Attachment Parenting

I recently purchased The Attachment Parenting Book: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby by William Sears, M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N. after having it checked out way past its due date at the library (shame on me). I love this book. It makes so much sense to me, I really can't see myself raising my baby any other way.

 

When I think of what life will be like when I'm not pregnant anymore, it makes me kind of sad. How will I live my day-to-day without feeling the baby kick? That concept is currently beyond me. But how else can I feel that close to my baby without constantly holding her? How will I know when things are going right, or not, if she's not physically close to me at all times, rarely separated by any great distance? How can I pass along all the good things that comes from my healthy eating without breastfeeding her?

Are these the only ways in which you can raise a healthy, happy baby? Certainly not. As with all things in life, I think when someone thinks they have the be-all, end-all answer to a question, they're further away from the truth than the rest of us. There are probably as many ways to "properly" raise a child as there are children on the planet. But having no child-rearing experience of my own, I think sticking with a proven system based on gentle methods is the best thing I can do for my baby.

Everything the Sears' suggest are things I planned on doing anyway but it's nice to read more about why it's so good for myself and the baby. They take the latest research on attachment parenting and present it in an easy-to-read format. Finally, I have medical research to back up my views on parenting when some of my more outspoken family members voice their doubts about my decisions. Next time I get incredulous stares when I mention co-sleeping, I can say "It's doctor recommended!" This book is a must-read for anyone interested in attachment parenting.

Lesson Two: Balancing Work-Home-School-Family

I finally did it. I invested in a smart phone. Up until now, it was an entirely unnecessary expense. I was completely opposed to buying an electronic device with all those fancy apps and functions I would never use. However, since I've recently started my own business, I knew I had to give in. I broke down and bought the HTC Aria and I have to admit, I love it.

 

This phone is amazingly functional. I love that I can sync it with all my Google business apps. I receive my business e-mails directly on my phone and most importantly, I can keep my schedule up to date, no matter where I am. As the most unorganized person on the planet, this is incredibly important to me. I want to achieve balance in my life. Having started a business and being on the verge of birthing a child into this world, balancing my work-home-school-family life is more important than ever. So, forgetting the completely materialistic aspect of owning a phone like this, I am really hoping it can help me achieve this goal.

Goal # 16. Create and use a daily schedule - In Progress

I've started this goal by putting in my part-time work schedule from Foot Solutions into my Google calender. I then added Game Night, which is every Wednesday with my husband's family. I added in the appointments I already had set up with clients and my pre-natal and chiropractor appointments. I then synced all this information to my phone as well as Microsoft Outlook so I can access it all wherever I am. Next, I'd like to make some sort of hourly break down of how I plan to spend my days. How much time should I dedicate to school work, my business, cleaning and organizing my home, spending time with family? Over the next few days I plan to attempt to figure that out! Wish me luck :)

Welcome to the Conscious Family!

con-scious: 1) perceiving, apprehending or noticing

with a degree of controlled thought or observation;

2) capable of or marked by thought, will, design or perception

family: 1) a group of individuals living under one roof

2) a group of people united by certain convictions

or a common affiliation

Welcome to The Conscious Family! For the purpose of this blog, I will be using the definitions of conscious and family listed above. A short intro into my life: My husband and I bought our first home in Independence, MO. It is a 1928 Colonial Revival home that sits on two lots and needs a lot of work. We are expecting our first child and also take care of my 15-year-old sister. We're interested in attachment parenting and I believe in living a healthy, natural lifestyle. I've also recently started my own business planning weddings and am taking business classes. My husband is in the Army, currently deployed. I'm starting this blog to talk about the challenges I'm facing keeping all aspects of myself equally balanced while trying to achieve a green life and start a conscious family. I will also use this space to do a series called "Lessons in Domesticity" in which I will discuss all the things I'm doing to try to turn myself into a domestic goddess. I want to have a place to showcase my home as it (and I) transform into what I feel it was made to be.