The Three 'Ps' of Parenting

Lilly was placed on my chest after she was born for some skin to skin bonding time.  She stayed there for thirty minutes.  When they took her off so we could both get cleaned up the nurse said, “Oh no, she pooped on you!”

And that was the beginning of a wonderful relationship!

Since then she hasn’t stopped popping on me.  One time her poop not only sprayed all over me, but also on my dry clean only jacket that was lying behind be.  She’s got good aim.  One time she had such a bad blowout it soaked her clothes clear up to her armpit.  I soon realized pooping wasn’t the only thing Lilly was good at.  She also had a knack for peeing all over herself in that couple seconds when the old diaper is removed from underneath her and the new one is not yet in place.  A favorite pass time of hers is puking all over me, even when I have a burp rag in place.  She still manages to get it on my clothes and down my back occasionally.  (It hasn’t ended up in my mouth yet, thank goodness!)

She even pukes on herself

Pooping, Peeing, and Puking.  Three things Lilly excels in.

Though parenting is messy it has its moments of laughter too.  Every day around 6 a.m. Lilly will wake us up to be fed.  Chris loves the morning smile Lilly gives him.  

When she’s done eating, Lilly will have a dribble of milk coming from her mouth, and sometimes milk is smeared all over her cheek and chin.  I can’t help but laugh.  When she cries she’ll make a sound that sounds like she’s saying “Mah.”  I know I shouldn’t find her crying humorous, but sometimes I do. 

One of her pooping faces

With these fun and exciting times also come those difficult times.   I know I can’t be the only mom who thinks she is incompetent to be a mom.  Wondering why God would call her to be one when she feels she is failing at least several times a week.  Yet God called me, and thousands of others to be mothers.  Some of us don’t have our own children here in this life, for whatever reason, but each woman is a mother to someone in some way.  And God didn’t leave us alone. 

He gave us Prayer, Patience, and Perseverance. 

I think the only time I have ever prayed more in my life is when I was on my mission.  I offer constant daily prayers up to the Lord to help me know how to care for my daughter.  I pray for strength to get through those nights when Chris is gone and Lilly is crying.  I’ve prayed in the middle of the night, in the middle of the day, when all I want is sleep and Lilly is wide awake.  I’ve prayed for the strength to get through each hour.  Though I’ve never had an angel visit me and calm Lilly, I have gotten through those difficult times as a mom.  I believe the Lord is with me even if I can’t feel Him with me all the time.

Even Lilly prays

I have had to work on patience my entire life.  For some reason when it comes to Lilly I am patient…for the most part.  I do have my moments of impatience, but overall I can handle her crying, I can walk around with her on my shoulder much longer than I thought I could, and playing with her isn’t a problem for me.  I know that each stage of her life only happens once.  I try to be patient during the difficult times because I know I’ll be blessed with the fun and good times.

I remember there were a few weeks when Lilly loved waking up at 3 a.m. and staying up until 7 a.m.  If my sleep schedule wasn’t off at that time, it certainly got off!  Then there are the several times when Lilly will go through several diapers in one changing because off all the peeing and pooping she does.  And I can’t forget those long evenings when Chris is gone to school and/or work when I’ve already had a long day and am exhausted.  During these times I know I need to persevere.  It’s more than just enduring.  Enduring is what I did as a kid when my brother would constantly pick on me.  Persevering is what I do when times are really tough as a mom.  I know that Lilly’s crying session will be over, that one day she’ll be potty trained, and Chris will have a set time he’ll come home from work to help me with the kids.  But for now I persevere. 

I have hope in my heart that the Lord will help me through the challenges of motherhood.  I have joy knowing I get to watch my daughter grow up.  I have peace knowing how infinitely she trusts me (for now). 

Though there will continue to be a lot of Pooping, Peeing, and Puking, I thank my Heavenly Father He gave me Prayer, Patience, and Perseverance

We love our little girl