The Secret to being a great parent....

The secret to being a great parent, is being a great spouse! I hope that I have lived up to this #1 rule of parenting over the past few months. I know that at first, Blake and I were not big fans of one another. I had WAY too much on my plate so he took a back seat. He had so much on his plate that he really needed a little TLC from me. It was an ugly cycle with both of us needing so much, but neither of us having anything left to give.
We are FINALLY ourselves again! Our store is sustaining without us being there 24/7 which is more than I hoped for at this point! What a great team we have there. Gracie is falling into a bit of a routine. We still have a little of the "all thumbs, no instincts" feelings from time to time.
The best way for me to really serve Gracie as a parent, is for her to witness how completely and absolutely in love with her father I am. It is important for her to see us have meaningful conversations, kiss one another, and serve one another with our actions.

• UNITED FRONT- Blake and I have started having a united front as parents already. If we decide to let her cry it out, we both stand behind the decision. Making decisions together is something we are practicing now. We are very different individuals and we grew up in different homes, so many times our backgrounds conflict. There is give and take.
• PRAY TOGETHER- I think it is important for Gracie to see her parents hold hands and pray together. I would love to start a bedtime ritual where we say our night night prayers as a family. Right now I read her a book titled Goodnight Prayer while I feed her.
• MANAGING FINANCES- Blake and I NEVER argue about money. We really never have, even when things were super super tight. I am a born saver though so I think that helps. We agree on big purchases, and sometimes even small ones.
• PLAY TOGETHER- Gracie needs to know that mommy and daddy have fun, and we need to cut loose sometimes. This may be going to watch a football game somewhere, getting on the boat, going for a walk, or taking a trip. We will be a family that plays together!
• POSITIVE COMMUNICATION- Our conversations need to be uplifting and positive. It is easy to take your spouse for granted, but we should treat eachother with the good manners we would show others. I refuse to live in a negative home with a Debbie Downer. Leave that stinking thinking at the door! It isn't good for children.

When I was about 5 months pregnant I started to get really really nervous about how a baby would change our relationship. I remember laying in bed and praying to God that we would be as happy as we were at that moment. It is strange to think about how protective I became when I thought of a "stranger" coming into the home and rocking the boat. I was so afraid that the added stress would affect our amazing friendship. It definately threatened to. But watching Blake grow into an amazing father has given me a love for him that I didn't know was possible. I was certain that I loved him as much as one person could love another.

Disclaimer- Gracie was planned and prayed for and I was so thrilled every step of the pregnancy. She is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and my single greatest accomplishment.