I am a mom of three daughters. My first and second daughters, Amanda and
Megan, are only 15 months apart.
Bringing home a new baby is always a stressful time but when you have a
little one at home already, who still is somewhat a baby herself, it is really
trying.
My second daughter, Megan, was born in the middle of a
frosty January. My husband was super
busy with work. He could not possibly
take any more time off other than the three days I was in the hospital. In fact, the very day after we came home from
the hospital with our new baby girl, he was back to work. My husband works hard
for our family but that means for us, he works long, late hours.
Both my mom and my mother-in-law came to help for a couple
weeks as moms/grandmas like to do when new babies arrive. After that though, it was just me, Amanda,
Megan and the dog at home. That winter
was very cold and snowy. We never left the house. I was exhausted, stressed and lonely. To add to my situation, Megan had colic.
Colic is a scary term for parents of newborns. Did you have a baby with colic? If not, pray
you never do. Pray no one you know ever
does either! It happens to babies around
three weeks of age and can last through six months of age. The babies can’t tolerate formula well so
they cry. A LOT! Sometimes the babies need a special formula to help their
stomachs feel better. Of course that
special formula is also the most expensive formula! That was the case with our
little Megan. Her special formula cost
$50 for a small tub and while she was able to tolerate it better than the
regular stuff, it did not eliminate the crying.
Megan cried constantly.
We rarely could put her down. She
hated the bouncy seat, crib, and pack n’ play.
I tried everything I could think of to get her to calm down and sleep
without me holding her the entire time.
Nothing seemed to work though. If
I wanted this baby to sleep, I had to hold her.
One day was particularly rough. I was super tired. My husband was at work and wasn’t going to be
home till late that evening. Amanda was
really cranky that day and giving me grief like only a toddler can. Plus, poor Megan was fussing. She would not let me put her down for more
than 5 minutes at a time. My day was
going from bad to worse.
Dinner time was drawing near. I had planned on making a meal that required a
bit of cooking on my part. I had not
planned on doing it while holding my little baby and trying to keep her older
sister happy all at the same time. I was
starting to panic. What am I going to
do? I can’t cook this meal! There was no extra money to just order a
pizza. Even if I had the money, I can’t
drag everyone out in the middle of a cold, snowy evening to hit the
drive-through. I was stuck. Then the dog
needed to go out. Amanda was getting
hungry and irritable. Megan had moved
from fussiness to a full on wail. I was
at my wit’s end. I stood in my kitchen,
pots waiting for ingredients on the stove, baby screaming, toddler tugging at
me, and I cried. I felt so alone.
As the tears flowed from my eyes, I prayed. “Dear Jesus, please help me. I’m all alone. I need you.” I closed my eyes and it was if
everything around me had melted away. I
suddenly felt calm and at peace. I felt
like someone was giving me a hug.
I don’t really remember the rest of that evening. Somehow, dinner made it to the table. Amanda cheered up and Megan calmed down a bit. I do know that I didn’t feel alone
anymore. I had a sense of peace and calm
that I so desperately needed that day.
It is important to remember that Jesus is with us. Talk to Jesus! Turn your focus from yourself
and place it on Him. When you don’t know
what to do, ask for help from the One who knows everything!
When you are having a rough day, speak Jesus’s name. When you are scared, speak Jesus’s name. When you don’t know where to turn or how to
proceed, speak Jesus’s name. He wants to
surround you with his presence. He wants
to calm you with his peace. He wants to fill your heart with his love. Look to him.
Invite him in to the situation. Let
Him rule in your life. You will never
regret it.
“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right
hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 NIV
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