New Mommy Fears

I have had a lot of experience with kids. I started babysitting when I was eleven, helped in the church nursery when I was little, I have two nephews who mean the world to me, and I am a nanny to incredibly spoiled, difficult twins. However, as any new mom would be (and should be!) I have many fears of parenting and taking care of a child of my own. It has recently hit me (hard) that if all goes according to plan, in a few short months, I will be faced with these fears. It's now mid-November (it was just July yesterday!!) and our sweet baby girl is due in early March. So it sounds like a good idea to jot down these worries I have, and see how they turned out after she gets here. Here goes...

- The big one. Breastfeeding. I won't get into the details on this one. But I want this so badly for myself and my daughter. For the bond, the quick(er) weight loss, the convenience, the nutrients it gives her, and the affordability. But my patience and low tolerance for pain are what scares me here...

-Cloth diapering. Yep, that's right- I'm out of my mind. :-) I am committed to cloth diaper my child. For many reasons. A few being: they're better for her skin, better for the environment, saves money each month and with each child we have (we want 3), & they're just cuter! I will be using the "Flip" system, a one-size diaper, and I am already stocked up on shells & inserts so the only cost it will be to me now is an increase in my electric & water bills. Which shouldn't be too significant. The work is what scares me now!

-Deciding how to keep her distanced from negative friends & family that aren't good for her to be around. Thankfully Shane and I totally agree in this area. We don't want her around drinking, smoking, & swearing. And we don't want her around people that have a negative infuence on her. Family or not. So we plan to talk to the person if there's a problem, and if that doesn't work- unfortunately, distance her from them. 'Nuff said.

-Teaching her religion. We want her to know our beliefs, but know that it's completely ok for her to disagree with our beliefs.

So having said all that, those are definitely not all of my fears. But they are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. We hope to raise a kind, considerate, respectful, wise, and independent young woman. And we realize that getting her to that point is going to be tough, but soooo rewarding. :-)