The 10 Things I Learned About Traveling Overseas with a Baby/Toddler. (Part 2)

Earlier this week I posted the first 5 lessons I learned about traveling with my little boy. I hope you found those helpful. Here it's the link to them if you didn't get to check them out before. Let's now pick up where we left off.. Ohh, and I hope you get to enjoy the pictures! =)

If you're curious about how Colombian folk music sounds like, take a pick at this video. It's a beautiful song about going back home after many years: "El Regreso" - "The Return". Can't tell you how emotional I got when I listened to it back in Cali!

Ok, now let's get to the meat! =P

6.  You really don’t need that 50pd packing allowance for your child!

I think I actually failed this test.  I confess, I over packed for Garrick.  And definitely, it was not necessary. Once over there, we discovered that just a 3 or 4 outfits were the handiest for most of the activities we planned, and those were the ones we kept on using.  I admit it made a big difference to have access to laundry since we were staying with family.  However, I think that I didn’t need that 3 week worth of outfits I took with me.  Nor many toys, children can be entertained with just about anything.  Interesting, how most of the time they rather play with the non-toy item or even a person, than a toy. So really, really, travel light!

The oldest church of the city located at the area where the city was founded.

Mommy I'm comfy with this outfit, can I wear this tomorrow? I always look prettier than my background anyway! =P

7.  Pack light so that you can pack bunches of diapers!

I actually learned that diapers are a lot cheaper in the U.S.  We actually brought a lot, but not enough. So we ended up having to buy diapers twice, for at least three times the price we pay for them here.  Arggh! Lesson learned!

That's right! Lite and easy is always better!

Thanks daddy, this Yummy "Salpicon" is just what I needed to fill my pamper up! =)

3.  Bumps and scratches are just part of the deal, not the end of the world

Maybe most of the veteran mommies out there already got over this one. But I actually had to cross this river while being there. Garrick’s first bloody boo-boo..arghhh, and it just happened while he was right next to me.  You know how blood makes everything a lot more dramatic than what it really is. So this happened to be just a little cut on his lip, which he forgot right after enjoying a popsicle.  It was funny to see him getting ready to go back and play in the very steps that he tripped on.  All he wanted was to toddle as a good toddler and keep up with the rest of the children. So the lesson here is to expect small accidents and to not panic when little ones do their job: Play, run, stumble and fall. Oh, and they will!  It was funny how right after the incident the seasoned mommies in the family surrounded me and calmed my heart by sharing their children’s first accident story.  The good news is that I also learned that mouth wounds heal pretty quickly too! =)

this is at my great school. I used to go down on thsi very slides as a child..here doing it with Garrick, 30sms years later!

Cousins goofing around..they could make a toy out of almost anything! =)

4.   Foreign germs may speak a different language but aren’t really any more harmful

I have to admit. I’m a recovering “germafobic”.  So I actually had to work on this one a few months before leaving.  Not only to apply it while traveling, but at home.  Interesting to see how both dads over there and here celebrate their children’s first time eating a little bit of dirt! I know, Yikes! But it’s true. Men tend to be more relaxed regarding germs and dirt.  But the fact of the matter is that unless you’re in a third world country where potable water and basic hygiene is not available, you shouldn’t be over concerned about this. As I said, babies grow overseas into healthy adults as well.  And Infant mortality rate is not higher than that of the U.S in many other countries.  Actually there is a current controversy regarding vaccinations in the U.S, and many of the comparative data comes from other countries where there are not compulsory vaccinations laws. However, most countries, and most people from developing countries follow regular vaccination schedules.  If that gives you any relief.  I learned to be a little more relaxed in that area and saved myself a lot of stress.  I have to admit that I was especially careful while in the airports.  

Mom can you please take me to the laundry please. I am all "germed up"! :p

   

Exploring the local arts & crafts at a very traditional area in the city called "Loma de la Cruz"

Bet you can't see this type of lanscaping anywhere else! =)

♫ We are family! ♪♫

With my dad and sister in the little family country house..

Isn't the view gorgeous?

5.  Relax and Enjoy, you’re enriching your child’s life by exposing him to the world

I can’t tell enough of the enriching experience this trip was for our family.  I can’t wait to start putting the pictures together on a special album and reminisce with Garrick.  We live on a world with greater possibilities, but also that feels smaller by the power of the internet.  Children now more than ever before grow to be aware of a globalized world.  So giving them early exposure to different cultures and languages actually helps to spark their curiosity and desire to learn different things.  I was completely delighted to hear Garrick repeating words in Spanish after his Spanish speaking cousins.  It was truly music to my ears. He doesn’t get the same exposure here, though I am working on it.  But I do encourage you if possible to look into bringing cultural diversity into your child’s world. And if your means allow for an overseas trip, go for it! I hope that some of these tips are helpful to you.

Dancing to the beat of  "Salsa" with my brother!

Our minute of fame! =)

Exploring a little timeless town out in the country..

Dave playing "Futbol" for first time..=)

Garrick speaking the language of the "Guacamayas"

At a museum of Colombian History..

In closing, let me just share that it was very special to hug and to love face to face all those who my heart had just kept in its memory for so many years.  I will never forget going down thru memory lane with my husband and son, both visiting for first time.  I think that getting a firsthand view and taste of my roots & heritage united us more as a bicultural family. I know we will always treasure our first trip to Colombia together.  Hope I get to hear about your traveling experiences too! Feel free to share any tips that you have picked up along the way!

Love,
Paola

The 10 Things I Learned About Traveling Overseas with a Baby/Toddler. (Part 1)

I can’t believe it’s been a month since we came back from our trip to Colombia.  I couldn’t believe either that it’s been almost 12 years since the last time I was there!  I have really enjoyed re-counting the memories of our trip with friends here that either like to learn about our culture, or are getting ready to go themselves.  And that is what has inspired this posting.  I have had at least two conversations with friends with little ones that are getting ready to travel overseas. 
I learned a lot from our first trip, and I thought it was a good idea to share it here.  I hope some mommies may  find it helpful someday when thinking travel. So here there are the 10 most important things we learned about traveling overseas with 17 month old Garrick..

But first let me introduce you to my town: Santiago de Cali - Colombia..on the left most point of South-America, right next to the Andes. I bet the pictures will keep you entertained as you read along..=)

1.       Realize that there are babies and toddlers over there too.

For some reason people assume that you have to bring everything you normally use for your baby at home when traveling.  They assume that everything overseas will be so different, that their baby won’t have what is needed to survive.  But the truth is that babies in other countries are also babies, no aliens. And families and people in general care for them to raise them healthy and safely, and they actually do grow strong and healthy eating their native food and enjoying the idiosyncrasies of their culture.  I was actually very surprised to see the playgrounds available in restaurants for children over there. They were far from being as closely monitored as the playgrounds here.  The issue of “liability” in the U.S makes this impossible.  Yet in Colombia, they don’t have a higher rate of accidents.  Parents are more relaxed in that area and children are raised to be more resilient, resourceful  and confident when facing danger.

Having fun while waiting for our pizza to be ready!

Mommy, I bet they'll let me get my driver license here!

2.       The four tricks that saved the day during the flights: A few interactive toys, a bottle of milk, tweaking the nap-time & a bit of Benadryl.

Well, we are aware that not all babies are equal. Temperament makes a big difference.  Therefore, some babies are easier to handle than others.  Our son happens to be somewhere in the middle of that spectrum.  We are very fortunate to have developed a routine for Garrick, so he normally takes at least one long nap during the day.  So the first thing we did was to ensure that he didn’t sleep before we got in the plane.  Once there, we let him play with some of his interactive toys.  I know most babies don’t use a bottle by the time they’re 17 months. But we decided to let Garrick splurge with this as we knew that it would be handy for our trip. And it was! We gave him a bottle during the take off to help him with the pressure change, and to also put a smidge of Benadryl in it to help him fall sleep. He played for an extra 20 minutes or so, and then slept for a long while! Benadryl had been approved by our pediatrician before and we had just used it once before and made sure that he didn’t have any abnormal reactions to it. So it worked as a charm, Garrick ended up sleeping at least 60% of the flight time which lasted a little over 4 hours.  And by the way, it’s only been one month after our trip and Garrick has already been weaned from the bottle.  No need to over-worry about that.  He didn’t grow an extra tongue or stopped eating. ;)

"The proof"

Sleeping well helps to enjoy the beauty outdoors! Here at Lago Calima, about 2 hrs from the city..

Garrick fell in love with the trampolin!

3.       Make sure that you train your child  to sleep in different settings and places.

This was a super plus. It allowed us to continue with his routine even though we were at a different place. This training actually started while Garrick was an infant, and it has paid us back in full!  We started letting Garrick sleep in his pack-n-play sometimes.  We also used different rooms, and made it a point to take him with us when visiting friends and teach him to sleep on his pack-n-play while we were visiting.  I have to admit that the only thing I hadn’t trained Garrick to do was to sleep with us in our bed.  Though we respect those families that co-sleep, that option didn’t work for us.  However, I have to admit that having taught Garrick to sleep with me sometimes would have been handy on at least one night over there when the sleeping arrangements didn’t allow us to sleep separately.  Needless to say that was a difficult night.  So I wouldn’t say that you have to co-sleep, but I would suggest teaching your children to fall sleep with you sometimes.  I’m all for establishing consistent routines for our children, but teaching a little bit of flexibility for traveling purposes is really helpful.

Mom, after a good nap, I'm ready to ride around the world!!

Singing Carols at the "Novenas" a type of advent tradition to celebrate Jesus' birth. people gather to do thsi with neighbors and friends for 9 days prior to Christmas day.

getting a ride by his cousin..

4.       Get a medium size, really compact, easy to carry non-umbrella type stroller

I can’t tell you enough how much I love the stroller we took with us.  I remember  being undecided on this subject the very night before our trip.  We have an umbrella stroller too. But we were undecided between that one, and a medium size one that is kind of a step up from the umbrella, yet not a full size stroller.  We were afraid that the airline won’t let us travel with a non-umbrella type stroller. However, Hurray for the moment with decided on the bigger stroller.  They didn’t give us any problem at all. The one we used was the Jeep Cherokee sport stroller.  You don’t have to get this one, but be mindful of some of the advantages of these features:  First having a reclining seat gave us the advantage of letting Garrick take naps on his stroller.  That was a super plus, for those days that we were outdoors, sight-seeing and going back home was impossible. That was awesome. Did I mention that he actually learned this while in Colombia?  He never napped in his stroller before!  Second, the cargo capacity at the bottom and sides was great for carrying his diaper bag, water bottles and his mommy’s bags while being out shopping. =). This is a free standing, super compact stroller, so we could store it anywhere and would fit easily in the back of mostly any car. While riding small taxis, we would just fold it and put at front of the copilot seat.  Sweet!  So no umbrella strollers for us when traveling! =)

Nothing like walking along the river almost every morning..

Rio Pance..at the south of the city..we used to go to splash, eat of its banks and hike along with our family..good memories..

Reminiscing...

5.       Be prepared for changes on your child’s routine and feeding patterns

I have worked so hard trying to get Garrick to eat consistently healthy and at the right times, but with all the changes of places, people, events, we couldn’t keep it up.  Garrick had a temporary change on this area.  I almost expected it.  I’m not saying that that would happen to every baby, but it was our case.  He would not eat at his usual times and would reject foods that he normally loves at home. What I resorted to do was to make sure that we drank his fortified milk, and water.  I also gave him enough of the few foods he was taking. So he got LOTS of oatmeal, avocados, plantains, tomatoes, yogurt and eggs. I didn’t give up on letting him try a variety of foods all the time as usual, but I confess, with little success.  He was just enjoying the excitement of the new surroundings and family!  I was pleasantly surprised with how much he liked a Colombian fruit called “Guanabana”.  So he got lots of that too.  He went back to his regular eating habits right after coming back home, and he didn’t get sick or lost any weigh.  So no reason to panic about this.

Food was a big theme on our trip..so here we are..at our welcoming meal: Sancocho the Gallina..a super yummy traditional soup!

Some of our staple Christmas foods, from right to left: Natilla, Papaya in Almibar, Hojaldras & Bunuelos..Yum!

Cholados!..Bunches of fruit served in a very interested, super delicious way..

Family breakfast in the country..with "Arepas, scrambled eggs & Hot chocolate" =)

Patacon pisao..This is a dish served on bed of "Plantain" a staple in our culture as well..

The Fruit paradise!

"Mango Viche" & "Chontaduro"..the first in unripe mango served with salt and lemon & the second is a soft nut..both are snack that you can get everywhere overthere..

"Pandebonos" a very popular breakfast treat..We couldn't have enough..Garrick actually loved these ones too!!

I'll be back pretty soon with the rest of the tips! ..

In Loving Memory of Jesse Bush

Just a few days have passed and my heart still swells

As my aching soul refuses to stop gathering the bountiful harvest of every day;

Oh my child, how short was your stay with us

Yet, how long and plentiful the legacy you left;

All I have is a few memories with you to recount

Nonetheless, they were planted deep into my spirit, deep into my faith;

They are growing like giant mulberry trees

Reaching high, reaching deep

Reminding me of the most important tie I will ever have

The tie between heaven and me.

 

My dear child how small you were

Thus, I am still at awe at the size of your soul,

A soul divinely handcrafted to bless and to hold

To gaze with my heart as I imagine you grow,

Grow as my big tree with branches reaching wide

Bearing emotions, thoughts and lessons galore,

Because your littleness stroke the chord of time

That one that makes my mind apprehend

That my days are just a mere handbreadth

Regardless if you make it to ninety days, years or until the very end.

I can only be grateful to the One who decides

How many they will be,

Because He spared you the sufferings of this world

And though we still grieve your departure from us

It is ever comforting to know

That He holds you close by His very hand

On this very moment, on your very sight.

My precious child I want you to know

That the freshness of your passing has been surrounded with the smell

Of the advent of our Savior who was once another Babe;

He is my Lord and I know yours too,

I know He created you, and loves you more than I do;

He is the one that planted you into my body,

Into my heart,

And made it possible by His death on a tree

For us to hope for the day

The future glorious day

Where our eyes will see Him,

And then we will see you again.

We will embrace, and will laugh and will both radiate

His light shining into our own very faces;

We will reminisce the days of our waiting here

And how only His strength and hope for that moment

Made us see the value and beauty of each today

Helping us appreciate life here on earth

As a very blurry reflection of our future home

We will understand then, though it will matter no more

Because you will be there too

Hearing His voice filling everything

While He embraces me, and tells me:  Well done.

In Jesus, in Jesus, It was done!

My beloved, my little one

I am very grateful that you are part of my life

You were asked for and you were indeed given,

You were, and for many special reasons,

Many I still don’t know;

some, I am just starting to realize;

But one I certainly do.

Because the name we chose for you

Was “Jesse”, my little child,

A name that stands for “God exists”

For this hope for heaven

That you stirred and fanned into flame

Is the assurance that He indeed does;

And because of that

You do too,

And we can say boldly as His word says:

To forget what lies behind

And strain toward what is ahead,

Knowing that one of those wonderful

Wonderful, precious and marvelous things

Is you my dear one,

You.

Mom.

In Quest of a Stress Free, Heart & Soul-Fulfilling Parenting

“Every mother must have a subscription to “Parents Magazine”. Really?  I’m pretty sure that the fellow mommy that I once heard saying this had the best intentions at heart.  And to be honest with you I kind of thought about jotting it on my “to do” list for a while.  Then I forgot.  Then my mothering days taught me differently.  I thank God, I learned this early! So, that's why I want to talk about all these “things” that sometimes are sold as must haves in the parenting journey, but along the way become more of a burden than a joy.

Mom, are you sure I don't look too old fashioned? =P

Let me then, for purposes of illustrating my point, elaborate on my magazine example.  I know a magazine may look very inoffensive, and can sometimes even provide leisure or some tips to ease up certain house chores, problems or what not. However, I don’t know if I am the only one that, on top of finding difficult to have the time to make it from cover to cover, also finds it difficult to find the memory or energy to keep up with all the good ideas and new products available.  I know most of you know that the marketing people just want to make us believe that there’s a problem where we haven’t seen it, and then, there is a product or idea that perfectly solves it.  But of course the money-time transaction has to happen, if you really want to fix that problem.  Then we’re supposed to feel like better parents, keeping up with the times and the new developments - NOT.

So mom, are you sure you took your class on how to teach me to eat my eggs?

You will probably laugh at the bottles that I use with Garrick. After falling into the trap of getting the best, more techy bottle available, he rejected one after the other, and ended up sticking with the most simple and inexpensive type, -Of course the bottle was always in second place after mommy’s milk with its built- in bottle =) ..Til today, when we’re working on weaning him from it.

For sure mom, I read in a mag that I'm ready to get my driver license!

And even though my example refers to a specific product; this type of “keeping in step with the latest” mentality naturally permeates other parenting areas like views on education, discipline, playtime, etc.  I think that today’s culture, aided by the media, is trying to impose the idea that parenthood is a more complicated thing than it really is.  I am not saying that parenting is a simple thing.  Nor am I saying that parenting education shouldn’t be important for a successful and fruitful upbringing.  Like any other occupation, we parents have lots to learn.  But my concern is with the myriad of products and ideas that are just unnecessary to raise our children to the vision we have for them.

Daddy, are you sure you're certified to teach me to float?..I don't think children in generations before swam..

A perfect example of this is shown in “Nursery University” , recommended by my friends from A couple of dreamers blog.  This is a documentary showing how couples in Manhattan go thru a very dramatic and sometimes even uncivilized odyssey to get their children into preschools that promise to be the right start to ensure top college acceptance. Yes, you read right, from preschool to college!  Of course we are talking about $20K+ for tuition at these exclusive preschools.  As extravagant as it may sound, this seems to be the reality of that city, and I am pretty sure that many other parents try to push all sort of programs, products and ideas into their children lives so that they can later perform to the expectations of our present culture.  But is this what we really should want? I personally think not.  

See, I have my very own "Abuelita" working on my very first haircut..I don't think any amount of Disney can't make it any more special!..Not matter what the magazine says!

I don’t think parenthood should be an endeavor to become a super-parent raising a super-child, which would be the expected result of always taking the “right decisions” and “having the right information”.  I’ve actually learned in my short mothering experience, that parenthood actually takes continuous adjustment.  Becoming a good parent, actually takes making some mistakes, learning from them and “growing forward”. Any other pretense, would actually makes us feel short of our ideal view of us as parents and, as a result, would create a self-fulfilling prophecy that would make us insecure and maybe more prone to making wrong parenting decisions.

Mind you momma, I need my driver license..

Now I am not saying that we are going to use our children as lab rats and do all kind of uninformed experiments with them being oblivious to any repercussions.  Of course not.  But what I mean, is that having the best intentions at heart for our children and genuinely trying to learn and be wise about what we do and teach our children, should naturally lead us to be good parents.  A good combination of genuine concern, good counsel and parental instinct, all under God’s grace, should suffice to make the parenting experience a positive one not only for the child but also for the parent.  

Daddy I don't think you went to your parenting class yesterday..I'm not ready to ride on my own yet..

The researchers from Freakeconomics , An interesting book/documentary, put it this way: “It’s not the 10 books on parenting that are going to make your child any better, but the fact that you’re the kind of parent that would go and get 10 books to learn”.  What they meant is that an inquiring mind crossed with genuine good intentions should be enough to be a good parent, and you shouldn’t freak out about not having all the knowledge there is about parenting.  They also made an interesting comment, saying that you can teach a child way more by just visiting the grocery store than what you can teach him by taking him to visit 10 museums!  So true.  I know it’s difficult to be able to discern these realities when the present culture has an eager devotion to the worldly idea of success.  But the bible actually calls us in the book of Romans to “not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed according to the renewing of our mind”.

C'mon old man, you can go faster!..research says...=P

In closing, I also like to remind myself, that this life and all we do with it including parenting has a real chance of heart-and-soul fulfilling success only if lived under God’s grace.  He’s the one that can make something beautiful out of our own mistakes, amaze us with the accomplishments of our shortcomings, and give meaning to it all.  So I must say, if there’s any subscription we must have to become a successful parent, that should be a subscription to His word…Which is always free, but seriously invaluable…And does not expire!

In my quest for living out a joyful a grace-full parenting,

Paola

A Bitter-Sweet Goodbye

Today I stored away my brest-friend. I had hoped that this day wouldn’t have come so soon, but that was not the case. My romance with breastfeeding actually has not always been a story of enchantment, tender love and bonding between my beloved baby and I. Actually, it started with much pain and tears as I previously shared with you. Thus, initially I really wanted the breastfeeding season with my son, if not BEING, to at least FEELING as short as possible. It was just so plain painful.  I am glad that I am telling you boldly and clear, because no one told me, therefore I wasn’t prepared. However, as many told me after the fact, and in the middle of my pain, it DID get better shortly after we got started. I must say though, that the breastfeeding experience varies from person to person. While for some women the cruising starts from the first day, for some others like me, you kind of go thru a shipwreck first, but then the cruising, and all the gratifying moments that go along with it.  So if you’re a future breastfeeding mommy, take hope, you can do it. You will never regret it regardless of whether you get an easy or harsh start. =)

Here, so you can see how big my little one is now..

This was at his big "1" birthday party

Some of you may be wondering what a brest-friend (BF) is right? My husband chuckles.  Well, it’s a sort of pillow that you strap around your wrist so that your baby can lay on it while he nurses and you love on each other. Other women use a “Boppy” which is very similar. I like the BF because of the back support feature. Whoever came up with the idea is a genius. And a good friend of mommies. Such a wonderful device! So many  tender memories laid on it! I remember Garrick’s face every time that he saw me taking hold of it. His face lit up, his eyes widened and his mouth would pour huge smiles. As he got bigger, he started lifting and shaking up his arms and legs, then sitting up and then rapidly standing up to the edge of the crib in anticipation. He knew it was that special time when he and mommy would nourish each other not only with milk, but with touch, song, hugs, books, beholding and many more wordless ways to let our loving bond strengthen and flourish.

Is that what you do with the piñata Papi?

I say, this is what you do..like anything else, it's food!

One of my favorite memories, was when he would tell me “mommy, I’m satisfied” by his falling sleep on my bosom. How much I will cherish those moments! Of course you kind of have to fight to keep them awake at the beginning, so they take the calories they need. But once they learn to regulate their intake, you can relax and fully enjoy these moments. I remember that along with the struggle of getting my milk down, I had to decide the nursing style I would use. So many ideas out there, so many variables to take into account. Among the many feeding styles out there, the two most popular I learned about were the attachment parenting and the Parent directed feeding. I remember going nuts about all the technicalities of it. I was so afraid of doing it wrong! Until, I remembered that mothers thousands of years ago didn’t have any instruction manuals.  So I just gave in.  And, it wasn’t until then that I determined that a hybrid of the two, customized to our own needs, put together by my mothering instinct and wrapped up by my love was the best fit for us. How wonderful when I got to that point. I should confess though that I didn’t do it alone, the help of my husband and family was crucial. So was the support of my local breastfeeding club, including a lactation consultant and other mommies. I should also give credit to Jen from chronicling her nursing journey on her blog. As well as to Kelly mom, as reference site. So helpful! This was the process that took me to my cruising experience.

With Mami and Titi!

With my friends..easier to organize a herd of monkeys!

 That is why closing this chapter is such a bitter-sweet experience. As I said, I thought Garrick would breast feed for much longer. But he taught me- because sometimes our children are one of our best teachers in life- that it was not a decision that only mommy makes, but we make together. He just decided that one full year was enough, and it was time for him to stop. Just like that.  I don’t want to get into how much he enjoys eating “adult” food. Sometimes I wonder if he has a second stomach hidden somewhere. I even think that he would not shy away even from jalapenos!  =0O

Wordless..priceless..

Uhmm..more food..let's do it quick now that nobody is looking! =P

To be honest with you my heart was a little wrinkled by this sudden change. However, after a few days of meditating on it, I realize that this is the natural process of getting to know my beloved Garrick Jeremiah. One of my prime goals as mother is to help him discover his beautiful and unique design and how it works. He was preciously made, and maybe this change was part of his makeup.  Through this I have also been reminded that as many as the years ahead may still be, as countless memories our hearts expect to hold, and as much togetherness we expect our family to achieve; one day we will have to walk the hard road up to the top.  I will have to get my bow ready and shoot that arrow away into the horizon. I know it will be very difficult to see him fly away from the nest. But I am an archer apprentice after all.  What a privilege!

My Mami and I..

Look mami I can stand all on my own!

Mami, now I know my a,b,c's..now why don't you sing with me!

I know some of you may be saying “But it’s too early to think about that”. I say it is not. Because if I realize this early on, I would focus even more eagerly on enjoying my every moment with him and on equipping him as best as I can for that first flight.

So that’s why I want to bitter-sweetly celebrate this first step of my son towards independence with a very short poem I wrote for him. I hope you enjoy:

To my son Garrick Jeremiah,

 A Bitter Sweet Goodbye to Breastfeeding

The quiet embrace of your eyes drawing you in my heart,

You didn’t say a word, yet said it all.

You trusted me; you loved me by just laying your needs before me,

And nourished me, as the bee nourishes the flower.

Together we walked, and we danced thru a forest,

Echoing nocturne songs and the morning dew;

All while just sitting together,

Beholding each other.

How much I will treasure your gifts,

My dear, sweet babe,

Gratefulness is just not enough!

How much I like to call you mine,

Yet I know you are no so.

Indeed you are my sweet babe,

But above that, my Heavenly Father’s man,

And wholeheartedly we daily pray

One day soon, His son.