Motherhood is filled with analogies for our walk with God. Throughout Scripture, God is called our Father and we are called His children, so that makes sense. Here’s one of those analogies that hit me a few days ago…

On a recent trip to the grocery store Lizzie started to follow the wrong Mommy down the aisle. She quickly realized her mistake and came running back with just a hint of tears in the corners of her eyes. She was fine and it all happened in less than 10 seconds but it scared her….more than I realized.

A few days later we were back at the store. She loves to get things for me, so she ran back and forth grabbing jars of peanut butter or counting the plums or helping in those little ways that are fun for both of us. Soon I noticed a pattern to her behavior. After every trip to the shelf, she would grab my hand and ask “Is that you, Mommy?” My mind flashed back to that episode earlier in the week and I realized that she was making sure that she didn’t wander off with the wrong Mommy again. But I was fascinated by how she did this. She never looked up as she asked and sometimes she didn’t even hold my hand! She just asked “Is that you, Mommy?”. I kept thinking that she would want visual confirmation, because after all you don’t want to wander off with the wrong Mommy! But no. She was content with the sound of that familiar voice reassuring her “Yep, I’m Mommy!”

So often we wish that we could have a more tangible experience with our Father God. I often wish that I could hear, touch and see God. We love our Heavenly Father so it’s easy in our search for more of Him, to forget what an amazing gift we have in the words of Scripture – the revealed and written word of God our Savior, available to us whenever we need it.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Psalm 19:7-9 — “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.”

Do I know His word well enough that there can be no doubt whether another voice aligns with the familiar and loved voice of my God and Father in Scripture? Am I content with God’s words or do I look for satisfaction elsewhere? There are a hundred thoughts that came out of this small experience. I know that I still have a lot of work to do but may I always be as content and joyful with His word, as my little daughter is with mine.

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Kristi Boyd is an Air Force chaplain’s wife and blogs at  http://whateverp48.blogspot.com

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Welcome to the final installment of my “I’m Mobile” series. It has been fun to review many of the products offered out there at the stores. Our final area is the “world out there”. From the car to the restraint, shopping and the park—how do we keep baby safe?

CAR:

First, we all know that babies are required to be in a rear-facing car seat until they are a year old. Although, the Pediatric Association recently changed their recommendation to TWO years old. I think they’re nuts, but I’m not an expert. As long as it is not a law, I have no intention of keeping my son rear-facing until he’s two. He’s had enough trouble staying that way the last couple of months.

Of course, we all also know that you never leave the kids in the car unattended. I’ll keep my personal feelings about this one to myself, but I will say that there are always dangers lurking, even when we don’t think there are. Heat is the biggest one.

BACKYARD/PARK

The safety tips here are self-explanatory. Baby should never be unattended. For the most part, at this age, you’ll probably be keeping baby in the stroller anyway. But if you have an early walker and want to let him wander about, be sure to watch carefully!

There’s not really any safety materials here. The only two I came across were a driveway guard, which is basically a gate at the end of the driveway (though I wasn’t understanding how a baby couldn’t just go around), and a rail net. This can be used inside or out on porches/landings. The net keeps the baby from sticking arms, legs, and head between the rail slats.

SHOPPING/EATING OUT

One thing that always makes first time moms a little apprehensive is all the work that it takes to take a baby to the store or a restaurant. While there is some extra prep, and someone’s attention to entertain when they’re awake, it’s not all that much when they’re this young. Number one rule is to make sure to buckle them up, whether in a high chair at a restaurant or in a cart at the store.

Some companies make covers for the high chair and carts. Personally, I’m not that much of a germaphobe, so I never saw the need for them. I didn’t think they were that big of a germ blocker in the first place. It’s just as easy to run a wipe across the bar of the cart and go. My thought is they are more hassle than they’re worth.

The big thing to remember is that YOU are the parent(s), and this is YOUR baby. It shouldn’t matter what I, or anyone else says, you know what’s best for your baby. It’s good to seek out recommendations and find out what others have to say, but in the end—it’s your decision and God gave you the brains and intuition that He’s given to mothers since Eve. It’s all there, inside of you. That, and prayer, and you and your baby are going to be just fine!

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Once upon a time, there was a small baby who loved to take a bath. He would laugh and giggle while the gentle stream of water splattered on his belly. He loved to have his head washed, a gentle massage. Meanwhile, his evil sister screamed in terror at the mere site of the bathtub. She would cry through the whole ordeal, flailing around like a wet cat.

It is such a tossup as to whether or not infants enjoy their baths. A lot do, but there are definitely many that don’t. Luckily, all three of my kids loved their baths. I think a lot of it has to do with how safe the baby feels (along with stuff like water temperature, sweet smells, etc).

The biggest rule when it comes to giving babies baths: DO NOT, under any circumstance, for any amount of time, LEAVE THEM ALONE.

To make bath time enjoyable, get the right temperature. Babies do not enjoy the hot water that we revel in when we take a shower (they just don’t know what they’re missing!). Keeping it lukewarm is usually best. You can make it a little warmer as they get older.

The biggest question many new moms have is to the necessity of a baby bathtub. Quite honestly, don’t bother. I mean, if you get one as a gift, great! But, if you’re trying to save money, don’t bother. With all of my kids, I think I used it the first six weeks or so, and then we were done. It was more of a hassle than just filling the tub. I just started cradling his head with one hand while I gave them a bath in the big tub.

I saw an advertisement once for a baby gate that blocks the baby from getting to the faucet. My big question is, where is the parent that you need that for the baby? If you’re right there, watching the baby like you’re supposed to, totally unnecessary.

The stores also have those fun faucet covers in the shapes of animals, cartoon characters. These ones are totally up to you. I can see the safety in having one to keep baby from hurting his or her head too bad if they hit the faucet. Again, though, if you’re right there and keep them toward the back of the tub, I doubt the cover would serve more than a fun decoration.

So, suds away! Baby is safe, clean, and happy! Enjoy the special time together.

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One of my favorite parts of the morning right now, is to walk into my lil’ man’s room and see his smiling face, arms outstretched. “Mommy, I’m ready for the day,” he seems to say.

It’s been a couple of months, but I’m excited to finally get back to the last two parts of my series on baby safety! We have just a few areas left to cover. Today, we’re moving into the bedroom.

Babies don’t typically spend too much time in their room, except to sleep, so it is most important to make sure that their cribs are the safest place for them. And in the last several years, the experts have come out with plenty of ideas on how to do that.

The bedding itself is a big one. Often, we can purchase sets that come with everything we need: sheets, blankets, guards, and a mobile. The recommendation for newborns is that their sheets be tight and not to have any sort of blanket, pillow, or stuffed animal in the bed with them. So, you can also find swaddle type blankets and ones to zip up to keep baby warm. When they get a little older, you can use regular blankets, but pillows are not recommended until they are over a year.

The sets also include guards, which you put up around the crib’s sides. These serve several purposes aside from being cute. They keep baby from sticking his or her arm out while their sleeping and possibly getting it stuck or wrenching it. Also, it is supposed to keep an older baby from getting their legs stuck.

If you have a mobile, it should not hang within reach of the baby. Many people these days are opting for the fun lights and sounds displays that you attach to the side of the crib. I understand that they are perfectly safe though I have never used one myself.

That is pretty much all you need to keep your baby safe. However, there’s more stuff out there! Most stores carry teething guards for the crib rails. This is supposed to keep baby from chewing on the wood frames. I never saw a real need for them, so I never got one. Yeah, my kids chewed a bit on the furniture…so did the dog. That’s a joke. We don’t even have a dog.

A lot of people have started using crib wedges. I actually had one with my first daughter. All my kids have been belly sleepers—of course, the docs say that this increases the risk of SIDS and are insistent about keeping babies on their back. But…what if the baby absolutely refuses to sleep on their back? This can make for a very cranky Mommy and baby. Thus, we have the crib wedge. This helps keep the baby off of their back, more on their side, so they don’t fuss…and you don’t worry about them suffocating themselves. FYI, I let my kids sleep on their bellies as soon as they had control over their head movements. If they can elevate their head when on their tummy, they are less likely to suffocate because they’ll automatically move their heads.

One of the unnecessary things (unless you live in Africa or a similar place), is a crib net. This covers the crib and keeps the bugs out. Good, yes, but unless you live in a place rampant with malaria, it’s not going to protect against much other than irritation.

One thing that you must absolutely have is a baby monitor. It is important that you are able to keep track of baby if you are out of hearing range. Now, I don’t necessarily think that you need the most expensive one that includes video, motion sensors, and other fancy accessories. Just something so that you know when baby is crying and other noises.

Oh, and don’t forget to put the plastic plugs in the wall sockets, too!

Now, while your baby rests so peacefully, so can you. Get some sleep!

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