Karis turned 7 months old yesterday and definitely has such a sweet personality! She loves people! Yesterday, while I was nursing her upstairs, the door bell rings. As soon as she heard other voices downstairs, she sprang off and started looking curiously around. She knew someone was here other than her mommy and daddy. From then on she was so distracted. You can just assume we didn’t get a good feeding in that time. It was hopeless! I put my nursing cover on and everything, but to no avail!
She also began sitting up on her own this week. It is so precious to see her learn how to balance herself. We have had a few minor accidents with her falling over, but she seems to be brave enough to handle the pain at this stage of the game.
She joined us at the table as well. Her high chair attaches to one of the table chairs, so she is at the same level as Daddy and I. Boy does she enjoy it! Bananas have been her first food and she is very petite and modest in her eating habits. No wide open mouth here, but she still daintily enjoys it. I tried adding squash, but she wasn’t too interested in that. Alas! We’ll stick to the banana for now.
God really has done a good work in me as of late. I am so thankful for this long process, 6 months in fact, of pruning me in regards to my overly passionate desire to have my baby on a perfect schedule. Being inclined to be more organized in my giftings, this has been a significant struggle for me. I have been frustrated, stressed, tearful and overwhelmed by my little one because she wouldn’t adjust to fitting into my schedule and when I wished for her to take a nap and for how long she would rest. I wasn’t too strick about it, but I wanted consistency!!!!! I wanted it too much. The perfect schedule for eating and naps was non-existent or only lasting a few days before it was thrown through a loop again.
I have come to realize that this approach was not strengthening my relationship with my girl, nor was I loving and meeting her needs the way I should. Thank God for His sustaining grace!
Flexibility is not my forte. God has been teaching me to let it go, lay down my desires at His feet, don’t worry about her naps, giving it up! She’ll take a nap when she needs it. If she wakes up earlier than I hoped, than she’ll probably take a longer nap later. Maybe I struggled with the belief that if I carried her in the front pack for her nap, she would get spoiled and never take a nap in her bed. I was believing a lie.
She is my daughter and my priority! She needs my nurturing love and affection. I may not have my hands in as many things as before, but at least I am not missing out on putting my baby before myself. It’s all a part of serving the Master by serving my child!
So I have come from being consumed with the scheduling approach to being more flexible and allowing the Lord to reign in our home. Some of those scheduling books put way to much pressure on the mommy that it has to be done a certain way or else. Praise God for freedom in Christ! I am so much more at peace and joyful now. It’s funny too…as soon as I started letting go, things started going more smoothly. It is amazing how much better we are both doing now than this whole last month. It allows my home to be more of a haven for my husband too since I am removing that gloomy and depressed attitude! Praise God!
There is so much more peace where God reigns and not me!
Is there an area of your life that you need to surrender to the Lord today?
Isn’t she a cutie? I guess I am a little biased. I think she is getting my curly hair! 
My son is two days from seven months, and we’re in a very similar situation right now. My son has always been a non-sleeper, so as a last resort I’m trying to impose a schedule (we’ve been co-sleeping, but my husband and I would like our bed back). It’s a pretty loose schedule, but it gives us a routine. So much learning to do with the first baby!
Thanks so much for all your words of encouragement. I am a new mama and visit your blog often as I feel like we grew up in the same family and relate quite well : ) I realize this is an old post but began searching your blog for this very subject. I have a precious little 8 mos. old boy and since he was born have been struggling with this whole scheduling thing. I was wondering, now that you are mama to two and have even more experience since this post, if there is anything you might be able to add concerning sleep schedules, both naps and night time sleeping. The thing that I find most confusing is that many woman in my church who advocate scheduling use scripture to back it up. They often say that if you don’t teach your child to be obedient in this area, you are setting yourself up for a long road of rebellion. As well, I have been told that I am not supposed to let my child dictate the when and how they sleep. This all sounds right, but practically I am having a very hard time with it. This subject is causing so much frustration, I just thought I would ask someone who I respect for any further advice. Even scripture that the Lord may have given you during times such as this would be a blessing. Thanks so much! God bless you and your beautiful family! : )
Dear April, you hit a similar struggle that I have dealt with through both of my children. I am naturally a scheduled kind of person, so the idea of scheduling my children as always appealed to me. But practicing it is another story. The books always said you just lay them down and have them sleep for this amount of time…ha ha! I also had to evaluate my own motives…I wanted “MY” Time! Both of my children have always a rough time going to sleep. They could cry for an 1 hour (even if all their needs were met)! I also desire to meet the needs of my children rather than having them cry it out for significant periods…I find I can get hard hearted towards them if I ignore their cries, and I never want this to be the case. I think there is a proper balance between both practices. I think the book Healthy Sleep Habits for A Happy Family achieved that balance for me. I put the child down for a nap when they are tired. I nurse, have a wake time, and the moment they start crying, I lay them down to rest. Usually they will cry for just a few minutes and then settle down for a rest. If not, I will pat them a bit till they settle down, or maybe nurse them more. If they still will not sleep (after 15-20 min or so), I will put them in a carrier on me. In this manner, both of them had a rough schedule for naps. Titus is currently taking 3 naps a day (10-11, 1-3, 5:5:30). Sometimes I have to wake him though to keep it so that he is tired enough for the next nap. I did it in this manner so I could have my two children napping together and make sure I could get them down to bed at roughly the same time. I found they key was catching them the moment they show signs of tiredness. If not, they easily get over tired and it is much more challenging to get them to sleep.
Nighttime is a bit of a different story. We established a good bedtime routine (bath, 3 books, sing songs, bed) and then we usually pat their backs to get them to fall asleep. Sometimes I will nurse Titus to sleep in this fashion. This takes more time and effort but it has been the most peaceable for our family. I can see the points that both sides make…but I believe the important thing is to do what works best for your family. It is not worth stressing over! It is a short season! There is more that I could say, but this would get long. It is great to get on a schedule because babies do like routine, but don’t worship it. Be flexible as your baby’s needs change. Blessings upon you my friend!
Yep! I am guilty as well! Your little girl is a cutie pie! Thank you for sharing. (I got to your blog from Biblical Womanhood.) My area to surrender to God is similar to scheduling my girls…I have a bit of a perfectionist problem. I am learning to not be hard on my girls and that when my 5 year old makes her bed there will be wrinkles, and if I re-make it it hurts her deeply, (I have only done that once and after she started crying I started crying)! Luckily God made children very forgiving and my mistakes can be erased by a kiss and hug!
I am visiting from Biblical Womanhood. I am a mom to three children and often struggled in regard to a schedule, also
. I was a former schoolteacher, so scheduling was part of my personality!
Fortunately, I had a first baby who taught me to mother her WELL! She loved to be near me (still does, at 8!!) and took short naps, etc. I often found myself searching through books and asking others about their methods. Like you, I often felt tearful and a bit hopeless. When reading a La Leche League book, I came across this idea that changed my world! The author wrote, “Is it really the situation that is so exhausting/ difficult/ challenging, or ARE YOU EXHAUSTED (tearful, hopeless) because of your RESISTANCE to giving yourself fully to your child?” Wow!! Guess what? It was my resistance that was exhausting. Once I learned to give to my daughter with joy and abundance, her “problem areas” melted away. You have succinctly stated the same thing…very beautifully! You sound like such a lovely and wise mother…your child is blessed.
Also, please know that my “challenging” first baby has grown into an eight-year-old joy. She is bright, beautiful, and so VERY flexible and compliant…so our “spoiling” her with the flexible routine, allowing her to “run” the nap schedule, and acceptance of her need to be with us have turned into blessings in her personality. We feel that we are reaping what we sowed!!
Bless you and your beautiful daughter…don’t children teach us the most amazing things about our Father’s love for us?
A wise woman once said “Motherhood is the journey outside oneself!” You shared so well what I was like as a young mother and looking back I wished I would have spent more time holding, snuggling, singing, praying and enjoying my baby than worrying about what needed to be done next or making sure my day went as I had planned. Of course a baby needs the security of regular feedings and naps, and of course there are other worthy things to give your time and talents to but give yourself to your baby first and than see if there is any time or energy left over. I have never heard an older mother regret enjoying her precious baby too much, only the opposite, wishing they would have put the whole world a side for a season and loved and nurtured their baby more. Most husbands prefer a happy mother and child over a spotless house. Thanks for sharing your heart Linds, and yes Karis is absolutely darling! Next time we won’t ring the bell!
Love you,
Mama Edmonds
She is so beautiful.
awe lindsay….i love what you’ve written…i just love your heart! she’s so precious…a little sanguine temperament….so sweet…
blessings….’me’
Oh, she’s so cute!! Thanks for your testimony and example, Lindsay! I know I often need encouragement to look at the bright side of a situation and surrender to GOD’S plan for me, not mine- Caden has been really sick this week and wants to be held constantly. It means I don’t get as much done and things are a little more stressful, but I am focusing on enjoying all the extra snuggles. The result has been a pleasant week of enjoying cuddling my baby who won’t be a baby for long. Wow, if I always surrendered to God’s plan so readily, I’d be a much happier person!
Lovely post, Lindsay.
I,too, have really struggled with keeping my baby on a schedule. I finally decided I was trying too hard to keep her on one that satisfied everyone else, not that was best for *her* needs. That has been freeing! She does not nap well, either, and I’ve finally learned to just go with it. God made every child different and He gave you the child that’s perfect for you. I have to remind myself of this sometimes!
You have the right attitude.