"So, how long are you going to...?"

I always find it interesting when people ask questions about our parenting choices. I say interesting, instead of annoying, because it doesn't really bother me (so far no one has been obnoxious, haha).

The way we (as a society) handle having and raising children is intriguing to me.

I know that every parent is different, and so is every child, but I think that there is a right way to do things. By that I don't just mean the right way for me. I believe that God intended for us to do things a certain way. Due to our fallen nature we are incapable of carrying out our responsibilities perfectly, but I hate the touchiness surrounding raising children - you can't just sit there and criticize people, but saying, "Well, whatever works for you is best" is like saying it doesn't matter. Everything matters. God didn't leave anything open-ended. He knows how many grains of sand there are on the beach, and even the hairs of our head are numbered! Those seem like such insignificant things compared to how we raise our children.

In general, we've lost all sight of the way we're supposed to live - in many ways we actually are bold enough to reject it. Sometimes I wish I was a tribal woman in Africa so I could be surrounded by the ages-old way of child rearing.

I've had single guys ask me about breastfeeding. A little awkward, but I try to look past that and see the importance of their thinking about these things. It will help them be better support for their wife (if they have one). Men need to understand the importance of things like breastfeeding and co-sleeping to truly support their wives, and we definitely need that support. We also need encouragement from the people around us - mothers, sisters, aunts, and even total strangers.

That's one of the reasons I breastfeed in public. It's my silent "kudos" to other breastfeeding moms, and a way to let shy moms know that it IS okay to feed your child in public. We have no problem eating in front of people - why should our baby have to be put off, or, ushered away like there's something wrong with what we're doing? Breastfeeding in public is even protected by law. How awesome is that?

God designed our bodies perfectly: so that through breastfeeding and co-sleeping, pregnancies are naturally spaced. In this modern age, full of synthetic hormones and chemicals, some women's hormones get thrown off. Then things don't work the way they are supposed to. But that isn't how it's supposed to be.

It is incredible to me that in a country where you can legally murder your unborn child, they are trying to make it illegal for you to have your baby sleep with you. Why? Because it's not safe - I could have killed my baby just months before, but now you're going to tell me how to keep it safe? Babies are supposed to sleep with their mothers. Some babies need their mother's breathing to help regulate their own. There is also the feeling of security. The baby has been a part of you for 9 months, and all of the sudden they are being left alone in a crib. Even if the baby could handle it, I don't think I could. Tony is such a part of me still - I want to get things done, but I hate to put him down. Another upside to co-sleeping is that you can nurse through the night, without losing precious sleep getting out of bed each time.

A TV station recently investigated infant deaths from co-sleeping in their area and they found that what they all had in common was bottle feeding. Crazy, huh? You'll never see that on the billboards. Just a baby pictured next to a knife telling you how unsafe it is to sleep with your baby.

Stay tuned for the other half...

Love,
Jess