Mommy-hood.

So this whole mommy-hood thing is really a fly by the seat of your pants type gig, huh? Even moreso if your own mom was not really the example you needed.

I honestly had no idea what to expect when we got pregnant. I had to read all the books. First because I read EVERYTHING and second because I was/am absolutely clueless about all this stuff. Clueless in spite of having taken that child development course in grad. school. HA!

Throw in the whole preemie thing and well, Eddie Bear may as well have been sent home with a 6 yr. old. Poor kid.

Seriously though. The books have helped, except that every last one of them say something completely different.

"Your child needs to cry it out and be on a schedule," says Ezzo.

"Schedules and crying it out are bad," says Dr. Sears.

"Formula is the best thing because your milk won't satisfy your son," says grandma.

"Put that baby down, you hold him too much," says the little old lady own the road.

Oy vey. How's a new mom supposed to know what to do?

I've chosen to do what feels absolutely right for my son and me. Eddie will be breastfed until I am forced to wean or until he weans himself. He needs all the extra antibodies since he won't be getting any vaccinations anytime soon.

He comes to bed with me after 1 AM or so because I get more sleep than I would getting up to get him everytime he woke up. A well-rested mommy is MUCH better than an exhausted one. And no, I won't nightwean until at least 18 months old.

I am careful about what he eats. No dairy, nuts, or meat yet -- even though he is almost 10 months old. We have a history of allergies in my family and much to my dismay (I'm a peanut addict) he has already exhibited an intolerance to peanuts.

And TV just won't be happening. Cable is an extra expense we don't need and without it we get no channels. Books are better entertainment by far.

We may spank, but may not. We are undecided. Not spanking does NOT mean that our child will be undisciplined. FYI, a rod was used as a directional aid, not as a tool with which to beat the sheep.

Eddie will not go to the nursery during the worship service and Sunday School apart from us is still up in the air. In Bible times they didn't have children's church or nurseries. Childern were with their parents and people still came to Christ and the Holy Spirit still fell (or the Book of Acts is a lie).

Here's the thing, those are choices we have made as far as how we parent our child(ren). Please don't harrass me about them. If you have something useful to add, then by all means, please share. But don't tell me I am spoiling my child. He's a baby and to think you can spoil a baby is dumb.

We don't make judgements about how others parent. There are GREAT parents who do everything completely differently from the way we do things. That's okay.

My son is not perfect. Afterall, he is my little sinner. Rest assured, that he will not be nursing, co-sleeping, etc... for all eternity. But for right now, I want to enjoy his baby-hood. He's quite happy and very well adjusted (except he seems to go for the num-nums on any woman).

I decided to toss all those parenting books to the curb and do things my way; Eddie's way. Every child is different. Some kids are not cuddlers or nursers. Others are. That's okay. Those differences are what make life fun. Who knows, maybe my next child (whenever that happens) will want to be left alone? That will be okay too.

Nighty night.