A Confession and a Prayer

My confession is that my apartment is not packing itself. The truth is that Keith is packing. I took the boys out for the morning and came back to a semi-packed apartment. The man even vacuumed under the beds! I'm telling you...I'm spoiled and loved and grateful. What a guy.

My prayer is one that is close to my heart. I had the privilege of speaking with a new mom yesterday who has an adorable baby. The baby is healthy, loved, well-cared for and happy. Yet, I could sense the struggle that she is having with some decisions that she and her husband have had to make at this season. And it broke my heart.

I know the uncertainty of questioning your decisions, of wondering if you are doing what is best for your child. I know the self-doubt that comes when others question and demean the decisions that you have lost sleep over. I know the judgment that comes from your own head and from the mouth of others.

No matter what you do as a mom, someone else does it differently. If you breastfeed or if you formula feed. If you co-sleep or put your baby in a crib. If you work or if you stay at home. If you limit t.v. or if you don't. If you give your child junk food or if you don't. If you spank or if you don't spank. No one else can tell you how to raise your child.

We put such high expectations on ourselves to be perfect. To do it like everyone around us. Yet everyone else is not the mother of my children. I am. So I will do things my way and attempt for today to silence the voice of self-doubt that haunts me. And I will reach my hand out to the other moms that I know to say this: Whatever you do for your child, do in prayer and do with love. Do for your family what you need to and don't doubt yourself. Most importantly, trust the Lord to guide you on this journey. God bless.