kim through
   the looking glass

My two beautiful babies curling up with me for a nap:

And Gwen saying “I luh loo!” (I love you) for the first time without me saying it first!

Life. Is. Good.

Gil was kind enough to wake only once overnight and allow me a good stretch of sleep last night! Thanks, son!

This morning we were all up by 7:00 and opted to head out for breakfast to a local restaurant where I received a rose.

Right now, I’m being treated to an in-arms nap by my beautiful boy while listening to my husband read to my delightful daughter.

It’s times like these when I recognize that I am blessed beyond belief. The day-in and day-out of being an at-home mom isn’t always easy, but my goodness, it truly is an amazing gift.

To my mama, thank you for being there for me - through my childhood, but especially now in supporting me as a mother. Although I have, perhaps, chosen a different parenting style than you, I think we’ve both realized how similar we really are I’m so happy that my children are able to get to know you - that they are comfortable with you and enjoy spending time with you. I can’t ask for anything more! I love you, Mom!

I remarked to my husband, Brad, a few weeks ago, and to a very good friend a few days ago, that it’s easy to ignore how wrong it is to live only in nuclear families - easy, that is, until you have kids.

Then it becomes painfully clear that the way we Westerners live is not quite right.

My friend and I were discussing how much easier it is when there’s even just ONE extra set of hands around. That if we lived in tribal communities, there would be not only a number of adults available all day and night, but also a large number of children of different ages - people for the young ones to play with and follow around. Mom would never be a lone caregiver.

Someone to hold the baby while you bathe or use the bathroom.

Someone to entertain the toddler while you’re nursing.

Someone to make dinner with - or to make dinner for you.

Western culture seems to value independence above all things. I believe that, while it’s important to be independent, it’s even more important to be interdependent. Relying on others isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength - of knowing and respecting your limits.

So I challenge you, readers: Support a new mom in your life!

What can you do to ease the burden? I’ve compiled a list of things that others have done for me (thanks, mom, friends, community and church women!) and things that I’d LOVE if people would do …

• Cook dinner for her family
• Bake cookies or muffins
• Listen to her complain about the sleep deprivation
• Do her dishes or clean her kitchen
• Sweep her house
• Clean her bathroom (man, if you can do this, you’re a superstar!)
• Take her other kid(s) to the park/for a walk for an hour so she can have time with the baby - and maybe even have a nap!
• Hold the baby while she spends some one-on-one time with her other kid(s)
• Pick up some groceries for her
• Mow her lawn or do some yardwork/gardening (in the winter, this would be replaced by shoveling)
• Listen to her brag about her children
• If you’re able, hold a FUSSY/CRYING baby while she takes a walk around the block
• Go over to her house and visit - but bring the snacks! Honestly, just having another person around makes the time pass easier

So, readers, what will you do for a new mom in your life?