’s.  The 150 adorable children songs on there are well worth the small investment if your memory for childhood tunes has faded!

RECITING POETRY

There is nothing more fun than poetry that rhymes.  Silly poetry that rhymes make it even more fun.  Poetry can be recited at any time, any place, and anywhere.  Since Jack was born, I have been reading the Care Bears Book of Bedtime Poetry, which is filled with wonderful children’s sleepytime poetry from such great authors such as A.A. Milne and Robert Louis Stevenson.  During car rides, I plug in Jack’s MP3 player to the car speakers and play a cute hour long MP3 filled with the best-ever children’s poetry set to a story line and music.  And during his wakeful hours and playtime, I recite to him various little poems (such as Pat-a-Cake, Baker’s Man) complete with little hand motions.  As an adult, reciting poetry will help calm nerves as well as bring a smile to your face and a laugh to your voice - which in turn, teaches your infant the needed social skill of smiling and laughing!

And of course the best source to obtain quality children’s poetry is from none other than the fabulous Mother Goose collection.  (Get thee to Amazon and purchase a Goose anthology if you don’t have one already!)

READ, READ, AND READ SOME MORE

Reading opens up a vast amount of knowledge and many unique worlds.  Introduce you baby early to literature of all kinds!  Read aloud while nursing, during playtime, and even while sleeping (a sleepin infant’s brain is as active as when awake - processing, building connections, and growing!).

“But they don’t pay attention or don’t understand!”  you might exclaim.

Who cares?  Just like with narrating your day, the point of reading to your baby at this stage is not to have a rapt audience during your monologue of The Bearenstein Bears, but to introduce your infant to the rich world of language and vocabulary.  Also, for babies, you have the distinct advantage of being able to read a much wider variety of literature from the New York Times to Richard Scary to Plato.  Books on tape are also great choices for car rides and naptime, and can be easily be found in dollar stores and libraries nationwide. If you don’t have access to a public library or Dollar Tree, Amazon.com sells a few books as MP3 downloads and Audible has a fabulously large children’s collection, with full score music, rich voices, and appropriate sounds animating the story. A search on Google or About.com will score you many free children’s MP3 books as well - one of our all time favorites so far is Madeline.

Exposure to language is the goal - a child cannot understand a word he has never heard, and he cannot hear that word unless someone says it to him.

Again, you will not have a rapt audience (unless the visuals in Goodnight, Moon enchant him so much that he can’t tun away!) and your baby may just find more pleasure in staring at your animated face - but be assured his ears -and brain- are tuned in to the strange new sounds your voice is making!

An infant is a marvelous creature.

On one hand, they are completely helpless and dependant on adults for care.  Left alone, they will starve to death or die from some other calamity.   Unlike many other mammals, a human infant can not care for himself after a few months, go to the bathroom, eat alone, or leave his mother.  It takes years for them to master the skills they need to live independantly.

The youngest infants (those less than 3 months) are so “helpless” they can not even sit up, hold their head up, see clearly, or (for most) show a reaction to most of the world’s typical stimuli.

Does this make them void blobs of nothingness?

Absolutely not.

A tiny infant, although dependant for all of their basic needs, is like a large sponge, soaking up his entire world.  And what a vast world it is!

Looking through the eyes of an infant, everything is re-born.  It’s new, fresh, and exciting. 

• Lighted, twirling ceiling fans are a magical thing
• Flower on the couch just has to be watched
• Edges of shelves call out to be stared at for hours
• A familiar face is the most comforting thing in the world
• Stroking mommy or daddy’s skin puts you to sleep
• A door slamming causes jumps
• Fingers and hands yearn to be moved, folded and stretched over and over
• Voices, with their strange new sounds, are fabulous things to ponder
• Mirrors are doorways to another world
• There is no shame or embarrassment over anything
• Learning to poopie is rough!

Before Jack was born, I hadn’t been around an infant for more than 5 minutes since I was a teenager.  And it had been well over 14 years since I had spent an extra amount of time personally caring for one.  Because of this, I had no idea what to expect with having to live with a baby 24/7.

I especially didn’t know what to expect living with a boy baby!  All of the babies I had been around had been girls.  What in the world would I do with a boy?

I’ve learned quickly, however, how fascinating a little baby boy can be!  Although he’s not even 3 weeks old yet, the things he does proves that infants are not just the helpless little fragile things that some may view them as.

Jack’s repertoire of body movements, noises, grunts, and actions are more fun to watch than the Super Bowl (well, at least in my opinion).  When he’s a little tired, a huge yawn emerges.  After laying in one position for a while, he’ll stretch in a cat-like arch better than most gymnasts, and when he’s content his arms flop at his side while his eyes close halfway.  The voices of those he loves causes his head to turn in that direction, he can fold his hands together perfectly (interlocking his fingers just-so-sweetly), and behind his eyes lay the innocence of life.

They are far more than helpless creatures!  An infant comes with a zest for life and a personality just as huge.  They are angels on earth, giving us a glimpse of far simpler times - taking us briefly once more back to the slendor and innocence of Eden.

How can anyone harm these magnificent God-sent beings?