I don't know about ya'll - but Sundays can be one of the most stressful days of the week around here. Sundays should be a day of rest and a day to go to God's House and worship Him but sometimes getting there can be a mess. We were racing this morning to get all 3 of us ready and things were going wrong all around. I managed to snap a couple of pics of Harper but didn't have time to really get good ones because we were late but I knew her outfit would be a mess by the time we got home (and it was). Right after I snapped these - she spit up all over her new outfit and I didn't have time to change her. FUN! (I got this little outfit and another one at Dillard's yesterday - they had some PRECIOUS outfits for about 70% off and I just couldn't resist). Anyway - we rush to church and we are super late and have to park way off and we drop Harper off in the nursery. I went to check on her between church and Sunday School and of course she was screaming. I got her settled down but after Sunday School when we went to get her she was mad as a hornet. She calmed down in the car so we tried to go out to eat but before they could even take our order she was screaming so loud the entire restaurant was staring at us. I was so embarrassed. So we left frazzled and came home to eat peanut butter for lunch. ha! And honestly - I've spent the good part of this afternoon wondering why we have the one child who acts so awful at church. All the other babies are so calm and content and I want so badly to be a good mom and to have a sweet child. And she IS. She is beautiful and precious and I am so blessed I can't stand it. But she just acts so awful out in public. I know the key is to just keep going and to keep trying and eventually she will understand that Church is a wonderful place to go and she will grow to love it.
(I should add that the nursery workers are WONDERFUL, loving people and it has nothing to do with them or anything in there - she just has separation anxiety. She's used to being with me 24/7 and I'm rarely ever away from her. I know she will grow out of it. She's pretty happy 90% of the time these days. She just wants her momma). (But that can be hard on a momma).
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«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 210 of 210 Newer› Newest»My name is Stephanie Rodgers. I am a mother of three girls and step mom to one boy. I was looking at your site because I will be praying and have been praying about your even tomorrow at the Capital Hotel. I too have been called out of my comfort zone lately and I can certainly relate... But isnt it so awesome how only God can calm your nerves! You are smothered and covered with prayer sister! I havent ever met you before but I will meet you tomorrow :)
Kelly, I feel compelled to share my 'baby at church' story. I hope it helps.
I have a one year old son, Case, who is a total Momma's boy! When he turned about five months old, he decided he despised going to church. We go to church about four times a month, and there is NO nursery. Case sits with me every service, and I nursed him until a few weeks after he turned one. He never had an ounce of formula. We go to a church where there are huge extended families, but we do not belong to one of them. We LOVE everyone at church, but around the time Case was born, so were about ten other babies, almost all with extended families at church. So, those babies would be held by other family members, while I had to hold Case for the entire service, four times a week! When he began pitching fits and babbling loudly, all I could do was go to the bathroom and nurse him. Very few people offered to help (though they did all feel sorry for me), and I found myself dreading church. I knew, however, that this was Satan's way of keeping me away from where God wanted me to be, so I began to pray about Case's church behavior. His behavior improved, and he slept MANY entire or partial services. Now he loves going to church. He walks up and down the length of the pew, playing with his big Sissy, or sitting in my lap eating food. I am so thankful that the fussiness finally passed. Now, because of this trial that I went through with Case, I made two important decisions. First, when Case is older, and I see another young mother in a similar situation, I will feel compassion and a need to help her. Secondly, when I retire (I am a school teacher), I plan to offer my babysitting services to parents who need a sitter for a sick baby. God let me go through this trial for a reason, and I want to use it to His glory! Charity is the greatest of all!!!
Good luck, and I will pray for Harper's church behavior. :)
i remember when God called me to do something out of my comfort zone. . .
he called me to be a counselor at a crisis pregnancy center.
he called me there because i had a heart for the unwanted children.
because he redeems those who have sinned in the darkness. he turns our story into his-story.
he called me because my story was now his story, and history (aka testimony) can often change hard hearts.
perhaps the hardest thing he called me to do was to host a table at a recovering hearts luncheon. a luncheon that focused on the healing touch of Jesus on the heart of a post-abortive woman.
yikes. i cannot tell you how much i DID NOT want to do that.
but he gave me NO REST until i did.
i lived.
and it was there God showed me that i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
i'll be praying for you and your speaking engagements.
tell HIs story. it will flow like honey from your lips.
I do struggle at times with my "purpose". I think the reason I do is because so many times I want to focus on ME and it isn't about ME right now. Having a child really does put you in a different (and wonderful) place. You know that you need to give it all and surrender to being a mom, but the sinful and selfish part of your identity wants it to be "ALL ABOUT ourselves". And that is my, at times.
I have to ask the Lord over and over again to make the focus HIM and not on me.
Kelly,
I keep the nursery at our church every Sunday and Wednesday during the services and I have been for almost 9 years now. There are always children who are going to scream. I had one child who would scream and I would have to pull him off of his mother and hold him for about the first 10 minutes. After those 10 minutes, it was like you had replaced him with a completely different child. He stopped screaming, didn't want to be held any longer for comfort and played with all of the other children. He did this every time he came from the time he was 6 months old until he was four and went to the bigger class (hopefully Harper will stop soon for you). I know you feel horrible when you leave her, but it doesn't ever bother me when a child gets upset being left. It just lets me know that the child has excellent parents and loves them very much :) Try to remember that next time you leave her and hear her crying. Hopefully it will make you feel better!
i love the chair that little harper is sitting it!! what does it say in the seat??
Hi Kelly,
I have my BS in Child Development and am studying to become a Child Life Specialist and Harper's separation anxiety is perfectly developmentally appropriate; especially since she spends so much time with you! It is also common for infants who have spent time in the NICU to have worse cases of separation anxiety as well. It is difficult to deal with stranger anxiety and has no reflect on her sweet personality or your efforts as a mamma.
I'm just wondering why you don't have Harper sit with you during church? My kids DID NOT like the nursery - same reasons- separation anxiety. i brought them into church and MOST of the time, someone always fell asleep in my arms! Try bringing her into the sermon with you. You may be pleasantly surprised!
There's a saying that I've ran across in some parenting blogs that I frequent:
God doesn't call the equipped; He equips the called.
This was a big ole smack in the head for me .. I was wallowing in the midst of 'oh poor me', dealing with my Kennedy Kaboodle. After seeing the same quote, in two separate blogs, it was obvious what He was saying to me.
You can do it.
Oh, and by the way. You're responsible for my addiction to Diet Cherry Limeaides, thanks!
Hey Kelly~
Quick note to say that I'm always the one with screaming baby in church, too. ALL 4 of my kids have been "Mama's Babies" and scream the entire time they are in the church nursery. With our first child, we even quit going to church for a while because I just couldn't stand it. Anyway, just wanted to say I feel you. Stick with it, though. You'll all get through and then one day she'll start crying when you come to pick her up because she wants to stay.
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