My method of motherhood

I would like to say I'm an average mom, but these days, I'm not. I don't participate in what is considered the standard these days for mothering. At least by my observations. Those standards place enormous pressure on a new mom and I don't agree with it. I figure you're doing well if your baby is fed, dry, clean and happy. I'm not knocking those who do subscribe to what's popular for parenting these days, if that works for you, by all means, knock yourself out. But it wasn't for me or my family.

I didn't breastfeed. I pumped for a month, hated what a time suck it was, and gave up. We use disposable diapers. I only did babywearing because it was the only way he'd stop crying for just 20 minutes in the first 3 months. Co-sleeping because it was easier to roll over and give him a bottle and just fall back asleep, than both of us getting up out of bed, making the bottle, feeding, and settling back down every 2 hours in the beginning.

I did set out with the best intentions like any new mother does. I tried to breastfeed, but Cole would have none of that. He wanted his food and he wanted it now. Granted, he was a very sleepy jaundiced, hypoglycemic baby, but still. I researched cloth diapers. Then I got a reality check when I realized we shared laundry with the people upstairs and only had it on odd numbered days. Not practical with constant washing from the fabulousness that's a newborn diaper. I wanted to use organic formula, if I was going to have to formula feed. That got knocked down when Mike told me in no uncertain terms that I was never to give Cole organic baby food because it's on constant voluntary recall for whatever reason. I was big into the "rules", but Cole went against them. No solids until 6 months? At 6 months he was eating the 8 months aged baby food. He'd started sucking back 10oz of formula every 3 hours at 14 weeks, and we got told by the neonatalogist to start solids.

Cole is 16 months now. I'm a pretty relaxed mom, I think. He's had freezies. I looked at the healthier options. They're not any healthier really. Mr. Freeze that we all know and love and grew up with is fine. He'll also try and steal your slurpee, so keep an eye out for that. There's no such thing as a treat in our house. It's all food. Food is not a reward. He lives for the chocolate chip cookie the bakery ladies give him when we go grocery shopping. I don't hover. He's going to get hurt. That's part of being a kid. When he does trip and fall, he gets up and just keeps going. No drama, no tears, just keeps going. If there's tears, I'm at a dead sprint to help him. I'm his mom and I love him with all my being.

My house is a mess, the empty bowl from his Fruity Cheerios is still sitting on the table from breakfast, I need to do about 4 loads of laundry, haul a roast out of the freezer for the bbq for dinner tonight, and a million other things. We're going to the park though. I could try and do all this stuff with his "help" but that's better suited for nap time. Or I'll sit outside and get some sun then. Whatever. It will get done. And enjoying each other and our time together is far more important.