Instincts

With all the questions I've had recently about raising Emma, I've come to a realization this evening. All the books on parenting in the world can't really tell me how I should care for Emma. She is our daughter. Jeremy's and mine. We were both blessed with wonderful parents who did an excellent job raising us if I do say so myself. That alone has provided us with good instincts when it comes to parenting.

I will always welcome the advice of other parents on what worked for their children. I will also continue to read parenting books and magazines because it is comforting and makes me feel like I'm making informed decisions. I've read and heard of so many different books about sleeping and feeding and soothing. They all contradict each other though. What is a new parent to do? Who are we to trust? I don't know who these people are or what makes them experts. So I've decided to see what they have to say and trust my instincts on what I think is right.

The other thing about these books is that none of them are written for parents who have a 3 month old who's had meningitis, hydrocephalus, spinal taps, 2 shunt surgeries, was born 5 weeks early and has spent more of her life in hospitals than at home. Many of them suggest, that at 3 months we should start letting her cry and and not hold her so much, but she's been through so much, doesn't she deserve to a little extra TLC? Plus she's really only supposed to be 2 months. So I'm going to stop fretting about doing something wrong, keep loving her as much as I can and focus on the things that go well. She's sleeping through the night! That's a big deal. I can't expect everything to magically fall into place all at once. Our next challenge will be the bedtime routine. Until we've got everything figure out, we'll love her and hold her, feed her and soothe her, and just give her what she needs. I think that's what parents are supposed to do. Right?