Sleep like a Baby?

Sleep like a Baby?

As any new parents can tell you, the ecstatic joy a newborn baby brings is always accompanied by grilling challenges. Mine comes in the form of having a beautiful baby who just wouldn’t sleep from dinner time to 2 am every day, who has to be carried in the arms constantly during this patience-trying period of time.

While I was still pregnant, I had this vision of myself being cool, calm and collected whenever my baby cries, assessing the fact that if she is well fed and healthy, there is no cause for concern. Not so. Whenever my baby cries, my poor husband has to tolerate two crying babies in the house. It is indeed like my heart strings being tugged with her every little tear.

However, as my healthy thriving baby gains more and more weight, it is becoming impractical to nurse her in my arms for a quarter of the day. Something has to be done and fortunately, this country really does offer great health care facilities for new mums.

So yesterday I went to this old cottage where two wonderful child health nurses taught me how to teach my baby to go to sleep in a cot. Who would think babies need to learn how to sleep? But apparently they do. Considering that my baby’s mum used to be an insomniac herself (now in my sleep deprived state I can fall asleep anytime), I guess that is fair enough.

Now that we have this new routine, I have to learn to tolerate a lot more crying from my baby. It is the first time I have to give her something that she doesn’t want, causing her to be upset, but it is something that is actually good for her. She needs the good that comes from sleep, which I can provide best for her by teaching her to sleep in her own bed instead of relying on my weak arms which will not be able to hold her for 6 hours a day soon.

(Plus it will give me time to do other things, like keeping the house clean and sitting down to write this blog, for instance)

It is indeed a tough lesson for me, and it helps me to understand that God knows what’s best for me and how He sometimes has to withhold what I think I want in return for giving me what I really need. I may kick up a fuss when I don’t get what I want, but He loves me and so will not give in to my immature desires. God in His wisdom will give me the best; and He has already shown His deepest love to me, by giving me His best – His only son Jesus.

Pansy

To Be Certain
We often feel that we are safe ourselves, that nothing in our lives will change, that anything that happens will be OK and that we have control over it. But how certain are we of this?

We are not alone!
I was recently driving along and saw a sign on the side of a bus about depression. The by-line stated "You are not alone". It got me to thinking about how in our society a person could feel alone...

Swept Away
I live a busy and demanding life. When I am not working for money, I am working on the house or taking kids somewhere or tidying up. I am busy but am I too busy for God?

Sleep like a Baby?
As any new parents can tell you, the ecstatic joy a newborn baby brings is always accompanied by grilling challenges. Mine comes in the form of having a beautiful baby who just wouldn't sleep!

People meeting people
I love humanity! I could sit and watch them all day. I love watching and listening to the interactions around me ...

Parenting is not for the faint hearted!!
Nothing tries me more than being a parent of teenagers!! I particularly hate those times of beligerent indenpendence and disregard for me and my status as parent.

My Perfect Family?
Over the Christmas break I spent some time catching up with my far flung family. We had a great time but we also had our moments.

I would like nothing better than to rest!!
I would like nothing better than to rest and not work. But where in this world can I find the time to do that??!!

10 ways to feel more confident
Recently I have had the opportunity to sit around coffee shops perusing old womens magazines. I'm surprised by how many times the concept of "self-esteem" comes up between the pages. The ideas in the magazine, however, are hardly consistent...

Help! She’s getting married next month!
One of my good friends got engaged last month. And she's getting married next month! On hearing this news, my friends shake their head in disbelief and ask, "How on earth does she expect to get everything ready for the wedding?"

Jim
The other day I watched a good friend of mine die. He had a good run – he was 76 – and knew that death was only a doorway to heaven for him so he was not scared.

Searching jobs by faith
It feels a bit unreal at times, yet this is actually as real as it can get: we all look for jobs, yet we’re not competitors, really!

How much can a pregnant woman whinge?
In the first three months of my pregnancy, I felt ashamed of myself because all I could think about was, "I'm so tired! I feel nauseated! I can't do anything! Just-let-me-get-on-with-life!"

What a week!
What a week! Life gets awfully complicated sometimes. With a family, a house and small business, it doesn't take me long to get that overwhelmed feeling.

Lost child, found something new
My child got lost at pre-school recently, and it was probably the best thing that’s happened to us in a long time.