Letters

I'm going to briefly review two books which I have read recently. The first is “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Schaefer and the second is “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” by Paul Torday. These are both books which were recommended to me and, if I’m honest, I probably wouldn’t have read otherwise. I generally stick to authors I know and styles I enjoy. But these books are written in a very different style. “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society” is written in the form of letters between a London-based author, Juliet, and various members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. It’s 1946 and letters fly back and forth with stories of life in Guernsey under the German Occupation. The tone of the book is light-hearted, but it doesn’t shy away from the more difficult aspects of life in and just after the war. I love visiting Guernsey and have enjoyed seeing the island in a different light through this book.

My second book, “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” is written in the form of diary extracts, email correspondence, letters, press comments and interviews! Initially I found it slightly bizarre as I am used to a straight-forward story, but as I got into the story I really enjoyed the use of different means of communication to convey the story. The basic plot of the story follows Dr Alfred Jones, a fisheries scientist, who feels that something is missing in his life. He is asked to help to create a salmon river in the highlands of Yemen – so he has to figure out how to fly ten thousand salmon to a desert country and persuade them to fish there! The story flows along in a predictive way, until the end where there is an unexpected twist in the story!

 

Go and have a read and let me know what you think! (Comments always welcome...)

Music and lyrics

As I'm having less time to read than before Zoë was born, I'm finding myself listening to more music and specifically the actual words that are being sung. Here are some of my favourite lyrics that I have heard and sung recently:

Each strand of sorrow has a place
Within this tapestry of grace;
So through the trials I choose to say:
"Your perfect will in Your perfect way".

I love the phrase 'tapestry of grace'. Life is like a tapestry that God is creating; he sees the beautiful picture, we see the 'messy' underside. But all those messy bits are contributing to the beautiful clear picture on the other side which we will only get to see at the end of life.
(From The perfect wisdom of the Lord, Stuart Townend & Keith Getty)

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
[Chorus]
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

Each day is a new day given to us by God; whatever happened yesterday is in the past; whatever happens tomorrow is in the future and not worth worrying about yet. Lamentations 3:22-23 says: "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
(From 10,000 reasons, Matt Redman)

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapour in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours.

I am God's because of what he has done for me, not because of anything I have done! Wow!!
(From Who am I, Casting Crowns)

I'm sorry if you've been near me whilst I've been singing along...!

Taking stock

How are you?

It's always good to look back and reflect on life. How has life changed for you in the past 6 months? I hope you've had some good times, but I expect you've also had some tough times; life is full of ups and downs.

My last six months have been the happiest yet toughest so far! With the arrival of Zoë Grace I have experienced the blessing and joy of the gift of a baby, yet have had so little sleep, my routines have been dispupted, there is another person in our family to consider etc. etc. etc.

My weekly devotional this week is encouraging me to take stock:
1. My relationship with God: Has it changed? Have I explored new ways of connecting with God? What's been my response to spiritually dry times?
2. My relationship with my husband: Are we enjoying parenting together and communicating honestly? Are we creating space for physical intimacy?
3. My relationship with baby: How am I adjusting to a constantly changing routine?

Something for me to ponder on this week...

(From Soul Food for Mums, by Lucinda van der Hart and Anna France-Williams)

Speaking love

Which muscle is the most destructive in the whole body? But can also be the most encouraging?

The tongue! It weighs only 56g (2oz) but can build people up or crush them. The Bible refers to it over 1000 times (tongue and lips 100 times, mouth and lips 400 times, and words 500 times) often telling us to mind our tongue and be careful what we say. So, here are some 'Responsible tongue management' tips:

1. Take responsibility for your words and begin to exercise restraint
"I said, ‘I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked." Psalm 39:1

2. Listen more and speak less
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19

3. Get rid of iffy language and inappropriate humour
"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."" Ephesians 4:3-4

4. Refuse to gossip
"Do not go about spreading slander among your people." Leviticus 19:16

5. Avoid arguments
"Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." 2 Timothy 2:23

Ephesians 4:29 probably sums it all up in one sentence:
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. "

Isn't the Bible a practical book?!

(From Having a Mary Spirit: Allowing God to change us from the inside out, by Joanna Weaver)

Baby's First Skills: 6-7 months

"Now your baby will be sitting up unaided..." Well, she would be if she could sit still long enough to actually sit! Zoë is now starting to crawl so we have been moving stuff out of the way and putting up safety gates.

Here are some of the headlines of a 6-7 month old:
Talking: She is beginning to experiment with conversations with herself and other people, including babbling, initiatiting conversation, making recognisable sounds, imitating sounds and experimenting with new sounds.
Moving: Uh oh! This is the month of big strides... taking one hand off the floor and balancing (tick), sitting up (nearly tick), lift head when lying on back (tick), rolling over from back to tummy (tick tick), weight bearing (tick) and bounces (tick)!
Hands: Her grasp is becoming more refined and co-ordination is improving.
Mind: Zoë is really beginning to understand her surroundings and rituals. She knows her name and responds to it, and also knows the meaning of the word 'no'!
Friendliness: Company is good, but she's happy with her own company too now. She enjoys relating with other babies and uses ways to converse (laughter, coughs, squeals, bubbles etc)

So this month The Golden Hour of activities include (with a bit more information than usual):

Talking (7 mins)

• Action Nursery Rhymes (#27) - what is says on the tin! (I'd better learn some more...)
• Puff and blow (#47) - Blow bubbles and then get baby to try as well. Hum a tune and put your baby's fingers against your lips so they can feel the vibration.

Moving (15 mins)

• Bathtime fun (#5) - Kicking, splashing, playing with ducks (pushing them under and quacking) and filling and pouring water from containers.
• Floor flying (#38) - Getting into take-off and sky-diving positions.
• Baby massage (#45) - Name the different body parts when doing the massage.

Hands (20 mins)

• Clapping Games (#11) - For example, Pat-a-cake. Must learn some more!
• Bricks and Blocks (#12) - Pick a brick: describe different shapes and colours;  All fall down: knocking down a tower; Building blocks: build her own tower.
• Kitchen percussion (#23) - uh oh!! Use a selection of pans and pots to make a noise! Let her do it, but also see if she can copy a definite rhythm.

Mind (10 mins)

• Introducing Books (#3) - Read lots of books!
• Hide and come back (#13) - Hide something behind my back and get Zoë to look for it. Sing 'Two little dickie birds'.
• More about books (#14) - Point out pictures of animals (names, sounds etc). Demonstrate turning the page. Make up stories about family members.

Friendliness (8 mins)

• Feet and Toes (#29) - 'This little piggy', 'Wee wiggie' etc
• Family favourites (#44) -  Make a family album and talk about people. Make a voice tape.

I'm really excited about all of this month's activities! Most of them we are already doing, but there are some fun additions to be trying out...

Catch up...

I can't believe that it has been nearly two weeks since I last blogged! But I have been reading lots during this time... Here is an overview:

Redemption and Remember - these are the two books at the beginning of the Baxter family saga, written by Karen Kingsbury. I do love a good bit of Christian fiction. They are inoffensive and easy to read, but deal with hard-hitting topics, such as adultery, murder, family issues etc. I was particularly upset to lose Redemption at some point last Wednesday as I was only halfway through. Oh well, I have read it several times before!


Baby-led weaning - As Zoë is now 6 months old we are entering new territory; milk is no longer the only thing she is interested in putting in her mouth! When she nicked some carrots off my plate and started eating them, we decided that it was time for her to go onto solid food. Baby-led weaning may sound new and radical, but when you think about it more carefully, I reckon most babies over the years across different countries follow this method. All that is involved is that Zoë eats the same as what we are eating (though we cut it into finger size strips to make it safer and easier for her to cope with) - simple! One side benefit for me is that I am having to think very carefully about what I want Zoë to eat and am having to adjust my own diet appropriately. Let's hope for radical results for me!!

Morrisons free magazine - I will often pick up the free magazines in supermarkets as they are interesting, but you don't feel that you have to do anything with what you've read as it didn't cost you anything in the first place. It was lovely flicking through this in the garden with my lunch. Maybe I'll even get round to trying some of the recipes from it!

The Bible - I know that I said in my first post that I try to read the Bible regularly, but, being honest, it frequently doesn't happen. Despite enjoying it, I often find other things to read or to do. But this week I have been challenged to try again. In the past I have been an 'all or nothing' type of girl when it comes to studying the Bible, but with a 6 month old daughter it is just not possible to spend hours studying and praying. So, I am dipping in and out when I have the time. I am reading through the book of Daniel at the moment and will tell you what I've read in a separate post!

Claire's Facebook page - This week a friend of ours lost her battle with Cystic Fibrosis. Although from a human perspective it is terribly sad for someone to die in their 30s (indeed at any age), for Claire it is better by far as she is now in heaven, pain-free, enjoying fellowship with her Lord and Saviour, Jesus. Claire's Facebook page is full of memories and comments which are inspiring to read. She touched so many people's lives for good; the main theme seems to be how she was always more interested and concerned in other people despite her own daily struggles.

What have you been reading?

Baby's First Skills: 5-6 months

So, Zoë is now over half way through this month (can't believe she'll be 6 months old on 24 May!)

According to the summary she

"...is beginning to understand that people and things still exist even though she can't see them, follows the pattern of conversation with her wide range of vocal sounds and is beginning to use both hands to co-ordinate the holding and guiding of objects, such as her bottle."

Yet again this does seem to be an accurate summary of our little girl! She is increasingly mobile and is loving rolling around the living room floor. (Time to move stuff out of the way...)

The Golden Hour of activities this month include:
Talking (20 mins)

• Action Nursery Rhymes (#27)
• Hubble bubble (#6)
• Family Favourites (#44)

Moving (7 mins)

• Baby Press-ups (#42
• Baby Ball Games (#41)
• Horsing around (#30)

Hands (8 mins)

• Shake, Rattle and Roll (#28)
• Clapping Games (#11)
• Bricks and Blocks (#12)

Mind (5 mins)

• Puppet Play (#33)
• Introducing Books (#3)

Friendliness (20 mins)

• Laughing Games (#4)
• Peep-Bo (#8)
• Feet and Toes (#29)

Will let you know how they go...

Loving

On Friday I treated myself to a new book and today I have finished it! Loving is the final book in Bailey Flanigan series by Karen Kingsbury. Karen is a popular American author, who is a Christian. Her faith shines through all her books (of which I have most!) and I find them encouraging and challenging.

Bailey Flanigan has appeared in many previous books, but in this series (Leaving, Learning, Longing and Loving) she is the central character. We see how she copes with leaving home, learning many life lessons, longing for a relationship and then loving and committing to her husband. I don't want to share too many details as I want to encourage you to go and read the books yourself!

This book is all about love: not just the love between Bailey and her boyfriend, but also between Bailey and God. The song below is by Francesca Battistelli and features in the novel. This song could be sung from a girl to her man, but the singer is singing to God. Can you say the same thing to God? Would you like to be able to?

Forever love by Francesca Battistelli (click to listen)
(Chorus)
You are my forever love
You are my forever love
You are my forever love
You are my forever love

From the bottom of my heart I’ll sing to You
From the depths of who I am I love You
With everything inside I’ll run to You
‘Cause all that I’ve become I owe to You
(Chorus)

From the bottom of my heart I’ll sing to You
From the depths of who I am I love You
With everything inside I’ll run to You
‘Cause all that I’ve become I owe to You
(Chorus)

Nothing in this world could ever separate us
I will love You more than anyone on earth
Nothing I desire could ever satisfy me the way that You do
(Chorus)

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

By Stuart Townend

To hear the song, click on this link

Mark 6v14-29: Herodias - The Fruit of Bitterness

I regularly meet up with a friend from church to study the Bible together. We are currently working through a study guide looking at Women of the New Testament and have so far studied Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist) and Mary (mother of Jesus). Both of these women are Godly women who we should learn from and copy. This week, however, we looked at Herodias.

Herodias was married to her uncle Herod Philip I and then married Heod Antipas, his brother. She had a daughter from her marriage to Herod Philip I who was called Salome. Herodias was not a nice character and she nursed a grudge against John the Baptist, who had said 'It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.' to Herod Antipas (v18). She was so bitter about this, we are told that she wanted to kill him (v 19). This was a serious grudge that she had.

Herodias waited for the opportune moment and then pounces. This moment means that her bitterness spreads and affects Herod Antipas and her daughter Salome. Herod Antipas is so pleased with Salome's dancing at a banquet that he says she can have anything she wants! Herodias tells her daughter to ask for John the Baptist's head on a platter (v25).

Obviously Herodias is not a woman we should look up to and emulate, but we can learn a lot from her. Bitterness can rob people of joy and enjoyment of life. Do you think Herodias suddenly felt better when she received John the Baptist's head on a platter? Did all her resentment dissolve or was she still an angry, bitter woman?

Joanna Weaver, in her book Having a Mary Spirit, says "Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." This is so true; bitterness doesn't acheive anything except twisting ourselves up inside.

According to a recent Newsweek article, scientists are finding that unforgiveness is linked to all kinds of physical problems ranging from increased blood pressure and cardiovascular disease to hormonal changes, immune suppression, and possibly impaired neurological function and memory.

(Jordanna Lewis and Jerry Adler, "Forgive and Let Live," Newsweek, 27 September 2004. Quoted in Having a Mary Spirit, Joanna Weaver)

We should make sure that bitterness doesn't reside in our souls. Give the grudge to God and let him deal with it.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Män som hatar kvinnor

Män som hatar kvinnor (literally– men who hate women) is the Swedish title of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and I can see why!

The book starts with a hint at a crime within the world of finance, which results in Mikael Blomkvist spending time in prison, then moves onto the crime of a missing person and then on to murder. But the central crimes discovered in the process of investigating the missing person are horrific and I am not sure I want to read about them again! This quote from the book completely sums it up:

Together with Mikael Blomkvist she had taken up the hunt for what they thought was a serial killer from the past. They had found something appallingly different. She could hardly imagine the horror's that must have played out in [spoiler] basement, in the midst of this well-ordered, idyllic spot.

The book also considered the nature of a socially awkward young woman. Does she have Asperger's Syndrome as Blomkvist considers? Or is she just different? I wonder sometimes, with all the 'labels' that we have today, whether we are too quick to give people a label, a reason for their behaviour.

Wikipedia descibes Lisbeth as:

The survivor of a traumatic childhood, Salander is highly introverted, asocial and has difficulty connecting to people and making friends. She is particularly hostile to men who abuse women, and takes special pleasure in exposing and punishing them.

I am still enjoying this book, but, as I said to a friend today, I'm not sure I would want to read the details of the crimes again. I am looking forward to reading The Girl Who Played With Fire in the near future.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Addicted!

I know that a book is good if I carry it around the house with me, reading a page or even a paragraph at every opportunity! The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has reached the lofty heights of being a carry-round book! From the moment that Henrik Vanger explained the mysterious disapperance of Harriet Vanger to Mikael Blomkvist I needed to know the answer... (Don't tell me! I want to find it out for myself...)

I have to admit that it took me 7 chapters to work out the numbering system at the beginning of each chapter! But I have cracked it now. :)

I have to give full credit to Reg Keeland, the translator. You wouldn't guess that it had been written in another language already!

Baby's First Skills: 4-5 months - An update

Zoë Grace and I have now been doing these activities for a few days, so I thought I'd give you an update! (She also turns 5 months on Tuesday so we'll be moving on to the next chapter...)

Talking (7 mins)

• Puff and blow - Zoë loves it when I blow on her tummy! I've been blowing raspberries and making her smile loads. (She's not yet managed a vocal giggle but the feeling is there.) This activity has also helped me learn the describe and demonstrate technique.
• Hubble bubble - We've had great fun playing with bubbles in the bath (well, I did anyway!) and I have bought her a pot of bubbles, but we haven't played with them yet. We can do that tomorrow.

Moving (20 mins)

• Bathtime fun - During bathtime and swimming lessons we have been practising kicking and splashing - it won't be long til she is able to do that herself!
• Floor flying - This activity was very amusing! Both of us lay on the floor on our tummies, arms out to the side and then lifted our heads to look at each other. We also tried lifting our legs (in a sky-diving shape). I could feel my tummy muscles working hard!
• Horsing around - Zoë has enjoyed sitting on my knees and pretending they're a horse! I do need to learn the nursery rhymes to go with this activity which will make it much more fun.

Hands (12 mins)

• Touch and feel - Not really explored this activity much, but we have read a few books with different textures and touchy-feely pages. Need to source some opposite textures.
• Bathtime fun - As above!
• Play bracelets - I was dubious about purchasing noisy bracelets and their usefulness, but gave in when I found a set in Tesco for not much money. Zoë has loved them! And they have really helped her to work out that she can make noises happen by moving her arms. So, all in all a good purchase. :)

Mind (12 mins)

• Yes and no - Not really done anything on this activity. I need to get my head round it more!
• Baby brain teaser - Not done this one either! I need to make some cards - will get on it tomorrow.
• Peep-bo - We've enjoyed playing this game and Zoë is getting used to the phrase "where's Mummy/Zoë?"

Friendliness (7 mins)

• Baby massage - We've done this a little bit, but I kept planning on doing it at bedtime and Zoë has been very tired so we've had to miss it out.
• Hands and fingers - I've had to teach myself Round and round the garden and Tommy thumb, but it's been really enjoyable.

After just a few days I have really enjoyed this book and am reassured that I am doing the right stuff with Zoë Grace. It's great to have ideas and activities to do with her on a one-to-one basis which are helping her develop as well. We are looking forward to finding out what our activities will be next month. :)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Is the hype right?

Given that I have just finished two books in the last few days I thought I should update my list of books for you...

The Bible. I attempt to read this regularly so it will always be in my list of current books.

Soul Food for Mums by Lucinda van der Hart & Anna France-Williams

Having a Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver

To this list I am adding The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. I have somehow managed to avoid the books and the films until now, but I have decided to check out whether the 'more than 26 million' people who bought this book were right! I'm half-way through Chapter 1 and am enjoying it at the moment, so will continue on...

First-Time Mom: A friend's recommendation

This book was a present from a friend who'd found it invaluable when she was a first-time mom. As you can probably guess the book is written by an American, but as children are the same the world over this really wasn't a problem! (My friend is actually South African!)

The book goes from birth to toddlers and on to starting school, and is jam-packed with tips and hints and guidance based on experience. It is definitely a book which I will be re-reading as Zoë Grace grows up.

I want to share with you today 'A Child's Ten Commandments to Parents' as it really spoke to me. (I am planning on printing these out nicely and putting them up in Zoë Grace's room.)

'A Child's Ten Commandments to Parents'

1. My hands are small; please don't expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture, or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so I can keep up with you.
2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely; don't restrict me unnecessarily.
3. Housework will always be there. I am only little for such a short time - please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.
4. My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs; don't nag me all day long. (You wouldn't want to be nagged for you inquisitiveness.) Treat me as you would like to be treated.
5. I am a special gift from God; please treasure me as God intended you to do, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by, and disciplining me in a loving manner.
6. I need your encouragement, but not your praise, to grow. Please go easy on the criticism; remember, you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.
7. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so I can learn from my mistakes.
8. Please don't do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts don't quite measure up to your expectations. I know it's hard, but please don't compare me with my brother or sister.
9. Please don't be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it's a great way to show us kids that your marriage is special.
10. Please take me to Sunday school and church regularly, setting a good example for me to follow. I enjoy learning more about God.

Call The Midwife: The Appendix

No! I don't mean the little bit of flesh which most people have cut out... I mean the section at the end of the book which is like bonus information!

In the case of Call The Midwife, I loved The Appendix! Entitled 'On the Difficulties of Writing the Cockney Dialect', I was in my linguistical element! There was talk of glottal stops, pronunciation, consonent changes, softening of fricatives, quadraphthongs and quinquaphthongs, as well as grammar, syntax, idioms and slang! (Wachoofinkovisen?!) Two of my favourite quotes in this chapter are:

Ve mos' worsestest fing wha: 'e ever done was more be:erer van 'er wickidness.

and

Ve doctor, 'e shpozhezh, vish fing wazh a washp shting azh wha: 'azh shwelled up loike.

Now that I have finished this book I have the pleasure and difficulty of chosing my next book. I always find this a tricky time... More often than not I will read a whole series as I get into the style, characters, time period etc. before moving on to something else. But I only have Call The Midwife at the moment and really can't afford to buy more books, especially when I have other ones that I need to read first! However, Shadows of the Workhouse will be going on my Amazon wishlist for a time in the future. As for now it is back to the bookcase - do I re-read an old favourite or do I risk reading something new?

Eats, shoots and leaves!

It has been a dark day... I have not managed to read a book at all today! It rarely happens and I will endeavour to rectify the situation before my eyes give in to sleep...

However, I have just proof-read 18 pages of a document for Steve (whilst watching The Apprentice and You're Hired). I am one of those strange people who actually enjoy grammar and finding errors and dubious punctuation.I enjoy it so much that it has been my job for the past 4 year!

I think this love of grammar was instilled in me by my mother from an early age. She used to return letters to the school covered in red pen indicating the necessary grammatical corrections - it was highly embarrassing at the time, but I think I would do the same with any letters that Zoë Grace will get!

Better go now so I get the chance to read a few pages before going to sleep...

Soul Food for Mums: God working in your child's life

(Zoë Grace is fast asleep under her play gym, so I thought I'd grab some valuable time to do some reading...) 

"It takes a whole village to raise a child." Igbo and Yoruba (Nigeria) Proverb

This proverb really struck me when I was reading this week's devotional (next week's starts on Thursday, so I'm still trying to catch up!). Zoë Grace needs more than just Steve and me (hard to stomach) to help her to grow into the woman God wants her to be: grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, siblings (maybe one day!), but also the community of God's people, the church. Our church is full of people of different ages, ethnicities, personalities and backgrounds, with different skills and gifts. Just think of the variety in her life if we allow them to help us raise her! (I'm not suggesting here that she's raised by community, but that we open up our lives to allow her to experience lots of different people!)

Delia v James

A few nights ago we were on our way to bed when an almighty crash jolted us into a panic... After checking that our little girl was asleep and ok, I sent Steve downstairs to investigate. (I am all for equality but think there are times when it's ok to be a timid woman ;) )

In the kitchen he found my pestle and mortar on the floor, along with a few other bits and pieces of the shelf. Delia Smith was having a fight with James Martin! And she nearly suceeded in pushing him to the floor and having the shelf all to herself. Girl power!

I'm enjoying looking through those recipe books again and planning menus (not that I'll actually get round to cooking most of the stuff). I would love to cook through an entire cookbook like in Julie and Julia; maybe one day I will, but at the moment I'm going for simple easy food...

Baby's First Skills: 4-5 months

In an attempt to avoid spending ridiculous amounts on money on classes and activities for Zoë Grace (which I'm sure she'll end up sleeping through), I invested £6.39 on a book (surprise surprise!). It is called Baby's First Skills: Help your baby learn through creative play by Dr Miriam Stoppard and had really good reviews on amazon.com.

Given that Zoë Grace is now 20 weeks/4 1/2 months, I have started the book mid-way through, but that doesn't seem to be a problem as it is easy to catch up on the key elements.

According to the summary Zoë Grace

"...is becoming aware of new and strange situations and is learning how to express her feelings. During this month she wants to learn and initiate, starts to concentrate hard, begins to control her hands and loves to join in games."

This does seem to be an accurate summary of our little girl! However, I am keen not to focus on detailed milestones and miss out on her own developmental steps. So, I am using this book carefully and going at Zoë Grace's pace, encouraging her when she lets me know she's ready. As well as reading this book I need to learn to 'read' her cues and signals.

Tomorrow I will start The Golden Hour of activities, including:
Talking (7 mins)

• Puff and blow
• Hubble bubble

Moving (20 mins)

• Bathtime fun
• Floor flying
• Horsing around

Hands (12 mins)

• Touch and feel
• Bathtime fun
• Play bracelets

Mind (12 mins)

• Yes and no
• Baby brain teaser
• Peep-bo

Friendliness (7 mins)

• Baby massage
• Hands and fingers

Will let you know how they go...

Soul Food for Mums: God with you through your child's suffering

I'm just catching up on my weekly devotional (as I missed last week) and am surprised (though probably shouldn't be) that the theme for this week is "God with you through your child's suffering!"

Zoë seems to be fit and healthy at the moment (thank God), though has lovely red cheeks from teething. However, I know of three babies who were all in hospital this week! I think God was wanting me to read this passage this week so I could encourage those who are going through tough times with their babies.

One of those babies is Nathan, who had major heart surgery. If you would like to follow his story and pray for his recovery, go to: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groups/132061663571276/

Below is a extract of what I read; hope it inspires and encourages you.

Read Psalm 40:1-3

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD."

Perhaps one of life's slimiest, muddiest pits is experienced when your child is unwell and suffering pain. I have longed for my babies to be able to be able to tell me exactly what is hurting, so that I don't have to play the guessing game of wondering what I should do to help them.

Psalm 40 affirms that when we cry out to God during difficult times he hears and comes to help us (v1). But when responding to a sick or teething baby, the practical can so very quickly overwhelm us, and we can forget to call out to our Father. Susie, mum of two, says, 'It's so easy to forget to pray in those situations. But prayer needs to be my first stop. That brings peace. I try to remind myself that my baby is in God's hands, and if I love and care for my baby, how much more so does God.'

Use Psalm 40:11&13 as a prayer for yourself and for your child. Use their name where the psalmist uses the word 'me'.

Call The Midwife: The importance of a foetus

Having watched the BBC adaptation when it was on in January and February, I was keen to read the original memoirs of Jennifer Worth, a 22 year old midwife based in London's East End in the 1950s.

And it hasn't disappointed! I have been caught up with the moving stories of love and tragedy, whilst at the same time being very very relieved that Zoë Grace was born in 2011 with all the medical advances which have happened in the last 60 years!!

Last week I had morning coffee with a lovely old lady from my church; she was a midwife in the 1950s but in Liverpool and the west of London. Zoë Grace and I spent a lovely couple of hours listening to her stories; one memory involved sitting on a houseboat for a night with a woman in labour followed by a breakfast cooked by the father-to-be before handing over to the next midwife.

One of my favourite ways to fall asleep is with my thumb in the middle of a book! That was how I fell asleep last night, having just read about the birth, and survival, of the premature baby of Len and Conchita Warren. The words that stuck in my mind are:

"Several times in those post-natal months I though of that dreadful night when he was born, and remembered Sister Julienne's words to me as I left. 'God be with you, my dear. I will pray for Conchita Warren and her unborn baby.' She had not just said that she would pray for Conchita. Nor had she assumed that the foetus would be born dead. She had said, with equal emphasis, that she would pray for the both. In fact, she prayed for us all."

Psalm 139 tells us how important a foetus is to God:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Welcome!

This is my first foray into the world of blogging and I am quite excited by it. You may be wondering why I have chosen the name and what on earth a first time mum of a 4 month old baby could blog about, so let me explain...

 

Despite having the beautiful Zoë Grace, I am still an avid reader and currently have several books on the go. (Not as many as before, but still a few!) I thought it would be interesting (for me, maybe for you?) for me to share what I am reading and how it is impacting me.

 

So, at the moment I am reading the following books:

• The Bible. I attempt to read this regularly so it will always be in my list of current books
• Soul Food for Mums (by Lucinda van der Hart & Anna France-Williams)
• First Time Mom (by Dr. Kevin Leman)
• Call The Midwife (by Jennifer Worth)
• Having a Mary Spirit (by Joanna Weaver)

 

I'm sure my blogging with be sporadic, with me sharing things as I read them. :)

 

"No man can be called friendless who has God and the companionship of good books."  Elizabeth Barrett Browning