Anyway, of all the topics I want to blog about (of course the ideas would flow while my site was down, and now that it’s back up, I’m drawing a blank), the following is probably the most valuable piece that I wanted to share and record to remind myself.  I came across a GREAT article by FamilyLife which lists 40 lessons to teach your children.  The entire article can be found here.  Here is the list:

1. Above all, fear God.
2. Respect authority—trust and obey your parents.
3. The importance of friendships.
4. Be in love with Christ and focus on your relationship with Him, not just on doctrine or on biblical principles.
5. Have compassion for the poor and orphans.
6. Believe God for too much rather than too little.
7. Real strength is found in serving, not in being served.
8. The power of moral purity and a clean conscience.
9. How to motivate people without manipulating them.
10. How to handle failure.
11. Keep your promises.
12. The power of the tongue for good or evil.
13. Give too much rather than too little.
14. The importance of manners and common courtesies.
15. View life through God’s agenda—the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.
16. Give thanks to God in all things.
17. The importance of prayer.
18. The art of asking good questions, carrying on good conversation.
19. How to grow as a Christian.
20. How to handle temptation.
21. By faith, trust Christ as your Savior and Lord, and share with others how to become a Christian.
22. Seeking wisdom—skill in everyday living. Knowing how to make good decisions.
23. Gaining a sense of God’s direction and destiny for your life.
24. Stay teachable and not becoming cynical.
25. Obtain godly counsel.
26. The importance of flexibility and adaptability to cope in life.
27. Truth is best passed on through relationships.
28. Leave a legacy of holiness.
29. Keep life manageable. Prioritize decisions.
30. Tame selfishness—you can’t always get your way.
31. Choices are yours to make and results are yours to experience.
32. Respect the dignity of another person and of all people.
33. Be faithful in the little things.
34. Character is the basis of all leadership.
35. Life isn’t fair—don’t compare with or be jealous of others.
36. Live by commitments, not by feelings.
37. Express grace and forgiveness.
38. A strong work ethic.
39. Surrender to the authority of Christ.
40. How to handle your finances.

Wow, what a responsibility. No pressure, huh?!  I sure am thankful to be doing this with Eric, and that God promised to grant wisdom as long as I keep asking for it!  I pray that I can instill these things in James.  Guess we’ll have to wait twenty years or so and see.

Onto pictures…

The above didn’t quite turn out how I envisioned, partially because I’m wearing different outfits and partially because I forgot to take the “after” picture til James was 2 months old and much bigger than his birth size.  Oh well!  Guess I’ll try again with the next baby, Lord-willing. Baby eyelashes. James is generally a happy baby, but of course we get our share of tears and fussiness!  ”Mom, stop taking pictures and pick me up!!” He did not want to take a family photo that day!…but he calmed down a few minutes later, once we started playing with him. CAPTAIN ADORABLE!!!Passed out on Daddy’s shoulder.  Just had a bath so the hair is everywhere. So cute!We very rarely take photos of just the two of us now!

Also, here’s a list of a few items that have been invaluable in our first couple months of parenting.  Maybe this will help someone, someday.

• Aden + anais swaddle blankets – love these. They are big, thin, breathable, and cute. We swaddle James every night so he sleeps better.  Can buy at Amazon, Nordstrom, or baby stores.
• My Brest Friend nursing pillow – I use this multiple times daily. Provides more support than boppy nursing pillows.
• Side-snap short-sleeve shirts – found these at Macy’s and bought on my mom’s recommendation. Mom knows best! They are so much easier to put on & take off a newborn than regular onesies which go over the head. I don’t know why side snap shirts are not more common, they’re so practical!  I bought the 3-month size.
• First Year Calendar – highly recommend!  I’m not good at journaling daily (plus there’s no time), so this is perfect… a calendar w/ stickers and just enough space to jot down the day’s milestones. My mom kept a similar calendar for me and my brother, now I’m keeping one for James.
• Baby mittens – because babies come out of the womb with nails… which in our case were a bit long and rough!  I kept mittens on James to prevent him from scratching himself until I worked up the courage to cut his nails.
• Bravado nursing bras – if planning to breastfeed. I had no idea where to start, so went with a friend’s recommendation to try the Bravado line and am happy with them. I bought them off bare necessities and saved even more by googling a coupon code.
• Johnson’s nursing pads – again, if planning to breastfeed. These are disposable pads, which I found to be more absorbent and convenient than reusable ones.
• Carseat & stroller – we got a Graco snugride and a stroller frame. It’s probably the simplest and most light-weight option of all carseat/stroller combo out there.
• Baby carrier – we have a Baby Bjorn carrier, but I wish someone had told me that an Ergo carrier might be better for my back. I haven’t used this too much yet, but I do feel like the Baby Bjorn puts all of the baby’s weight on my upper back rather than distributing some around the waist/on the lower back.
• Other things to buy – what I consider “first month essentials” (as opposed to the BabiesRUs list with hundreds of items):  DIAPERS, WIPES, a trash can WITH A LID, a few receiving blankets, baby nail clipper, a crib or bassinet, changing table and changing pad, baby bathtub, a couple bath towels & washcloths, a diaper bag for going out, soap/hand sanitizer. Oh, and just a few outfits (unless you have hand-me-downs) because babies outgrow clothes REALLY FAST, like no joke!
• Nice-to-haves: a swing, playmat, boppy pillow (I use this for propping the baby up, more than for nursing), a few toys & books, nursing clothes, nursing cover.

OK that was fun.  Time to sleep!