Away in a Manger

Warning this blog may contain some oxymorons (ie...jumbo shrimp) I love my kids! They are so sweet, individually unique and so very frustrating! Sometimes I wonder why I am a mother at all...what do I have to contribute to their lives other than the things I hope they don't remember about me? Then I get it. God made them, he actually gave specific instructions (DNA) for their development and watched over them second by second as they were forming in my womb. He created something beautiful to enjoy, mold, foster and love. This isn't about me and how challenging it is to be a "good and happy" mommy. I have an important role in their lives rearing them to know Jesus, to love the qualities HE has, to seek to please HIM in all they do, to serve others in HIS name. My children have what I did not. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."Jeremiah 29:11-13 Oh how I wish I had known this when I was younger. Verse 14 goes on to say that the LORD will be found by me, and HE will bring me back from captivity! Isn't is wonderful? All we have to do is seek HIM friends and family! Peace, Joy, & Hope will abound. I don't know anyone who doesn't want those things. Those beauties of mine though they bring out the worst in me at times I have had no greater pleasure in life than growing in the LORD with them. Just when I think I'm not capable I walk in to find my girls replicating the manger scene. I realize then it is all about JESUS. I want them to know HIM! To grow up with HIM and to feel HIS love in our home. If I fail at everything else in life at least I have accomplished this.

You know how unnerving things are funnier after the fact? I did something crazy/potentially harmful to my son. It started with something alien, grossly green, and liquefied coming out of his nose. It was the winter cold that quickly spread to one of his eyes a few days later. I remembered hearing something from The Famous Bakersfield Lactation Consultant (you may have heard of her) about breast milk maybe having antibody components and decided to squeeze some of my milk in Ezra's eye. Notice I did not say squirt! These are if you will the sad breasts of a third time around dairy cow on the 22nd month of her final calf. We aren't talking a constant, steady drip like that of an annoying leaky faucet, but more of a "trying to get the last bit out of a toothpaste tube" type of boob. Anyhow, when I thought maybe this old wives tale (sorry Lynn, I didn't mean you are old) was hogwash I ruffled through my medicine cabinet to find what I thought was a left over prescription to treat pink eye. I felt victorious thinking I would nuke it with the power of a napalm bomb. My first red flag was when he cried after the application, but I decided to ignore this intuition and go to bed. Minutes later I realized what I had done...did the bottle say OTIC and not OPTIC? Oh Crap! I just put numbing ear drops in his eyes...well what could the harm be? I couldn't fall asleep so I got out of bed, turned the computer back on and googled until I found warnings about the medication. Everywhere I looked I saw "Do not put in the eyes...flush immediately with water" Now I am panicking thinking my son will be blind by morning, so I get him out of bed and with a medicine dropper I repeatedly squirt water into his eyes..he is pretty pissed at this point! Then I pray..well actually that is a lie. My first thought is how am I going to cover this up if it damages his sight? Then I pray that God will protect those baby blues and that he won't end up with a walking stick. It is funny now that I rehash it, but I truly was worried. Now every time he nurses he says "eye" and wants milk in it. I can't because I gave Kati a hard time about Christian doing "eye" for so long! If you aren't in the loop about "eye" you want to be, it's hilarious, so ask her! I think I will stick with natural treatments from now on. I have yet to find a side effects label on these pair of tiny jugs.