My Jethros

"Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone." Exodus 18:17-18

All the family birth visits are over, and we've been on our own as a little family of four for a few weeks now.  It is tiring, but we are loving it!  We'd stocked up on some disposable newborn diapers for the early days, but I was excited to get my girls into cloth once again--and for the first time, in Ruth's case.  :)

It's a good thing that I enjoy laundry, because there is so much now!  It's funny how just one new little person can make that job so mountainous.  I love it, though--I love hanging the diapers out in the sunshine while Ruth sleeps in the Moby wrap and Gemma runs around the yard.  I love making pancakes on my new cast iron skillet, and having homemade muffins around to snack on.  I love sipping tea and reading to my girlies on the couch.  There are many, many things to treasure about this season.

My Mom and sister are wonderful.  Besides John, they're my best friends and favorite people to talk with on the phone.  Lately, though, they've both been giving me advice like Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, gave to him.  "Are you sure you're ready for cloth diapers?" and "if both babies are sleeping, why aren't you sleeping?"  

It's a little difficult to take Mom's advice very seriously.  She had two in cloth diapers, and didn't have a weekly "Thai night" to give her a break from cooking.  She had a baby with colic!  She had to iron Dad a shirt every day, while my husband stays home with me!  Somehow she kept her cookie jar stocked with homemade cookies.She also wore herself out . . . but not until she had three little ones.  

Surely, they're just saying these things because they love me, and that's what you're supposed to say to a mother of a newborn.

But, as our house got dirtier and our freezer stash of meals started dwindling, I started re-thinking some of my priorities.  I appreciate the financial and environmental aspects of cloth diapering, as well as putting my babies in fewer chemicals, but John has assured me more than once that he's willing to pay for disposable diapers.  And I'm not exactly blessing him by making muffins when they're almost exclusively for me.  Gemma likes them and he'll eat one out of courtesy, but I did not marry a muffin-man.  And, perhaps the time has come for simpler breakfasts while I spend more time cleaning the house, which does bless him.  

For a few weeks, I'm taking a break from social mediia and simplifying home life while endeavoring to get our priorities back in order.  In the grand scheme, it's more important for Gemma to see her mommy reading her Bible than baking, and certainly more important than scrolling through facebook!  



Thanks be to God for my Jethros . . . and for our little ones who make them necessary.  :)

(photos by Madeline Christoph Photography, artismad.com)