Last night it was my mother's birthday celebration. Particularly special as it is a year after her cancer treatment and she is in great health and able to enjoy a birthday as she does. Baby Layla is suffering - it is the right word - from what seems to be a chronic constipation issue. Fruit is not good right now and it is important to note that with developmentally delayed children, that although she is enjoying food from the 6 month mark, her stomach juices aren't ready for the onslaught. So, keep it simple with one type of food, easily digestible, for a stretch of time before introducing another. Keep away from the fruit because their sugars are more complex and requires more to break down. Leading to "colicky" baby symptoms. i.e. miserable all night long. I think I'm going to invent a chocolate that pairs well with colicky baby with the ingredient for keeping us going through the wee hours.
We'll stick to basic sweet pots, carrots, yams, possibly potatoes and formula. Peas too seem to be a no-no, again going back to the sugar. There are so many books, I know, but you know your baby the best and I really am accepting that there is nothing wrong with holding back until it gets easier for the baby. Not to get too ahead of myself in order to achieve a sense of success - rather find success in the smiles, hugs, sounds and warmth of the baby.
Oh my, I should write for Hallmark!
OK so my epiphany today was inspired by a rather low moment last night. The baby was crying in discomfort and just annoying at 1:30am after my family departed leaving me with a kitchen full of dirty dishes (that said family just ignored completely.... I'll leave that for another post). I looked at her and said something to the effect of " I don't have time to deal with your fussing right now" and how "she should have come with a manual".
Today, after a few hours of sleep and god-is-great caffeine, the thought came to me:
She chose me, she is my manual for my life.
When you look at your baby choosing you, it opens up the picture so much. It's not a matter of deflecting or denying. These children, their spirits, we make them. Their uniqueness. It is spirit. Her spirit is providing a quiet means for us to re-evaluate and reshape what matters most in our lives. Life is important, all life, in all of it's many colours.
The earthquake disaster in Haiti, we must all help. All life is of value and the impacts are far reaching. Shift our family focus to re-establish our own ability to value lives that may look like they have none. All people are able and worthy and it is high time that the world isn't perceived as a place to squash abilities and the emphasis on the forces of evil. Music and prose needs to talk of happy times, of goodness and hope.
I don't know the plan to helping the damage caused by the disaster, but the help - great and small - will impact exponentially. Human kindness and goodness does prevail if we allow it. No? I mean Yes??
A wise, but creepy man (gosh if he ever reads this he'll know..) told me that disasters and hardship are the only way to draw empathy and compassion from people. This may seem like an obvious and why am I getting stumped on that - but I find it stump worthy!
I have digressed but there are a number of points here, it's all in the interpretation. I leave you this to remember, your child is your life manual.
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