Reading List

Truth be told, by the time I was ready to deliver Dia I thought I had read it all.

Don't get me wrong--I read A LOT! Especially when you're planning a home-birth, I think it's just a natural preparation tool to read as much as you can possibly get your hands on.

So I've been compiling my Must-Have Mommy Reading List for new mommies, mommies to be and anyone who loves children and family. One of my dearest friends is newly pregnant and I'm hoping Rory will get a second job so I can not only buy them all of these books (there really aren't that many), but I can also buy them my other mommy must-haves: the BOB stroller and a good mei tei wrap. I think he'll go for it...

Let me preface this list with the fact that it is based on my Judeo-Christian, whole-hearted belief in the inerrant Bible (old and new testament). It is also based on my strong belief that children are never accidents, mistakes or burdens on the life and well-being of either and both mother and father. Let me also preface this with the fact that I am a well-experienced mother of exactly seven months now, so I reserve the right to change my mind at any time. :)

• Ina May's Guide to Childbirth-- This book was/is critical for me in providing a positive, empowering birth experience. The first half is solely real-life birth stories in the mother's own words and I was inspired to tears many times as I read and re-read for my marathon miracle.
• A Mother's Heart-- This one is new to us and we are taking it chapter by chapter. The topics aren't exactly ground-breaking, but she is able to articulate and help us define what motherhood means. She even includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter to really help you understand your role as mom.
• For the Family's Sake-- This one is also new and I already know that I will be re-reading and re-reading it. Rory asked me about it and I struggled for quite a while to define it, finally ending with a silly, "It's about home-making." To which he replied, "Oh, like how to do dishes and stuff?" I laughed outloud! If you have ever struggled with the idea of home-making, either believing it too old-fashioned, too boring, too stagnant or too oppressive, then you are in for a treat! I am still in awe of her beautiful, intellectual approach to this most sacred role.
• Gymboree Play and Learn: 1001 Fun Activities For Your Baby and Child-- No mom should be without this one. Dia and I jumped right in with their suggestion of (gently) playing tug and war and she was in giggles in seconds! Each page is chock-full of excellent, creative ideas and it's color-coded, broken down by age so it couldn't be easier to use. A definite must-have.
• The Dr. Sears library of books-- I love how Dr. Sears and his wife Martha marvel at how they have had to coin the phrase, "attachment parenting." They say it used to just be called loving your kids! They are honest, down to earth parents and grandparents who have compiled all their knowledge--medical and otherwise--into a handy reference guide for just about anything you need. They also offer a great book on becoming a dad, something rarely on bookshelves.

And of course, none of these would be anything without the basis for all truth, the Holy Spirit-inspired Bible. I keep that one handy at all times.

The list is growing and I have many more titles to recommend, but these are my must-haves for now. I so appreciate the honesty and wisdom of those who have gone before!

Dia and Dax

It would be wrong to go on and on about my social butterfly without introducing you all to Dia's first little friend: Dax!

Aren't they adorable?! (You can see my shy child attempt to steal Dax's treat!)

We met Dax and his mom, Chrissy, a few weeks back at a La Leche League meeting we attended. There were actually a lot of great moms with babies right around Dia's age there so we've been planning playgroups and finding lots of fun ways to socialize--both for their sake and ours! If I haven't already encouraged you to attend a LLL meeting, let me just say that as a breastfeeding mom these days I can't tell you how wonderfully supportive it is to be in an entire community of like-minded moms.

So for now, DD and Dax are enjoying growing their friendship by poking at each other's face, stealing each other's toy/treat and more or less, just being babies. And I think one of the major pushes to Dia crawling came from watching this "older boy."

It's also given me added insight to my daughter's make-up: A few days ago, Dax was crying and I wish I could have caught Dia's reaction on film. She instantly dropped what she was doing, got over to him asap with a huge smile on her face and literally tried to make him happy! I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but other moms noticed it, too and even commented on how she was trying to make him "better." Seeing DD in company like this is a whole new window into seeing who she is--and she's simply wonderful.

Last time we met up at the park I finally had my camera out. You'll have to forgive the poor camera work, but here is Dia's newest friend Dax:




Aren't they cute?!

Big News, People! I'm Talking BIG

So....it officially happened. As my mom would say, it's a "red letter day." Big things are a moving and a shaking in the Starks household. Well, to be more accurate, a sweet little someone is moving and shaking:

Dis crawled!

She has been mobile for a while now, but mostly by scooting or lifting her knees and then kind of lunging forward. We've been waiting for the criss-cross crawl of the arms and legs, though, since it's supposed to be a pretty major brain function. And while my mom and sister claimed she did this two days ago while I was off in the kitchen, we all know that nothing is ever truly official until mom and dad see it. So I'm marking yesterday, April 23, as the it day.

And it's probably hard to tell from this blog, but we're awfully proud of her. I was blessed to get it on film, but as she is fairly nakey, I'll just post pics--after we diapered her. :)


Her main motivation in crawling across Grandma's tile floor--a big metal basket. She loves the texture and it's light enough to submit to her will. :)


Grandma got these great little balls that are fun to chase after


And she will do anything for Auntie Jessa--and I think vice versa :)


Mobile baby in action!

Lately

We have been up to tons of fun lately and I just had to post a few recent pics. DD will be seven months old tomorrow, if you can believe it, and there is much to document.


First, it should be noted that Daddy is way fun. Typically he is busy doing crazy things that thrill her, but here they are simply being in love. So sweet and precious--Dia is teaching Daddy to be gentle. :)


Two of her favorite things--bottle tops and painted toe nails! (Don't worry--this is a ROOT beer bottle!) She is in love with bottle tops (great on the gums) and thankfully Rory drinks a lot of bottled beverages (Oogave and Izze, anyone?). And I can't even make the girly stuff up--she just loves all things girl. Just wish my feet didn't get so dirty...she really wants to play with my toes!


Again, no need for alarm! The car is, obviously, not on. But if we are out, I tend to nurse her in the car--front seat, of course. Which is how she found the steering wheel...watch out, world! She'll also try to poke every last button and gadget. I'll often have to try to figure out how to turn things off once the car starts! Lol.


In other big news, Dia went to her first pool party! The kids were a bit older (around 3 years) so they weren't too into a baby, but Dia loved loved loved watching them play. Plus it was a great chance to show off her summer figure!


The real joy, though, came when we got this big blow-up crayon as a party favor. It is still one of her favorite toys!


And, that's right, folks! We're eating now! Granted, it's just a few bites here and there, but she really likes eating. She not only loves the spoons, bowls, sitting in her very own high chair and all the fun talk and singing, but she actually enjoys the food. You have to keep that food coming, which is why we usually use at least two spoons.


Did I mention that she likes to have fun? :)


And the other great things about baby food...it lends itself very easily to the artistic ones. :)


I believe I am mandated by law to post at least one "Aw" picture of Dia sleeping with daddy. This one is pretty sweet.


And here is just one of Daddy's aforementioned "crazy things." This box usually sits on her shelf holding toys, but Rory put her in it with her giraffe Gerard and they rode all over the house like this! She was pretty thrilled at first, but after a bit, just sat back and took in the sights. :)

I know they say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in this case, no camera, not even in the hands of a professional photographer, comes close to capturing even a bit of how great India has made our life. She is an absolute delight who changes and grows and even teaches me and Rory everyday. I made a conscious choice a few years back that my chosen career path and confirmed best path to the change I want to see in the world meant, for me, becoming a mom. I am only seven months into it and had no idea how truly right I was. This is the best choice I have ever made. Hands down!

Better Than a Bunny

Easter was indeed true to form: holidays are just plain tons more fun with a baby!

And it's also fun coming up with creative twists on what are usually high-sugar, high secular celebrations. Easter was kind of a no-brainer for me: skip the candy and hunt for Resurrection Eggs. My mother-in-law stopped in at a local Christian store and the guys hid them around my parents' backyard. Great idea and tons of fun.

But then, my always outside-of-the-box mom came up with an idea that Rory and I instantly took on as our newest family tradition: a book hunt! We both loved it the minute we heard it. My mom and mother-in-law bought all the books (big, colorful board books) at Half-Priced Bookstore (a great place to buy books for all ages, especially little ones because they are so affordable to replace) and then Rory took Dia around to collect them. My mom even gave her this great basket big enough to hold all her new goodies. She found some great titles for Easter--one was a kid's New Testament and a Max Lucado bead book about John 3:16. And several weeks later, we are still enjoying those books! Don't you just love creative moms?

It was a great holiday--beautiful AZ weather, too--and now we have a great, educational, new tradition. Unfortunately, I left my camera sitting in its case the whole time. I was too busy enjoying myself! But my sister Jessica took some great pics that you can see on Facebook.