Thursday, February 21, 2013

A Fine Line

My mom watches Liam for us during the day.  It's been a bumpy road- but not an unpleasant one.  She takes extremely good care of him, and I suppose if we're going to miss all his major milestones, I'd rather have her see them than a stranger.

But we differ on exactly HOW he should be raised.  She comes from a very old-school background where you warm bottles in the microwave and you sleep babies on their stomachs and car seats are more for containment than safety.

Clearly I have made it past childhood.  This is not the issue of GOOD parenting versus BAD parenting.  It's just that I do things differently.

For example- we feed on demand.  4 ounces every time, when he cries for it.  2 more ounces if he keeps that down and asks for more.  Mom feeds him six ounces every three hours whether he wants it or not.  I feel this is over-feeding him, she feels I am starving him.

She puts the water for his formula in the microwave for a little before she mixes it with the formula.  I serve it to him at room temperature.  I'm scared to death she's going to burn him, she tells me he likes it better warm.

I'm not too concerned about him though.  He's fine over there, and he gets all the love and attention he needs.  (The other day I was standing with him, ready to go, and he actually reached out for my sister!  Go figure!)  But I get offended when she tells me I'm not doing it right.  What do you MEAN I'm not doing it right?  He's not starving- he's happy- he loves me and his daddy.  I do my best with him! 

The other day we were out at a restaurant and I was feeding him his cereal.  After I was done feeding it to him, he screamed, but I knew he had two tablespoons, so he was fine.  I gave him a pacifier and walked him, and distracted him, and he was fine.  My mom was completely up in arms, "He's still hungry!  You mean you're not going to feed him his bottle??"  No mom, I'm not because he threw it all up when we did that the other night.  "No he doesn't!  I don't know what that doctor told you to do, but I feed him his cereal and then a six ounce bottle and he's always fine."  Yes mom, until he comes home and throws it all up!-- She didn't speak to us for the remainder of the afternoon.

If the tables were turned, I'm positive she'd feel the same way I do.  She's told me before that her mom would come in and take over and she'd feel terrible.  I'm counting that she'll remember that and lay off of me a little.

Things are getting better.  She takes my lead on things- because after all- he is MY son.  And like I said- he's getting all the love he needs over there.  Plus some.  I'm excited for the day he can ride his bike over there and swim in a little kiddie pool and get all excited about the airplanes taking off...there's so much more room over there!  My dad wants to mow the yard with him in the backpack and take him in his pick up truck.......  What a great place to be a kid.  I should know!