4 Months

Our little Madsyn turned 4months old last Friday. It's crazy how fast time is flying and how fast he is growing. My goal was to write every week but it turned into every month and now... I just try to write whenever I have the time and energy.

A lot has happened since my last post.

First and the best! Madsyn started sleeping through the night!!! A couple of weeks ago, he slept almost 12hours. Whoa, it was super nice to get a good uninterrupted sleep for once. And then..... about a week later, he got sick and started waking up during the night... and then he had his 4 months shots which made him super cranky and he woke up every hour screaming bloody murder. We will see what happens in the next few weeks.

Madsyn can also now roll over from back to front.

Which is good and bad at the same time.

It means he is progressing and learning new skills but I have to be really care with where to put him and always make sure he's not suffocating himself especially in his crib. So we bought a camera to watch him all night long. I'm sure he will be fine most of the time so I guess it's mostly for me to save myself getting out of my bed every hour to check on him to make sure he's ok and sleeping well.

  

Luckily, he hasn't rolled in his crib yet...

Lastly, Madsyn started his solids last Friday. I was so eager to start him on solids because he's been throwing up for the last three months and it has been brutal for all of us. Even with mixing rice cereal he still throws up. Also, in the book "Bringing Up Bebe", she talks about how French kids eat EVERYTHING including all the vegetables that most American kids don't even look at. So I wanted to follow their strategy and get him started on solids early enough to introduce and get his taste buds used to all of the different vegetables there is.

 

This is Madsyn's first day on solids. Mashed avocados!! 

He's not used to being spoon fed so I couldn't tell but I think he liked it..

All things aside, being a mom is such a fun and exciting and also at the same time it is very humbling experience. Every day I face different and new challenges. Today I found this quote on facebook, which I totally agree with.

I used to wonder why there are so many talks and quotes on uplifting discouraged mothers who try so hard. I was a perfect parent until I had a baby of my own. It definitely is the hardest thing I've ever done.

A couple of days ago, Madsyn was crying for over an hour at night and I lost patience with him and got mad. I had hurt his feelings and it has been haunting me every day ever since.  

More than anything, I have realized that parenting requires much more than just knowing. I have read almost all the best selling parenting and baby books there is but the most important skill I need is "mother's intuition" which I think comes by revelation from God and I think this is how you can become a "real" parent.

Julie B. Beck said "Revelation can come hour by hour and moment by moment as we do the right things. When women nurture as Christ nurtured, a power and peace can descend to guide when help is needed. For instance, mothers can feel help from the Spirit even when tired, noisy children are clamoring for attention, but they can be distanced from the Spirit if they lose their temper with children.. We are doing well when we seek to improve ourselves and do our best. When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us. We know we are successful if we live so that we qualify for, receive, and know how to follow the Spirit. Peace, joy, and hope are available to those who measure success properly."

Every single day I realize I have so much to learn and to improve. Indeed it can be very discouraging at times but I try to always remember that it was no coincidence that Madsyn came into my life and that he knew, and heavenly father knew that I would be the best mom for him and he would the best for me and we could help each other grow to become who we need to become. And I'm so glad that being a mom is the hardest thing I've ever done because the best things in life comes with a price to pay.

Like Elder Holland said, "Excellence does not come easily or quickly. It is simply a truism that nothing very valuable can come without significant sacrifice, effort, and patience on our part."