I'm going to be a mean mom

Here I am at 3am, pumping my little heart out. lol A lot of things have happened around me that have really made me evaluate the kind of mother I am and will be, and I have come to the conclusion that I am going to be a mean mom...just like my mom. This poem was given to me a few years back and my mother was in my head the whole time I was reading it. My mom has definitely not been the perfect mom. I don't think there is such a thing, but what a great example God has given me to follow. Chad and I were talking the other day about how we want to raise our kids, and the one thing we both agreed was the most important thing, was to raise them with love. I know that sounds like a given..we are parents, we love our kids, of course they have to be raised with love. But we looked a little deeper into the word. Love is being concerned with their well-bieng, as well as being concerned with the type of friends they have, where they are, their grades, it's not only giving them food to eat, but also being able to sit down and eat with them. Not just telling them that we love them, but being affectionate and making sure they not only hear that they are loved every single day, but that the feel it as well. Love is not forcing them to go to church, but introducing them to Christ and teaching them to live through Him. Love is not being their friend, they will have many of those, but to be their parent....because not every person with a child really knows the true meaning of the word. I think that we both have some great footsteps to follow in, and I hope that we set the same example for our kids. I really do want to be a mean mom....

The Meanest Mother In the World
I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate
candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. When others
had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can
guess, my supper was different than the other kids' also.
But at least, I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two
brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd
think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and
where we were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, that
we be gone one hour or less--not one hour and one minute. I am nearly
ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but each
time we had a mind of our own and did as we pleased. That poor belt was
used more on our seats than it was to hold up Daddy's pants. Can you
imagine someone actualy hitting a child just because he disobeyed? Now
you can begin to see how mean she really was.
We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath. The other kids always
wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults because
she made our clothes herself, just to save money. Why, oh why, did we
have to have a mother who made us feel different from our friends?
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night
and up at eight the next morning. We couldn't sleep till noon like our
friends. So while they slept-my mother actually had the nerve to break
the child-labor law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make
beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid
awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.
She always insisted upon us telling the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, even if it killed us- and it nearly did.
By the time we were teen-agers, she was much wiser, and our life
became even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for
us to come running. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates
and friends come to the door to get us. If I spent the night with a
girlfriend, can you imagine she checked on me to see if I were really
there. I never had the chance to elope to Mexico. That is if I'd had a
boyfriend to elope with. I forgot to mention, while my friends were
dating at the mature age of 12 and 13, my old fashioned mother refused
to let me date until the age of 15 and 16. Fifteen, that is, if you
dated only to go to a school function. And that was maybe twice a year.

Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie
in bed, "sick" like our friends did, and miss school. If our friends
had a toe ache, a hang nail or serious ailment, they could stay home
from school. Our marks in school had to be up to par. Our friends'
report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for
failing. My mother being as different as she was, would settle for
nothing less than ugly black marks.
As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put
to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind
us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the
pleasure of being a drop-out.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four
children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us
have ever been arrested, divorced or beaten his mate. Each of my
brothers served his time in the service of this country. And whom do we
have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? You're right, our
mean mother. Look at the things we missed. We never got to march in a
protest parade, nor to take part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a
million and one other things that our friends did.
She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults.
Using this as a background, I am trying to raise my three
children. I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my
children call me mean.
Because, you see, I thank God, He gave me the meanest mother in
the whole world.

I hope you guys enjoy that poem as much as I do. When my little girl and any future kids grow up I will be able to tell them the following:

Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Mean Mom told me:

I loved you enough . . to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to make you go pay for the bubble gum you had taken and tell the clerk, "I stole this yesterday and want to pay for it."

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough . . . to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it.

Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too. And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.

Good night bloggers....back to bed with my loves....

Layla Grace...

I am trying to type between the tears right now. I just read about sweet Layla Grace, who lost her battle to cancer today at only 2 years old. My heart breaks for her parents and family. I can't imagine what they must be feeling, or what they have been feeling throughout her fight with cancer. I held Natalie a little tighter and longer today. I love her so much and I don't know what I would do if I had to fight that same battle with her and lose. I cherish every day I get to spend with my little girl and watch her grow and pray that those days continue until I am old and grey. My prayers are with Layla Grace's family today...

If you haven't read her story, you can read it here:
www.laylagrace.org

One Great Year...

Since my last post, a couple of pretty big things have happened. Natalie made her first trip to Houston to see my family!!! It was so nice seeing everyone and just spending the weekend with my niece and nephews as well as the rest of the family. I miss them so much, so any opportunity to see them is such a wonderful time!! We spent Valentine's weekend there and my nephew, Vince was baptized on Valentine's Day! We also got Natalie's ears pierced the day before!
Getting her ears pierced:




Natalie and her cousin Nick:


Chad and I also celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary on February 28th!!!!! I must say that there have been some tough times, and some even tougher times, but we've made it so far. We have grown a lot as a couple this year and I know that we will only continue to grow. Our bond is so strong and our faith in God is even stronger that there is nothing that can break us or separate that bond. I love him so much and I am so thankful that God brought us together and gave us the most amazing little girl anyone could ask for. She is definitely a product of an amazing love. I love her so much...

Speaking of the little princess, she goes to get two more shots tomorrow....wish me luck that I don't cry again....

I am off to bed. I will post again tomorrow.

Good night bloggers...

Happy 2 Months, Natalie!!!

"It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself."

I can't believe my little girl is going to be 2 months old tomorrow. It seems like just yesterday I was still in the hospital ready to bring her home. These two months have gone by so fast. She has started smiling a lot...and talking. I love waking up to her smile every morning. She is happiest then...soooo not like her mom. She definitely takes after her dad there. She has also started loving baths. She used to scream and cry the whole time, and now she cries when we take her out of the water...that she did get from me. :o)

We take her to get her shots tomorrow....I am nervous and scared for her. My poor baby...I think daddy is going to have to hold her for her shots. It's going to break my heart to hear her cry out in pain.

To celebrate her 2 months I made cupcakes that say "Happy 2 months Natalie" She can't eat them, but we will take a picture and put them in her scrap book. I love my little girl...

Well, Chad just came and fussed at me for not being in bed yet, so I have to sign off...until tomorrow.

Sweet Dreams bloggers...

"The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him."

I must start by saying that God is good!!! No....GREAT. Yesterday was an amazing day. Thank you for those of you who have been praying for us...lets just say God heard all of our prayers and they are being answered in so many ways!

Yesterday was not only a day of good news, but just a good day all together. Natalie and I started the day off together pretty well rested since she slept in her Nap Nanny all night again!!! Three nights in a row she slept in it from 11:30pm to 5:00am, woke up to eat, and then stayed in bed with Chad and I until about 8am. Yesterday was an early day since I took the kids to school while she stayed in bed with her daddy. He went to work for a little while and then came home for lunch. I have been asking for a recliner since before she was born, so I decided that we were going to tag along with him when he went back to work so that we could go look at recliners when he was done. We went to his office and to see a client, and then we were off to shop!!! I didn't think we were going to buy it right then, but we found one that we loved and is sooooo comfy!!! We were supposed to go pick it up today, but it has been raining all day...stupid rain. After we bought our recliner, we got some more good news (or at least I think so). Then Chad decided he wanted to take me to watch Avatar in 3D since I hadn't seen it, so we took Natalie to his parents' house and headed to the movies. I must admit, I was not at all interested in watching that movie, but WOW!!! Probably the best movie ever. I wanted to live there....REALLY. lol

Anyway, we got home kind of late, and Natalie was off of her schedule yesterday, so I hate to say it, but she didn't sleep in her Nap Nanny. She was so fussy that I layed down with her and we both eventually just fell asleep together. I know...I'm a sucker.

Today I have been cleaning the house and doing the laundry that had piled up....BAD, while Chad has been watching Natalie. They are now napping on the couch...they look so cute. he keeps saying she's Daddy's girl, but she is soooo Mommy's girl. lol



Well, I have to get back to folding all of this clothes....ugh.

Nap Nanny...Everybody Sleeps

Well, it worked!!! Chad bought Natalie the Nap Nanny the other day, and last night was our first night to put her in it. She slept in it for four hours until she woke up hungry! It was nice to have the bed back to ourselves for a night. Of course the first 30 minutes she was in there I was looking over every minute to make sure she was ok. I am one of those looney tunes mothers that thinks her child has stopped breathing at least once a day because she is peacefully sleeping. But I'm not the only one, right??

I feel pretty lazy today. We slept about 6 hours last night, and I woke up at 6:30 to feed Natalie and take the kids to school while Chad stayed home with her. When I came home, they were asleep again, so I hopped in bed with them and didn't wake up until almost noon. Pretty lazy day...maybe it's the weather. It's pretty gloomy out. I think it rained all night because I could hear the thunder in the middle of the night. This is a perfect day to cuddle up to my little princess and watch TV and Disney movies all day...which reminds me. Does anyone know where I can get some of the old disney movies? Like Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, The Little Mermaid, etc.? I want to get all of them for Natalie and I to watch. All we have is Cinerella and new Disney movies.

Anyway, all this talking about laying down and cuddling up to her...I have to go do just that.

Poop

This title seems fitting since that is really all that has been on my mind the past few days...Natalie hadn't had a dirty diaper going on four days yesterday. She had wet diapers, just no poopy diapers. So being the worried and paranoid parents that we are, Chad and I took her to the doctor yesterday. Turns out that it is normal for a breast fed baby to not have a bowel movement for a couple of days. But she would still strain and she had belly aches because of it, so we had giver her something to help her poop. That was not fun. My poor baby...but she feels so much better now, and I can tell her belly doesn't hurt as bad. This morning she really left us a little gift (not so little) in her diaper. She needed it I'm sure. So, there...a not so pleasant post about a not so pleasant experience. I hope she doesn't have this problem again. Poor thing.

On the flip side...my parents came in for the weekend to visit. I missed them like crazy. I was so happy to have them here. They actually babysat for us last night while Chad and I went to dinner with a client. We had crawfish and it was YUMMY!!! We had a good time. Met some new friends and ate some good food.

My parents left this morning...I wish I was going with them. I miss my family like crazy (it's worse on some days). I am just still not used to being so far away from them.

For the most part, it was a good weekend. We have our church group to go to tonight to discuss "Crazy Love" some more. I can't wait....