Cherish Each Stage!
Last month Burke and I had the opportunity to watch my sister Cassie's two young children (Lydia - age 3 1/2 and Emmett - age 1) for 4 days while Cassie and Dan joined the youth of their ward in Wyoming for the Pioneer Trek. Essentially we became Mama and Daddy for a few days with no cell phone contact with their actual parents. I was terrified.
As a kid I had never gotten into babysitting, not even with the monetary temptations. I remember at age 12 watching the Seeholtzers' children on New Years Eve and being chased around by Autumn wielding a pair of play dough scissors like a machete as she tried to chop my locks off with an evil leer! I vowed from that day on that I would never babysit again, and I didn't till my own siblings began popping out children of their own.
That first night with the Riding babies I prayed for confidence and patience and over the next few days the Lord gave me ample opportunities to practice both. Poor baby Emmett was suffering from several things all at once; teething, a diaper rash that got continually worse every day until his poor bottom was cracked and bleeding, he was missing Mama and even more than her hugs - her milk as she weened him just the week before they left! This poor little man had his whole world turned upside down! The second day just happened to be Burke's birthday and we tried to make it a special day for him, but guess what folks...parenting is HARD! That night we crawled into bed around 10 o'clock with bodies aching and turned to each other with mouths gaping wide expressing, "How on EARTH do parents do this day after day?!"
Burke sent an email to my family during our time with the kids and I thought he captured dealing with the babies so perfectly...I love my sweet, supportive, husband!
***Burke's Email***
My birthday breakfast was a bit more successful than yours :) Emily got up before me and made eggs and toast (after changing Emmett, who had been screaming in pain from is diaper rash), she had streamers hanging from the ceiling and gift bags on the counter all ready for me!! I am such a lucky man, Emily is going to be a great mother. . .in a few years! It has been an exciting couple of days for the both of us as Dan and Cassie have been gone. My appreciation for Emily has multiplied exponentially! As well as my alone time with her :) I know Emily has had to exercise a ton of patience while I have been gone to work and she has had to shuffle her time between Emmett and Lydia. They have their little come aparts every now and then, and poor Emmett has a nasty little rash all over is rear end that flares up when it gets wet, but Emily has done an amazing job taking care of them. I don't envy the job of a parent, especially the mother! But apart from the hard times, the kids are a joy to be around and have been fun to watch and protect. What is it about things that are off limits that makes them so attractive to kids? For example, I was playing with Emmett and Lydia in the play room and waving toys in front of Emmett to keep his attention, he walked right past me and went for my dirty shoes in the hallway! "here is a little caaarrrr Emmett!" "No thanks Burke, let me put your phone in my mouth, on second thought, let me see your keys! Oh look! An outlet! Is that an MP3 player? How does it taste?Stairs! Let me walk toward them like a drunken sailor! Are you cutting tomatoes? I want that knife! Quit waving my sippy cup in my face! I don't want it, I want what you're having and I want to hold it! You have an eye booger let me grab it! Put me down! Pick me up! Can't you understand a thing I'm saying?!!" :) They both slept like angels last night and I haven't slept so good in a long time! It has been, and will continue to be a great experience for Emily and me. Just know that they are in good hands and are well taken care of, as long as Emily is around :) Thanks again for the Birthday greetings!
I hope this entry does not sound like one long complaint, because it is not meant that way in the least! In fact, I have never felt such gratitude for my mother and such admiration towards my sisters and brothers as I do now. I honestly cannot believe the energy and concentration it takes to be a parent and I am incredibly impressed with all the millions out their who do it day in and day out. W-O-W is all I have to say! WOW! It was a wonderful experience and I am just so grateful for the stage of life we are in right now. I know when the time comes to be parents we will be ready and excited, but right now I cherish my alone time with Burkie. I don't see him enough as it is, but I know that we have to love every minute of this stage in life before our lives go hog wild!
As a kid I had never gotten into babysitting, not even with the monetary temptations. I remember at age 12 watching the Seeholtzers' children on New Years Eve and being chased around by Autumn wielding a pair of play dough scissors like a machete as she tried to chop my locks off with an evil leer! I vowed from that day on that I would never babysit again, and I didn't till my own siblings began popping out children of their own.
That first night with the Riding babies I prayed for confidence and patience and over the next few days the Lord gave me ample opportunities to practice both. Poor baby Emmett was suffering from several things all at once; teething, a diaper rash that got continually worse every day until his poor bottom was cracked and bleeding, he was missing Mama and even more than her hugs - her milk as she weened him just the week before they left! This poor little man had his whole world turned upside down! The second day just happened to be Burke's birthday and we tried to make it a special day for him, but guess what folks...parenting is HARD! That night we crawled into bed around 10 o'clock with bodies aching and turned to each other with mouths gaping wide expressing, "How on EARTH do parents do this day after day?!"
Burke sent an email to my family during our time with the kids and I thought he captured dealing with the babies so perfectly...I love my sweet, supportive, husband!
***Burke's Email***
My birthday breakfast was a bit more successful than yours :) Emily got up before me and made eggs and toast (after changing Emmett, who had been screaming in pain from is diaper rash), she had streamers hanging from the ceiling and gift bags on the counter all ready for me!! I am such a lucky man, Emily is going to be a great mother. . .in a few years! It has been an exciting couple of days for the both of us as Dan and Cassie have been gone. My appreciation for Emily has multiplied exponentially! As well as my alone time with her :) I know Emily has had to exercise a ton of patience while I have been gone to work and she has had to shuffle her time between Emmett and Lydia. They have their little come aparts every now and then, and poor Emmett has a nasty little rash all over is rear end that flares up when it gets wet, but Emily has done an amazing job taking care of them. I don't envy the job of a parent, especially the mother! But apart from the hard times, the kids are a joy to be around and have been fun to watch and protect. What is it about things that are off limits that makes them so attractive to kids? For example, I was playing with Emmett and Lydia in the play room and waving toys in front of Emmett to keep his attention, he walked right past me and went for my dirty shoes in the hallway! "here is a little caaarrrr Emmett!" "No thanks Burke, let me put your phone in my mouth, on second thought, let me see your keys! Oh look! An outlet! Is that an MP3 player? How does it taste?Stairs! Let me walk toward them like a drunken sailor! Are you cutting tomatoes? I want that knife! Quit waving my sippy cup in my face! I don't want it, I want what you're having and I want to hold it! You have an eye booger let me grab it! Put me down! Pick me up! Can't you understand a thing I'm saying?!!" :) They both slept like angels last night and I haven't slept so good in a long time! It has been, and will continue to be a great experience for Emily and me. Just know that they are in good hands and are well taken care of, as long as Emily is around :) Thanks again for the Birthday greetings!
******
I hope this entry does not sound like one long complaint, because it is not meant that way in the least! In fact, I have never felt such gratitude for my mother and such admiration towards my sisters and brothers as I do now. I honestly cannot believe the energy and concentration it takes to be a parent and I am incredibly impressed with all the millions out their who do it day in and day out. W-O-W is all I have to say! WOW! It was a wonderful experience and I am just so grateful for the stage of life we are in right now. I know when the time comes to be parents we will be ready and excited, but right now I cherish my alone time with Burkie. I don't see him enough as it is, but I know that we have to love every minute of this stage in life before our lives go hog wild!
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