April 14th, 2009
I was over 30 when we discovered we were expecting our first child. With eight years as children’s pastor, countless hours of babysitting, and an elementary education degree under my belt, I was convinced that I knew what to expect when it came to having kids. Sleepless nights? Check. More cluttered house? Check. Tighter budget? Check.
I discovered early on that all my experiences had not prepared me for at least one mainstay of motherhood: guilt. It set in almost immediately: Did I have enough folic acid in the early weeks, before conception? And continued each week: Too much sugar. Not enough vegetables? Month after month: Too much weight gain? Not enough? Then in the third trimester, I had high blood pressure, followed by preeclampsia and induction. The questions gnawed at my mind: What could I have done differently? Was it my fault? Results from the newborn screen revealed a rare metabolic disorder that required us to feed our son soy formula, so I was thrust into the emotional debate of bottle feeding versus nursing but with no choice in the matter…just more guilt.
I struggled over so many decisions as a new mother. So imagine my relief in finding an area of mothering that was completely guilt-free: Praise Baby. What a blessing! A friend loaned us our first Praise Baby DVD, and I was in awe: beautiful worship music with pictures of God’s creation. There was nothing to feel guilty about!
We have played Praise Baby music and videos now for all three of our children: through sleepless nights, in the van, throughout the day. I listen as the older two (and sometimes even my husband) sing the songs and our baby calms and goes to sleep. I know I am reinforcing godly principles and instilling a musical and theological heritage. And I have never felt guilty about it — not once.
April 8th, 2009
This post is about indescribable grace, both the song and the concept, but it is also about the saving grace of music.
This post is about indescribable grace, both the song and the concept, but it is also about the saving grace of music.
April 17 will mark the one-year anniversary of our son’s arrival. His crazy, serendipitous, and unexpected crash- landing. Luckily everyone survived, although there have been moments (that sometimes lasted days) when I wondered if I would make it. Garrett was just past two when he skidded into our lives, a physically beautiful child – angelic beauty – but his soul was deeply buried beneath five different foster homes and two re-tries with the birth mother in the previous eight months.
When 2008 began my husband and I launched into our what we thought was our journey to adopt an infant from Ethiopia. We hired an adoption practitioner, started filling out the endless reams of paper work and we were one visit away from finishing our home study – thinking that approximately 12 months later (March of 2009) we would be in Ethiopia picking up our child!! - when our adoption practitioner sent us a note she received from a private adoption agency about a 27 month old bi-racial little boy who had just come into their care. That was March 5. On April 17 we signed the adoption papers, and Garrett was now our son. We had high expectations, unrealistically high expectations.
We really didn’t understand how wounded he was from those eight months. We didn’t expect the days of tantrums, irrational behaviour, the lashing out at us, the fear. But you know what the saving grace was………music. He came to us with literally dozens of CD’s that his birth mother played for him. Without fail, regardless of how horrible the day might have been, at naptime and bedtime we would put on his music, crawl into bed beside him and he would snuggle up and fall asleep in our arms.
Now the Praise Baby Sleepy Time Lullabies is our favourite. Indescribable is my favourite song because the joy, the grace, the happiness of our family is as Indescribable our Father in Heaven.
You can read more posts by this author at www.daklife.blogspot.com.
March 30th, 2009
I remember rocking my daughter in the NICU when she was three days old. We had just learned that she had a heart defect, and I was singing to her,
March 22nd, 2009
My precious third child was born less than two months ago but we have already figured out one very important key to keeping him happy
February 10th, 2009
My son had just celebrated his first birthday. And during the long, hot summer months that followed, we found solace and sanity in a delightful morning routine.
After lengthy stroller walks, we cooled ourselves off with the garden hose then make our way indoors for a snack. I would turn on the
February 6th, 2009
In the summer of 2006, I was expecting my third child. There would be a 6 year difference between my second and third child so it was basically like starting over again. My family hosted a wonderful baby shower and I was blessed with so many gifts. One of the gifts that I received that day was a collection of Praise Baby DVDs. I had no idea at the time that these would become one of the most precious gifts.
As a mom of a newborn and 2 school age children, it took a while to get into a routine. One goal I had for myself each day was to at least take a shower! As my youngest son was becoming more alert, I wanted something to stimulate him while I took my shower. It was then that I remembered the Praise Baby DVDs. I would place my sweet baby boy in his bouncy seat, place the bouncy seat on my bed and turn on one of the DVDs. While in the shower, I would hear the music playing and although my son was not really aware of the pictures or the music, it did wonders for my soul.
As any new mother knows, being able spend a few moments in prayer and Bible reading each day is almost impossible. So during these first few months of my son
January 29th, 2009
I recently purchased a PraiseBaby CD, and I don
January 27th, 2009
In 2008 I received two of the greatest blessings of my life. My little grandson Tyler was born in May and my sweet granddaughter Ava Claire arrived in September.
And just like a roasting marshmallow over a flame, my heart grew and melted all at the same time. Love filled me until I thought I might explode. And simultaneously, my newly enlarged heart melted as I held each of those sweet innocent lives in my arms. My joy knows no bounds. Being a grandmother has filled me with new energy and optimism.
It has also given me cause for new worries and concerns. This world is not as
