Category: Musings of Mamahood

Perhaps few other roles are as humbling, sanctifying, and hilarious as motherhood. Join me as I share openly about just how real the struggle is, and what God teaches me in the midst of it all.

10 Tips for Traveling with Tiny Humans

We have taken our colicky, strong-willed, loud, fiercely independent and active daughter on (going on) 18 flights. Traveling with a baby is anything but easy. And when that child is colicky or strong-willed, the challenges are magnified ten fold. It sort of feels like walking a tight-rope 30,000 feet off of the ground with a tiny break dancer attached to your chest. There is no easy way to do it. You sort of throw yourself out there with a prayer and hope you don’t misrepresent the Lord by shaking your baby or yelling at your spouse in front of an audience of people. (Disclaimer: this is a joke. I’d never shake my baby in real life).

With the Holidays just around the corner, I thought it was an appropriate time to share some tips for traveling with your petite powerhouse based on our experiences so far. Beware that these tips are geared toward high-energy, colicky little ones…so they may not apply to all families.

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Showering with a Screwdriver

The laundry towers, dishes pile up, trash multiplies, toys scatter. The dog needs feeding, bed needs making, the baby needs attention…

I mustn’t waste this day away on chores.

Today there are laughs to be had, beauty to see, tastes to savor, words to be read, written and exchanged. Love to be shared, sidewalks to stroll, ducks to feed, and swings to play on. Coffee to be enjoyed, smiles to pass along, messes to make, and places to tidy up.

She will not remember the clean home. I will not wish for another moment to wash dishes or fold laundry as I reach the end of my earthly journey. I will wish for more moments to allow Love to come in, take charge, and trickle powerfully out.

And so I began packing up in preparation for our upcoming walk to the park. And then I saw them.

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Sanity and Soul-Care

“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”  ~ Benjamin Franklin

My sanity is still messy, but it’s a restful sort of messy.

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I will never forget the lessons I learned from my mom as I watched her go about life when I was a young girl. She is the most selfless, strong, servant-hearted women I know. Growing up, she integrated teachings from Scripture in sweet and tangible ways.

One of the most priceless lessons my mother taught me was the value of soul-care and self awareness. Through example, she taught me to begin with self-awareness, and then to implement healthy boundaries. She taught me that soul-care paired with selflessness is key to living a full life.

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Naked and Napless

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:12-13

Babies are fun! They are hard. But they can be fun.

It’s been one of those mommy-ing days when you just throw the lofty goals like meal times and naps out of the window, and you charter new territory in hopes of at least making a memory out of the mix.

I’ve had several of those days lately

Just the other day, following a sleepless night, a runaway dog expedition, and a 45 minute bumper to bumper car ride serenaded by a screaming baby, I wandered around the wine store with my baby on my hip and realized upon getting to the register that my breast was out of my shirt.

Embarrassing. Exhausting. Laughable.

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Embracing Wonderment

Embracing Wonderment

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.”  Psalm 19:1

Wrestling with a baby 30,ooo feet off the ground is an art that I have become too familiar with over the last 9 months. Summer has now flown 14 times. She wiggles, yells, laughs, cries, flails, punches, pokes, prods, flirts and violently nurses. Sometimes all at once. When I say she is a high-energy, strong-willed kid, I’m not exaggerating. Our trip home in June featured me sobbing with her in front of the entire crew and passengers for a full hour. It was awesome.


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When Dirty Laundry is the “Court of My God”

“For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” Psalm 103:14

I finally got her down. It was a pre-naptime process that involved tears, restraint, wrestling, ear-piercing white noise (why is that soothing to them!?), a stress ball, and countless breath prayers.

I made my nursery exit feeling an awkward mix of gratification and frustration. I tripped over the dirty laundry in the hall and stumbled down the stairs over dog and baby toys until I found my coffee. This morning would require an extra dose of coffee. And Jesus.

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A Lesson on Grace from My Dishwasher

“First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well” Matthew 23:26

There it is again, staring me straight in the face. It’s the milk container. In the cupboard.

Good grief. How could I do that again? “Mom brain” has officially taken on a whole new meaning lately. This is the second time I’ve tucked the milk safely into the cupboard after my morning coffee. And there it lived for a full 24 hours. Yuck.

So now we are off to a coffee-less morning (because I just can’t drink coffee black). Nonetheless, a little person needs my love and this house needs some serious attention.

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Sleeping in the Bathtub and Giggling at a Funeral

“There is no such thing as a good day, or a bad day. There is only a day of grace. And some days the grace of God allows you to enjoy what is happening and some days the grace of God allows you to endure what is happening. But don’t think about good and bad anymore, just enjoy the grace that is present.” – Graham Cooke

I just couldn’t even handle one more minute of her crying. My head had been barricaded by hotel pillows and a comforter for an hour while Ryan and I took turns shushing and rocking our inconsolable baby in that dark, humid hotel room. It was all so uncomfortable. The weather, the circumstances, the sleeplessness, the emotional intensity, the grieving, the busyness.

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Playing with Trash and Drinking from Toilets

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Phil 4:8

My children are intrigued by the dirtiest things. And to define children, I mean my daughter and my dog. My furbaby, Baylor, is my oldest. He is hilarious and crazy. Sort of like an indoor horse with the personality of an innocent toddler. My daughter, Summer, is a fireball straight from Heaven. She is vivacious and energetic and passionate.

I can almost guarantee at any moment both of them would prefer the gross over the clean.


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An Invitation to Friendship

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

I plopped onto the floor by the fireplace with my 9 month old as she tested her newly discovered vocal range and crawling skills. Sweet as she could possibly be in her new fall sweater and jeans, I took a moment to bask in how cute she was – one of those sappy mama moments. She began to crawl toward me and I reached out my hand.

“Want to hold hands?” I asked, expecting her to grab on and walk closer.

She leaned forward and vomited in my hand. Then she smiled, sat down, and crawled away.

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