Hello Tooth #9

Junabug got her first molar, a monster of a thing, I could swear it was two! This is #9 and the first one which did not issue in with a missed or delayed nap. I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch, because we have 3 more to go, but it wasn't too bad... in fact, I just happened to see in her mouth on Saturday and said, "Oh, she's got a new tooth!"

Reading

On Disciplinging Your Baby

I looked this up on the internet, out of curiousity,
and also because my husband has talked of "disciplining" our baby,
and frankly, the things I read, made me kind of sick...
Juna, I want you to know, I will never hit you,
any part of you, I will never raise my hand to you in anger
or frustration, I will never use hitting or spanking as
a way to "teach" you or change your behaviors...
what I want to say to the people who posted what I read,
is educate yourself, know what is normal developmentally
and understand that your child is a child and not an adult,
and thinks differently then you or I.
Juna, what I want you to know is that the world
is a compassionate and safe place, and when it is not,
I want you to know that you can come to me
and I will be that safe and compassionate place for you,
because what I learned as a child and as an adult
is that learning comes from love, and discipline
comes from respect.  And I respect you.

Little Notes: The Sweetest Thing

 Juna's sleeping face as the first thing I see in the morning.  

How could it not be a great big beautiful day?

Reflection On Today's Relationships

How do I teach you about love
in this throw-away society

A Walking Song At Naptime

the sky is blue
up above
wind blows clouds,
wispy and white,
and then there is
the big yellow moon
and stars shining
just for you
so many things
so many things
for you to explore
love and know
so let's go

Ten Reasons Why Spanking Is NOT OK OR Why Juna Will Never Be Spanked

1.  We try to teach our kids that it is NOT ok to hit
2.  Spank is just another word for hit
3.  The world doesn't need any more violence
4.  The Golden Rule
5.  First do no harm
6.  Research links spanking to aggressive and risky behaviors
7.  There are many other techniques that actually work
8.  Pick on someone your own size
9.  It is never ok to inflict bodily harm on another
10.  All relationships should be built on mutual respect