Lastest Celebrity Mommy-Come-Lately

Ya' gotta' love how celebrities are helping to keep late-in-life motherhood front and center in the news.

The newest mommy-come-lately to be? CNN anchor Nancy Grace, 47, who is pregnant with twins and due January 2008.

In the News June 25, 2007

News of interest for mommies-come-lately:

High Blood Sugar During Pregnancy Put Baby at Risk
Research involving more than 23,000 pregnant women in nine different countries found a "surprisingly strong relationship" between the rate of big babies and first-time Caserean sections and women's blood sugar levels.

MSNBC.com is running a special online series: BABYQUEST: The modern pursuit of parenthood. Installments include:

Part 1 Have kids? Sure . . . someday
Part 2 Baby-making at a crossroads
Part 3 2-for-1 is no baby bargain

It's Friday--Time to be Grateful

I'm grateful for the oddest thing today: a messy office.
It's a mess for a reason--I'm reorganizing. And this time, I hope it stays organized. Right now it looks worse than it did four days ago, but I'm not done yet.

I'm also grateful for my husband. Whenever I say, "I want to paint the (name a room in the house)," he smiles and says, "Okay, honey." We have a great system worked out. I do most of the prep work and he does the painting. Sometimes our teenage daughters help. Even Christa gets in on the act now. And, yes, we are repainting my office tonight.

I'm grateful for Christa's week at soccer camp. It's providing me the time to file all the piles of paper that were sitting in baskets or on top of my desk--or on top of my poor husband's desk. (He never complained.) Next week Christa goes to Vacation Bible School (VBS), so I'll finish up then.

Now if someone can only tell me one thing: Why does all the stuff in the closet fit when it's a jumbled mess but not when it's nice and neat in plastic storage boxes?!?!

May your day be anchored in gratefulness.

Musical Life Lesson

Christa's taking piano lessons this summer, following in the musical footsteps of her sisters Katie Beth and Amy. As a matter of fact, her lesson books are tucked inside Amy's old piano bag--the one decorated with white and black piano keys and embroidered with her name.

Once again, a little girl sits at our well-used piano and oh-so carefully bangs out--I mean, plays the notes. And, just like her sisters did, Christa gets frustrated. I hear a little huff of impatience, a pause in the music as she repositions her fingers on the keyboard.

"Remember, Christa, it's practice, not perfect."

And Christa tries again.

And once again, I learn something from my six-year-old.

Much too often I aim for perfect when I should let myself practice and learn how to do something. Or I don't even bother trying something new because I know I'll mess up.

But not Christa.

She forgives herself for making a mistake. She believes me when I say that practicing is okay. She knows I'm not expecting her to play a complete song at this point. Right now I just want her to enjoy music--not focus on perfection.

And that gives her the freedom to try again.

In the News for June 20, 2007

Headlines of interest to Mommies-come-lately:

Dads at risk for Postpartum Depression too
A recent study suggests that the huge life changes involved with having a baby can lead to depression in both men and women.

Circumcisions declining in U.S.
While circumcision is the most common surgery in the U.S., more parents are choosing not to have their sons circumcised.

Newest Celebrity Mommy-Come-Lately
Actress Julia Roberts, age 39, gives birth to her third child

Here's A Thought

Sometimes the oldest trees bear the sweetest fruit.
A German Proverb

I love that saying. It's my "Mommy-come-lately" quote--I even put it in the introduction of my book BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING.
Yes, I was 41 years old when Christa was born. I earned the label Advanced Maternal Age--and I admit I fussed about it.
But I'm now six years into this mommy-come-lately life and there is a certain sweetness to it. To be more exact, Christa brought a new sweetness into my life--into my family--when she was born.
There's the sweetness of experiencing motherhood again--and avoiding some of my mothering mistakes--and remembering some of the things I did right.
There's the sweetness of a child's forgiveness and unconditional love--a rare commodity among adults.
There's the sweetness of all the possibilities of who Christa might become--her dreams, her hopes, her "I want to be just like Amy-and-Josh-and-Katie" aspirations--and the knowledge she will become someone separate from all of them.
I savor the sweetness of my life with Christa. And I believe that much of that sweetness--and my ability to treasure it--is because she came along when I was 41.

In the News

Here are some recent news articles of interest to Mommies-come-lately:

Father's Touch Soothes Newborns
A Swedish study suggests that babies born via C-section may be comforted if they rest on their dad's chest if mom is not available.

Mom-to-be's Flu Shot Triggers Baby's Immune System
A woman's unborn baby can develop immune responses to its mother's vaccination, research suggests.

Indoor Pools May Harm Infants' Lungs
Research suggests that infant swimming lessons may increase a child's risk of asthma later on.

24 Years to Be Grateful

My son Josh is 24 years old today.
He's my firstborn, boundary-banger son who challenged me every step of the way during his growing up years. Not in an obnoxious, in-your-face way. More of a "Are you sure about that?" kind of way.
I remember sitting around with a bunch of other moms talking about the challenges of raising kids. My friend Cheryl said something so, so wise.
"Let's just admit we nearly killed our first kids."
She was right.
Being the firstborn, Josh had to survive the reality that I was an oh-so-untried mom. I made a lot of mistakes with him that I didn't repeat with his sisters.
Sorry about that, Josh.
There are privileges with being the firstborn--and there are challenges and pitfalls too. Josh has managed the position well for 24 years now, breaking ground for his three sisters and making life a little easier for them too. Curfews? He dealt with them first. The "Talk?" Yea, he got that first too. Discipline? Figured out some of the basics of that with him. Driving a car? Yep. (And again, my apologies, Josh.)
I always want to say something profound when it's my child's birthday. And yet, when it comes down to it, I find I can't. My heart is too full of all the ways I have loved my son through the years--through it all--and how he has loved me.
Wishing somebody "Happy Birthday" on their birth day--that's easy.
Being family--that's real life.
And for that--and for my son--I am grateful.

May your day be anchored in gratefulness.

Let 'em Dance!

It's dance recital week for Christa.
She's been taking dance lessons for the past year and it's time to be front and center on stage and show what she's learned.
It's quite a production. Hundreds of students of all ages ready to strut their stuff, be it tap, jazz, ballet, or hip hop.
Christa has three days of rehearsal this week, including one dress rehearsal. This, of course, means I have three days of rehearsal.
It's not pretty.
Lots of kids.
Lots of noise.
Lots of waiting for your turn to perform. Waiting. And more waiting.
And yes, the kids outnumber the parents.
Monday's rehearsal ran long--more than three hours long. Now, why was I surprised? More importantly, why wasn't I more prepared to entertain the eight young dancers in Christa's class? One mom provided snacks. Need I tell you how quickly those were devoured? I'd brought along some library books, but those are a poor choice of entertainment in the midst of a mass of giggling, talking, tap-dancing, and quickly bored children.
One little girl brought a portable DVD player. She was soon surrounded--and all around her was a little pocket of quiet.
I confess: I caved in and bought a portable DVD player.
It was on sale. And Rob and I had talked about getting one.
But the truth is, I couldn't imagine facing another day of recital rehearsal without.
Call me a coward if you must.
But I am also a prepared Mom today!