Talking to my sister today got me thinking about something. It seems that my sister has been asking some baby questions that have lead to many conversations with friends, family, and even the occasional stranger. And it struck me that sometimes we have to learn things on our own. It doesn't matter how you do it, just that it happens. Babies eat, sleep, and do other things at their rate, regardless of who you ask. I may feel that I ruined Sadie's sleep habits with co-sleeping, but did I create a wonderful bond with my sweet baby next to me almost every night, maybe. I may have hindered Maisy's early development by not making her do things that were difficult for her, but can I change the circumstances of those first years, no.

I think as parents we are doing the best we can with the circumstances we are given. I understand the mom who doesn't let her kids hold the bunny because a bunny bit her finger when she was little. I can relate to the parent who doesn't fix her kids eggs because she wouldn't eat them (except for me its tomatoes, sorry Mom.) We bring ourselves into everything we do, why would parenting be any different. We may make mistakes, but they are our mistakes to make.

So, I'm sorry Haley, but you might have to ignore the books and trust yourself. And what I am taking from this little realization, is that most often we help with our ears, our hands, and our hearts and seldom with our mouths.