Advice

Since entering this new phase of our parenthood, we've been getting a whole lot of advice from all over the globe. And while sometimes I get a little annoyed at some of the well-meaning but unwelcome advice, for the most part I've enjoyed hearing how other parents have done it and gleaning from their insight.

Tonight at Bible Study, one of our students - an elderly lady in her 80s gave me one piece of advice while extremely adorable, I felt held a huge morsel of truth.

This lady, Rose is her name, came over before Bible Study began and asked me how life as a new father was going. I looked at her an in one word responded, "exhausting." She looked at me in with a grandmotherly smile and said, "Just remember. You are the parent. You need to lead and guide your child. Don't let her make you into her slave. You are not her slave."

I kind of had to chuckle at that bit of sage wisdom. I am not my child's slave.

Alicia, you remember that! Mommy and Daddy are not your slaves. We do not come at your every beck and call. =)

Speaking of which. Things are going really a lot better than the last time I wrote. Linda and I are starting to understand our daughter's rhythms a bit more, and we're getting more and more comfortable being her caretakers.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and advice on how to calm her down and how to get her on a regulated schedule. It's been helpful. =)

The encouraging this is that when Linda took Alicia for a followup appointment yesterday we learned that Alicia had actually gained 200 grams over the past week. Phew! It's good to know that Linda and I have been doing something right. =)

Doh! Just now as I was trying to get comfortable with this computer on my lap, I accidentally kicked Alicia's chair that she's sleeping in and startled her out of a nap that she had just ONLY settled into after crying for about 10 min. Wait... let's see what she does.

OK. Phew. She's settled back down, and now she's got this adorable pose going on. Right hand on her head, left hand extended like a Hollywood starlet who just received a devastating piece of news. HAHA.

Our little girl. She definitely has her range of expressions and gestures. =)

Overall, I must say that we really do have a great one. While she does have her tantrums, for the most part they are not without reason. And once we get that need taken care of, she usually settles down pretty quickly.

And can I just take a moment right now to praise my beautiful, amazing wife.

I mentioned earlier that Alicia had a followup appointment at the hospital yesterday. Well, with needing to get vaccinations, an eye exam, and physical therapy, Linda and Alicia ended up spending nearly nine hours at the hospital yesterday. Talk about exhausting. By the time Linda and Alicia got home they were both pretty wiped.

My wife has been doing an amazing job as the primary caretaker of Alicia. She stays in the house literally for days at a time, never stepping outside our front door, and is completely devoted to taking care of our precious daughter. Never once have I heard her complain, never once has she ever griped about not being able to go outside and see friends. It's truly an amazing thing to witness. And not only does she take care of our precious daughter, but she also takes care of me. She listens to me as I recount my days, and she lets me unload my burdens from my workday, and she encourages me, even though she herself has had a full day of diapers, crying, feeding and pumping.

I have two fantastic, amazing girls. I truly am a very, very blessed man.