We woke up today to find this tiny teen white shadow of a tooth today. Bottom left side.
I can not believe your now getting teeth. Seem s just like yesterday I found out I was expecting you!
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
7 months today
Dear Tulá
I know I say this every month, but I cannot believe that it’s been seven months.
It’s amazing. It’s miraculous, this whole growth thing.
Let’s see…
A month ago I thought you were mobile. Thinking back, I had no idea. Your now sitting up all alone. I caught you yesterday trying to climb onto you activity toy to help yourself up. You never keep still, your energy amazes me.
You are doing really well with your weaning. Your favourite food so far is smoked salmon, tuna and cauliflower cheese. there’s really not much you don’t like.
The clingy phase has got much better. I couldn't really leave you for too long and you would start crying for me. It makes me feel special, but also a little bit tired sometimes. I now can leave you alone for short periods and your happy.
Your always giggling and laughing, especially when we hand you upside down or tickle you.
You Loving daddy even more now, and showing to become a little bit of a daddy's girl which daddy does love.
You had you first sleep over at Avo's this month too so as mummy and daddy could go and watch a film. Avo said you were brilliant, you kept to your routine and had a fun sleep over.
Well, honey, mummy is going to quickly start making your lunch before you wake up from your very long nap. We were in bed together this morning for you morning nap, Mummy has just woke up and your still out for the count, snoring your little head off. You Love sleeping in our bed and can sleep for hours in there.
I love curling up next to you and holding you close to my heart. I’ll watch you in the moonlight and hold on to these moments, knowing that they pass all too quickly. I’ll wake up in the night and listen for you, for your breathing, just to make sure you’re okay. When you stir I’ll pull you to me, and I’ll take in your baby smell, holding my breath in an attempt to capture your scent forever in my memory. when you nuzzle in to me, those are the moments that I know your whole being is an extension of my heart.
You are more precious than I ever thought possible.
I love you for always.
Mummy
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Johnson & Johnson Recalls Children's Tylenol and Motrin
I am just so glad we try our best not to give any medicines to Tulá as a rule This is the 2nd recall of Tylenol etc in a year. We don't get that here anyway, but it makes me trust Calpol even less, since they are so similar.
Monday, 10 May 2010
Miscarriage Survivor: Almost a year later and I haven't forgotten
I write this today as I was reminded about my miscarriage. Almost year ago, I lost my first baby. The reason I will never know. It's intriguing that, in efforts to be comforted by others, I have been constantly told that the pain will go away eventually. Or when I birth my first child, I will no longer be sad. And the most interesting, I will forget it ever happened once I have children.
It's been almost a year, I have a 6 month old daughter and guess what.... I haven't forgotten. And you know what, I never will. The experience still haunts me, still makes me sad, and still makes me wonder what could have been. I would never wish for this and would never wish for it on anyone else. If it were up to me, this would have never happened.
Things happen for a reason, right? Hmmmm, you all know my feelings on this phrase.
I once was told by a friend how silly she thought it was that a lady she knew had a memorial bench at a cemetary where plaques were placed for family members that died, including a plaque for the miscarriage she had some years earlier. She didn't get it. She didn't understand why you would honor or still want to remember this type of loss. This pain is REAL, this experience is REAL. It cannot be made up, it cannot be forgotten. Even if the pain is dulled by healthy children since born, it still lies there in our hearts.
The one that will always be missing.
My daughter is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I consider her a gift my first baby gave me. It's like he/she said "Here. I cannot be there with you, but she can." I am not thankful I had a miscarriage, I am thankful that my daughter is here with me now and she is a gift from the baby that could have been.
So here it is, almost a year on. A lot has changed in the past year. Scars are the reminders that our past is real. I look forward to what the future brings but I will never forget my lost baby.
It's been almost a year, I have a 6 month old daughter and guess what.... I haven't forgotten. And you know what, I never will. The experience still haunts me, still makes me sad, and still makes me wonder what could have been. I would never wish for this and would never wish for it on anyone else. If it were up to me, this would have never happened.
Things happen for a reason, right? Hmmmm, you all know my feelings on this phrase.
I once was told by a friend how silly she thought it was that a lady she knew had a memorial bench at a cemetary where plaques were placed for family members that died, including a plaque for the miscarriage she had some years earlier. She didn't get it. She didn't understand why you would honor or still want to remember this type of loss. This pain is REAL, this experience is REAL. It cannot be made up, it cannot be forgotten. Even if the pain is dulled by healthy children since born, it still lies there in our hearts.
The one that will always be missing.
My daughter is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I consider her a gift my first baby gave me. It's like he/she said "Here. I cannot be there with you, but she can." I am not thankful I had a miscarriage, I am thankful that my daughter is here with me now and she is a gift from the baby that could have been.
So here it is, almost a year on. A lot has changed in the past year. Scars are the reminders that our past is real. I look forward to what the future brings but I will never forget my lost baby.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Dealing with Eczema
As a child of I myself suffered for sometime with Eczema. My Mother believes it was emotionally related, if I ever got angry or upset I would flare up raw red in patch's mostly behind the knees and ears. This disappeared as soon as I reached my early teens, didn't have any treatment as far as I remember neither.
Unfortunately my daughter Tulá has also been diagnosed early on in her little life with what they call "baby Eczema". It started as just a few spots here and there, then it kept spreading all over her face, arms, legs and head. Whenever my daughter Tulá, has a bath she develops red blotches all over her body, she also flares up when she gets upset.
I hate seeing her so sore and irritable. She can't be left alone and naked at all, she will scratch herself till she bleeds. We had to insure her hands were covered with mittens every night before bed, otherwise she would scratch herself during the night. This has also effected her sleeping and her general happiness I believe.
Her legs were all scratched ankle to knee up until 3 weeks ago, when I was determined to battle this illness and make her more comfortable.
We have tried everything, E45, Vaseline, Jojoba oil, Bert Bees, pure refined coco butter, refined Shea butter Hydrocortisone 1% cream, Elocon cream and finally Aqueous cream and Cetraben emollient cream.
None of these products seemed to work. We stopped using the Hydrocortisone 1% cream due to the side affects I had read up on. The butters and Jojba oil were recommended by my brother in- law who's daughter also suffered with Eczema and he found combining the all 3 helped. For a short while we thought it was helping too, it was only making her feel slightly soft for an hour or so then back to the dryness and the serve itchiness if not applied almost every hour.
We stopped bathing her every evening 4 weeks ago, only top and tailing her day and night and bathing her 3 times a week. We started to use the Aqueous cream as a wash recommend by our GP and the Cetraben emollient cream as her all over moisturiser. Again her skin became much better but still she was uncomfortable and itchy. On Mothers day I actually had to call the doctors due to her excessive itching all day. I then stated to continue using the Aqueous cream as a wash and then combined the Aqueous cream and the Cetraben emollient cream together and hey presto! It's worked! all gone my Princesses is no longer itchy, no longer red and no longer dry and uncomfortable. Just silky baby smooth.
Her legs were all scratched ankle to knee up until 3 weeks ago, when I was determined to battle this illness and make her more comfortable.
We have tried everything, E45, Vaseline, Jojoba oil, Bert Bees, pure refined coco butter, refined Shea butter Hydrocortisone 1% cream, Elocon cream and finally Aqueous cream and Cetraben emollient cream.
None of these products seemed to work. We stopped using the Hydrocortisone 1% cream due to the side affects I had read up on. The butters and Jojba oil were recommended by my brother in- law who's daughter also suffered with Eczema and he found combining the all 3 helped. For a short while we thought it was helping too, it was only making her feel slightly soft for an hour or so then back to the dryness and the serve itchiness if not applied almost every hour.
We stopped bathing her every evening 4 weeks ago, only top and tailing her day and night and bathing her 3 times a week. We started to use the Aqueous cream as a wash recommend by our GP and the Cetraben emollient cream as her all over moisturiser. Again her skin became much better but still she was uncomfortable and itchy. On Mothers day I actually had to call the doctors due to her excessive itching all day. I then stated to continue using the Aqueous cream as a wash and then combined the Aqueous cream and the Cetraben emollient cream together and hey presto! It's worked! all gone my Princesses is no longer itchy, no longer red and no longer dry and uncomfortable. Just silky baby smooth.
I now generally try and go for natural products, choosing herbs over medication more often than not. But that doesn’t mean conventional medicine is entirely without merit: sometimes, outside help is recommended and required.
While researching help and advice I recently read an article on the web called Against Childhood Eczema, and wanted to share some of the key points from the article by Margaret Cox from the National Eczema Society and Dr Steve Hewitt, a skin specialist for E45
Cox gave an insightful look at eczema from the point of view of the patient (or sufferer, I would have said). Her two main points were that there are a lot of people suffering from eczema – no one is alone in this, and secondly that although the condition is not curable, it is treatable.
According to Cox, one in five children in the UK suffers from eczema, with the numbers having increased three-fold in the last 30 years. Although two-thirds of children will grow out of it, the unlucky final third will suffer into adulthood.
The reasons behind this rise are not specifically known, but among the many potential causes are obsessive cleanliness, sterilisation, bath products containing harmful chemicals, weather extremes, air conditioning and heating, sun exposure, bad diets, lack of moisturisation and hereditary factors. Also, people who are deficient in Filaggrin (filament-associated proteins which bind to keratin fibres in epithelial cells) are more prone to eczema and asthma.
Cox also spoke of the emotional impact of childhood eczema, and the stress that unpredictability about flareups and uncertainty about their duration can cause. The direct impact on children, such as the inability to swim or play outdoors, is emotionally taxing, only made worse by the stigma of other children thinking they’re contagious, and teasing them. (See the National Eczema Society website for free downloadable packs to help teachers and schools understand the condition.)
Dr Hewitt, meanwhile, stated that most GPs typically only spent a few days focusing on eczema in their medical training. This is a frighteningly inadequate when you consider that around a third of the patients they will see suffer from some level of eczema. Most GPs also seem unaware that most prescribed emollients can be quite harmful to the skin.
Dr Hewitt also spoke about the commonality of infant eczema becoming childhood asthma, and leading to adult rhinitis.
The Against Childhood Eczema (ACE) campaign suggest five steps for parents of children suffering eczema to follow:
1. Bathing – Daily bathing can cause a child’s skin to dry out. Only bathe babies twice or three times a week for the first six months, the rest of the time just topping and tailing them. When you are bathing them, make sure to use fragrance-free bath oil and avoid bubble baths to help ward off irritation.
2. Emolient – Simple, non-cosmetic moisturisers that soothe and help relieve dry and itchy skin should be liberally applied, especially at night when skin is most metabolically active, causing it to heal better.
1. Bathing – Daily bathing can cause a child’s skin to dry out. Only bathe babies twice or three times a week for the first six months, the rest of the time just topping and tailing them. When you are bathing them, make sure to use fragrance-free bath oil and avoid bubble baths to help ward off irritation.
2. Emolient – Simple, non-cosmetic moisturisers that soothe and help relieve dry and itchy skin should be liberally applied, especially at night when skin is most metabolically active, causing it to heal better.
3. Massage – Emolient application can be distressing, especially during flareups, so try to make it as relaxing and enjoyable as possible, letting toddlers watch a DVD or sing songs to keep them calm. Always apply the emollient downwards (along the hair, rather than against it).
4. Frequency – Dermatologists suggest a ‘complete emollient regime’ for treating dry skin. Use a soap substitute and a leave-on emollient two to three times a day, even when the eczema is under control.
5. Comfort – Create a calm atmosphere when applying creams. Don’t be stressed or worried as this will add to your child’s stress and worry, and cause the flareups to be worse.
4. Frequency – Dermatologists suggest a ‘complete emollient regime’ for treating dry skin. Use a soap substitute and a leave-on emollient two to three times a day, even when the eczema is under control.
5. Comfort – Create a calm atmosphere when applying creams. Don’t be stressed or worried as this will add to your child’s stress and worry, and cause the flareups to be worse.
Calpol What every Parents should know
Calpol Calpol Calpol, Why is it that that's all I hear a parent gives a their child when they are unwell, from fever, teething, crying not sleeping you name Calpol is given. I can safely say I have a hate-hate relationship with Calpol. It works like this: I hate it… and on the other hand I hate it. I have no objections to paracetamol on its own, even though I rarely use medicine, and I absolutely agree that it should have its place on our shelves, as it does serve a valuable purpose. However, in my opinion Calpol does not, and shouldn’t be on the shelves at all. Come on it's bright Pink!
And here, in brief, is why I don’t use Calpol and will never recommend it. For further information, please see ‘Behind the Label’.
You see, apart from paracetamol, Calpol also contains a few other ingredients. These include:
- strawberry ‘flavouring’ & carmoisine to produce its pink colour. (Chemical compoundE122- suspected carcinogen, banned in Austria, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the US and not recommended for consumption by children) .
- the paraben preservatives methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218 - suspected hormone disruptor and allergen. Banned in France and Australia) andE122. Note that both these substances have been linked to hyperactivity, and the Hyperactive Children’s Support Group identifies them as likely causes of mysterious and sudden cases of ADHD-like hyperactivity. They too say these substances are not recommended to be consumed by children.
- Maltitol (a mild laxative)
- Glycerol (E422 - large quantities can cause headaches, thirst and nausea)
- Sorbitol (E420 - There are no limits to the intake of E420; however, its use is actually prohibited for infants younger than 1 year of age, as it may cause severe diarrhoea)
- Propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216 - suspected hormone disruptor and allergen. Not recommended for consumption by children . Possible contact allergen. Not permitted for use in France or Australia)
- Ethyl parahydroxybenzoate (E214 - suspected hormone disruptor, banned in France and Australia. Not recommended for consumption by children)
- A thickener – xanthan gum (E415- no known adverse effects)
Unfortunately, Calprofen, the Ipubrofen alternative, is hardly any better.
As adults, we go out of our way to avoid foods with too many of the so-called ‘E Numbers’, and as parents we’re told to provide our chidren with healthy, balanced diets.
And yet, here we are happy to load up our children on E numbers through over-the-counter medicine. Let’s put it another way: our response to a health problem in our child is to feed them potentially dangerous substances that we are specifically advised they shouldn’t have.
From a more international perspective, it greatly disturbs me that here in the UK we are giving our babies a product that includes substances that are actually banned in Austria, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the US, France and Australia. Even more disturbing is that when I asked a GP for an alternative to Calpol or Calprofen without all the additives (as is found in many other countries), he did not know of any, and recommended I speak to the pharmacist. The pharmacist had no idea either and referred me back to the GP.
Side effects of Calpol may include hives, rash, short breath and prolonged or habitual use may lead to liver damage or failure. I gave my daughter Calpol twice and each time her skin broke out in red and patchy blotches. I know she’s not alone in this. There have also been suggestions in the past of a link between Calpol and asthma, hayfever and eczema.
But what if my baby has a fever?
A fever, believe it or not, is a good thing. It is the body’s way of getting rid of an infections. A fever that is too high is dangerous and should be treated (with paracetamol, for example), but administering Calpol for every little thing reduces the body’s natural immunity and prevents the body from fighting off the infection, leading to what seems like a never ending reoccurring cycle of illness.
Angela England has some great advice on treating a mild fever naturally. Some of her suggestions include herbs, essential oils, homeopathy, rest, food and fluids.
It is an exceptionally difficult thing, seeing your child suffering and in pain. But we all have to go through teething and growing pains. We all have to learn to stave off fevers and to extend our pain threshold. It’s part of building our immune system, so long as it is managed sensibly.
Yet leaving all that aside, the most disturbing part of this whole affair is the complete lack of any kind of real alternative. Why is the only option put forward seemingly by the UK’s entire medical community a substance that fills our children’s bodies with things that are documented to have the ability to cause more harm than good?
It is a question I’d love to see answered, but suspect I never will.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I write only my thoughts. I stand by my thoughts and my research and my decisions for myself and my family, but you have to make your own decisions for you and yours. I am not advocating ignoring a fever, but I am asking more parents to stand up and request, no, demand an alternative that isn’t bad for our children.
Friday, 7 May 2010
Something magical
It's an amazing thing. A lot more to it then I ever imagined. Tonight as I am holding Tulá, she falls asleep on my chest. It puts me in a state of total relaxation. It almost feels like we melted into each other.
I don't know what it is but there is something so magical about being a mother. I love my husband, I love my family. But this love is completely different.
She has my eyes. I know they may change as she gets older but for now, she has my eyes. Do you know how amazing it is to look at her eyes and know it came from me? It's weird. And you will never understand it until you experience it.
I seriously could care less about my career.
I could spend the rest of my life as a full time mum and be completely okay with that.
I now realize that being a mum is the best thing I will ever do!
Hate hate hate!
Ok so I have to say that I really get irritated when I hear new mums complain that their 3-6 week old baby is waking up several times and that they do not understand why. That's probably because THEY ARE NEWBORNS and *big shocker* that's what they do! For someone to EXPECT their newborn to sleep through the night is nuts. And to think that you are going to avoid the sleepless nights that the rest of the population goes through is too funny.
Here is some helpful informartion if you happen to be one of these people I am speaking of:
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleep.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/baby-sleep/FL00118
http://www.babycenter.com/408_when-can-my-baby-start-sleeping-through-the-night_1368534.bc
Allow me to quote one of these resources: By age 3 months, many babies sleep up to five hours during the night. By age 6 months, nighttime stretches of nine to 12 hours are possible.
So don't mind me if I roll my eyes when I hear of a mother complaining about this. This is what you signed up for when you got pregnant. I went through it, still am! we all go through.
So please, don't jump to sleep training/cry it out techniques before experts recommend (if you have done any research on this, you will see that it's not recommended until at least 6 months old).
OK vent over. =)
Here is some helpful informartion if you happen to be one of these people I am speaking of:
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleep.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/baby-sleep/FL00118
http://www.babycenter.com/408_when-can-my-baby-start-sleeping-through-the-night_1368534.bc
Allow me to quote one of these resources: By age 3 months, many babies sleep up to five hours during the night. By age 6 months, nighttime stretches of nine to 12 hours are possible.
So don't mind me if I roll my eyes when I hear of a mother complaining about this. This is what you signed up for when you got pregnant. I went through it, still am! we all go through.
So please, don't jump to sleep training/cry it out techniques before experts recommend (if you have done any research on this, you will see that it's not recommended until at least 6 months old).
OK vent over. =)
Miscarriage a good thing?????
Apparently I should be glad I had a miscarriage. Oh wait, and happy! Why? Simply because I have had another baby since.
Yes people, this came from an ignorant asshat. So having a live birth after a miscarriage makes my miscarriage a "good thing." Are you serious? NOTHING about a miscarriage is a good thing...NOTHING. I don't care how anyone needs to justify why things happen, when it comes to this issue, this is absurd!
Yes, this is EXACTLY how I wanted everything. Did this person even READ my blog? Did you read about the perpetual black hole I was in afterwards? Does that sound like a wonderful experience to you?
Oh AND being deathly afraid during my entire next pregnancy. Yes, I am especially grateful for that! I LOVED examining the TP every time I went to the bathroom, hoping to not see any blood. My heart would pound every time I went to the bathroom for at least the first 20 weeks. Shake your head at me if you want, call me a sissy, whatever you want but until you have been there yourself DON'T tell me how I am supposed to feel now.
Even my next pregnancy will be plagued with the same fear and the same anxiety. So yea, I am ecstatic that I had a miscarriage. Knowing that my first baby died inside of me is a great feeling. One in which I am so thankful to have experienced!
So does that answer your question?? Do you really think I am happy now that I had a miscarriage? Yes, I love my daughter with every inch of my soul. And sure I wouldn't have it any other way but to go as far as saying I am happy to have a miscarriage is the most insensitive thing one has ever said to me. I would have loved that first baby with every inch of my soul too. I consider my daughter a gift from my first baby. So, NO, I am not glad I had a miscarriage.
KMTEET
Yes people, this came from an ignorant asshat. So having a live birth after a miscarriage makes my miscarriage a "good thing." Are you serious? NOTHING about a miscarriage is a good thing...NOTHING. I don't care how anyone needs to justify why things happen, when it comes to this issue, this is absurd!
Yes, this is EXACTLY how I wanted everything. Did this person even READ my blog? Did you read about the perpetual black hole I was in afterwards? Does that sound like a wonderful experience to you?
Oh AND being deathly afraid during my entire next pregnancy. Yes, I am especially grateful for that! I LOVED examining the TP every time I went to the bathroom, hoping to not see any blood. My heart would pound every time I went to the bathroom for at least the first 20 weeks. Shake your head at me if you want, call me a sissy, whatever you want but until you have been there yourself DON'T tell me how I am supposed to feel now.
Even my next pregnancy will be plagued with the same fear and the same anxiety. So yea, I am ecstatic that I had a miscarriage. Knowing that my first baby died inside of me is a great feeling. One in which I am so thankful to have experienced!
So does that answer your question?? Do you really think I am happy now that I had a miscarriage? Yes, I love my daughter with every inch of my soul. And sure I wouldn't have it any other way but to go as far as saying I am happy to have a miscarriage is the most insensitive thing one has ever said to me. I would have loved that first baby with every inch of my soul too. I consider my daughter a gift from my first baby. So, NO, I am not glad I had a miscarriage.
KMTEET
My prays answered after miscarriage
My Heart beat hours old
My Gorgeous baby girl 1 months old
My Cutie 2 months
My Princess 3 months old
Sweet Cheeks 4 months old
Tu Tu 5 months old
I Take Thee Child
I Take Thee Child
A Parent’s Vows
I take thee young one,
To be my beloved child
I take thee to have:
As my God given trust and responsibility,
This mortal parenthood my proud calling.
I take thee to hold close
while you are small and helpless,
close as you may grow
when my arms, eyes and ears
my hands, tongue and heart
can give comfort,
but with pliable heart strings
not apron strings.
I take thee for better:
My life better for you being,
The world lovelier,
For pride in your growth,
First steps, first words,
Your unfolding talents and ideas,
For joy, for fun, for friend and companion.
I take thee for worse:
Whenever need be, not knowing now
It’s shape.
If it touch you a sore affliction
I shall seek God’s help to lighten it,
If it engulf us in the dark of dispute
I shall relight our path with affection,
If it strike as calamity or disgrace
I shall never forsake you.
I take thee for richer:
Richer now, I endow thee
With all my worldly goods.
With food, clothing, and shelter.
More: My time, my inner self, a growing parent.
With family as your rightful inheritance,
Intact insofar as I can preserve it;
Inviolable ties with loved ones,
Pride in forebears, humble or mighty.
With home, wherin to enjoy family and friends
While retaining rights
To solitude.
While country to honor and serve,
Yours it’s rich heritage
And potential future
With a world of growing horizons
And multitudes awaiting your personal offering.
With my respect for your individuality.
Encouragement to do for yourself what you can do,
Free will to choose one day
Your own life’s work,
Your own life’s partner
Whom I shall welcome.
With loyalty, myself your steady advocate.
With reference for our creator,
Source and strength.
I take thee poorer:
And count myself no martyr
If I must sacrifice.
I dedicate my work to your outer needs,
My shared leisure to your
Inner yearnings
So you may learn the dignity of giving.
I take thee in sickness:
To nurse tenderly, guarding
Your physical safety
By my vigilance, foresight
And instruction,
Sparing you neglect always,
Sparing you injury of harsh punishment.
I take thee in health:
Knowing health combines sound
Body, mind and soul.
I regard your body as your spirits vessel,
Teach you cleanliness and zest for healthful food.
I dissuade self-indulgence,
Encourage self-mastery
Through balanced work, recreation
And response.
I respect learning, provide its atmosphere
That you may seek an educated mind.
I further your skills,
Accept your limitations, and put no kindred child before thee…
Or after.
I discipline your sensibly,
Guide you to moral and social values.
I arm you against the lure of false banners
But welcome those who inspire you rightfully.
I explain life’s processes as sacred and foster the highest attributes
Of your sex.
I strive to model health’s daily therapy;
Praise for success, sympathy for failure, a
A cheerful voice and laughter within a happy home.
I observe all things about you and keep them in my heart as a
Compass.
I take thee child:
Resolving to renew these vows devoutly,
Reviewing my own values, lest them dim,
Expressing sorrow when I misjudge you,
Starting anew each time I fail.
In Lieu of a ring:
I pledge you my fidelity with a ring of love
To encircle us both, woven of word and deed
And the shining thread of spirit.
By Dorothy Rose
A Parent’s Vows
I take thee young one,
To be my beloved child
I take thee to have:
As my God given trust and responsibility,
This mortal parenthood my proud calling.
I take thee to hold close
while you are small and helpless,
close as you may grow
when my arms, eyes and ears
my hands, tongue and heart
can give comfort,
but with pliable heart strings
not apron strings.
I take thee for better:
My life better for you being,
The world lovelier,
For pride in your growth,
First steps, first words,
Your unfolding talents and ideas,
For joy, for fun, for friend and companion.
I take thee for worse:
Whenever need be, not knowing now
It’s shape.
If it touch you a sore affliction
I shall seek God’s help to lighten it,
If it engulf us in the dark of dispute
I shall relight our path with affection,
If it strike as calamity or disgrace
I shall never forsake you.
I take thee for richer:
Richer now, I endow thee
With all my worldly goods.
With food, clothing, and shelter.
More: My time, my inner self, a growing parent.
With family as your rightful inheritance,
Intact insofar as I can preserve it;
Inviolable ties with loved ones,
Pride in forebears, humble or mighty.
With home, wherin to enjoy family and friends
While retaining rights
To solitude.
While country to honor and serve,
Yours it’s rich heritage
And potential future
With a world of growing horizons
And multitudes awaiting your personal offering.
With my respect for your individuality.
Encouragement to do for yourself what you can do,
Free will to choose one day
Your own life’s work,
Your own life’s partner
Whom I shall welcome.
With loyalty, myself your steady advocate.
With reference for our creator,
Source and strength.
I take thee poorer:
And count myself no martyr
If I must sacrifice.
I dedicate my work to your outer needs,
My shared leisure to your
Inner yearnings
So you may learn the dignity of giving.
I take thee in sickness:
To nurse tenderly, guarding
Your physical safety
By my vigilance, foresight
And instruction,
Sparing you neglect always,
Sparing you injury of harsh punishment.
I take thee in health:
Knowing health combines sound
Body, mind and soul.
I regard your body as your spirits vessel,
Teach you cleanliness and zest for healthful food.
I dissuade self-indulgence,
Encourage self-mastery
Through balanced work, recreation
And response.
I respect learning, provide its atmosphere
That you may seek an educated mind.
I further your skills,
Accept your limitations, and put no kindred child before thee…
Or after.
I discipline your sensibly,
Guide you to moral and social values.
I arm you against the lure of false banners
But welcome those who inspire you rightfully.
I explain life’s processes as sacred and foster the highest attributes
Of your sex.
I strive to model health’s daily therapy;
Praise for success, sympathy for failure, a
A cheerful voice and laughter within a happy home.
I observe all things about you and keep them in my heart as a
Compass.
I take thee child:
Resolving to renew these vows devoutly,
Reviewing my own values, lest them dim,
Expressing sorrow when I misjudge you,
Starting anew each time I fail.
In Lieu of a ring:
I pledge you my fidelity with a ring of love
To encircle us both, woven of word and deed
And the shining thread of spirit.
By Dorothy Rose
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