I had the awesome opportunity to attend the Encourage /
North Country Open House for new parents a couple weeks ago. As I sat among the mommas-to-be with
adorable baby bumps and others snuggling new babies, I remembered those early
days of parenthood. I did the math and
it has been ten years since I was pregnant with my first baby. That’s a DECADE
ago! When they say that the “days are
long but the years are short”, when you have a baby, it is so true...
But Marcy from ten years ago probably would not have
believed it. She was too busy reading
every baby book she could. She was
tracking her pregnancy through “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”. And when
that wasn’t enough, there were always plenty of blogs and articles to read up
on. (Thanks Google.)
You know, you can read every blog, book, and magazine about
parenting there is but nothing really prepares you for when they wheel you out the
door of the hospital and you load that precious newborn into the car to head
home. It’s a bit daunting realizing the
nurses aren’t there to help you at 3 a.m.
Most likely, something will come up with that little bundle of joy that
you just can’t find an answer to in that stack of baby books. (I.e. why won’t
he/she stop crying?!?!?)
And so that leads me to this piece of advice... You are not in this alone. The days are long. And hard.
And very often, filled with more tears on your part than your
baby’s! (Sleep deprivation and changing
hormones are a powerful force my friends.)
Remember that you and your husband are a team. It will be you and him asleep in bed
together, both pretending it is not
your turn to get up with the baby for what seems like the twentieth time in the
middle of the night, lol! It will be the both of you that your baby will save
special coos and smiles for. And it will
be the both of you that will be picking up binkies and getting spit up on.
You are a team. That
means both of you play an integral part and you both work together for the good of the team. For me and my husband, that meant we both got
up at night when the baby cried but switched off who fed her and who changed
her. For us, this was the best way to
quiet our baby, feed her, and get her back to sleep. We were like a NASCAR pit
crew with diaper changes and bottle preparation! And, bonus, whoever was on
diaper duty, got to go right back to bed! (Let’s be honest, who is able to
sleep through a screaming baby, knowing your partner is struggling to change a
diaper and get the baby fed?!)
And you know what every team needs? A coach! Your team will
need guidance, wisdom, instruction, and encouragement! I just happen to know someone who is the
PERFECT Coach and Father. He knows you,
your partner, and your baby – even better than YOU do! Or course I am talking about God! You are not
in this parenting gig alone. God is with
you every step of the way! He is
cheering you on and instructing you in the way you should go!
“The LORD says, “I will guide you
along the best pathway for your life. I
will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8 (NLT)
“Whether you turn to the right or to
the left, your ear will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk
in it.” Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)
I distinctly remember being terribly sleep deprived with my
third baby. Just the exhaustion of
recovering from being pregnant and having a baby is tough, but I also had two
other little ones to take care of as well. On top of that, neither one of them
were very fond of naps or sleeping through the night. I recall sneaking into the bedroom to nap
while my newborn was napping and my husband was entertaining my two older girls. They were loud in that oh so special toddler
way and I was just so, so tired. Think
of the time that you were the most exhausted you have ever been in your
life. Now multiply that by ten and that,
my friends, is how tired I was! I
prayed, no, literally begged Jesus
for sleep. God met me in that moment and
my eyes closed. I think that may have
been the sweetest, most restful nap of my life.
Don’t be afraid to ask God for what you need in the
moment. Don’t think a request for a nap
is selfish or silly. God wants to meet
your needs. He wants to help you be the
best mom or dad you can be. If that
means praying your baby sleeps an extra ten minutes so you can shower or asking
God to show you the best way to calm your baby down – go for it! After all, no one knows your little one
better that the One who created that tiny miracle.
“How gracious God will be when you
cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.” Isaiah 30:19 (NIV)
So you and your husband are a team. God is your Coach. Well,
who is cheering you on?? All of us! Your family, your friends, your church
family. We are all here for you! We are your wildest fans! We are lifting you up in prayer. We are encouraging you at every twist and
turn. And we are bringing you food.
(Because new parents are tired.
Y’all need a good casserole, you know, to keep your strength up, lol!)
Seriously, your “fans” are going to be there for you
too! Grandparents will want to rock
their grandbabies. (Side note new
parents: that is when you NAP. Have I
clearly stated how important naps are yet?! Ha!) Family and friends will be on
your doorstep with gift bags and smiles!
(And even better, with take-out!) Your church family will be so excited
to see you bring your little one through the doors of West Ridge for the very
first time!
Another side note: it is no secret, those Bunny Room
Volunteers in North Country LOVE babies!
I think the awesomeness of the Bunny Room is one of the reasons North
Country is so special. There are plenty
of people to snuggle your baby and to read them Bible stories all while
Christian music plays in the background.
Plus, when you drop off your little peanut in the Bunny Room, then you
are able to really focus on worship and the message in the Sanctuary. Which
allows God to pour into you, thus making you able to pour out what God has
given to you. Essentially, it’s a win-win
for everyone!
So to all you couples expecting babies and those of you who
are new parents, remember, you are not in this by yourselves! You have God, you have each other, and you
have all of us! The days will be long,
the years will be short. In ten years
you will look back on these days and remember what a blessing they truly were.
You will smile and remember... You were never alone.
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