The Fedora Chronicles - Slice Of Life: Baby

"LIFE AT HOME WITH A NEW BABY"

January 10th, 2006

Greetings, Fedora Chronicles readers. My life has been sort-of upside down for the last month or so.

Our little bundle of Joy came home from the hospital on Friday, December 16th 2005. Her weight gain had reached five pounds and a few ounces (don’t remember exactly), from a birth weight of three pounds, one ounce. My son and daughter-in-law had already agreed to employ a time tested and previously successful plan for when Joy came home. This approach’s goal was to avoid any hints of jealously that might occur because the new baby was getting most of the attention in the home.

Have any of you readers out there ever wondered what makes we mortal souls different from, say, an animal with lower intelligence than human beings? Have you ever looked at an animal and thought to yourself - hmmm... I wonder if that cat/dog/bear/canary/fish, etc. is a slow or fast learner? Have you ever wondered how intelligence is defined? Can we humans assume that higher and more complex behavior patterns require a higher form of understanding? Humans have been asking these questions about our and other life forms’ behavior for millennium. Human adults should recognize the necessity to respect unique qualities that individual children possess and are capable of contributing to their families during their early formative childhood years. Appropriate guidance strategies help young children to become responsible, respectful and productive members of the community as they reach adulthood..

As was the case with each one of their children when first arriving home from the hospital, my son and Cecelia once again enacted their “board game.” Cecelia had previously purchased a blackboard and chalk, which she had already posted on the wall in the kitchen, eye level of the older children. She then sat all of them down and explained to them that each child would have his or her own exclusive duty in the care of Joy when she came home. Cecelia then carefully outlined each individual child’s responsibility on the chalk board, corresponding with each child’s name.

Their 9-year old son (the eldest got the most “important” job) was in charge of “supplies” - he was to make sure that enough diapers, baby wipes, baby powder, etc. was always in supply. It was the responsibility of their 8-year old granddaughter to make sure that the baby supplies were always in plenty supply in the baby’s room. Their 6-year old daughter’s job was to periodically look in on Joy when she was sleeping and report back to C that the “baby was sleeping peacefully.” If supplies ran short in the baby’s room, it was the responsibility of their 4-year old daughter to report same. Finally, their youngest child, who just turned two years old in December, was to come and get mom if Joy was crying.

Before bringing Joy home, the family went to early morning church services together on the Sunday before that eventful day. Each child lit a candle for each week that their new sister had been consecrated with life, and gave thanks and silent prayers for all of their blessings, Cecelia and my son did likewise.

I am happy to report that, as of this writing, there is peace and Joy in my son’s household.

For more articles by V. Bee, visti her archives...
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