Choice War

I've come to realize that parenting is a constant series of decisions. Yes, I made decisions as a non-parent, but they didn't seem as "heavy" as they do now. Now I'm making decisions for someone who has no voice. Gone are the days of childless, carefree thoughts....now, as the advocate for Eli, my mind is daily filled with the constant battle of choices. Here are the biggies (at least to us) we've gone/are going through: (Note: I'm a researcher. I read, compare, and, at times, agonize over information before making decisions. But, in general, Zach and I tend to lean toward the "all natural" school of thought. I realize that many may disagree with our decisions, and that's okay...that's the beauty of choice).

1. Epidural vs. No epidural - With a very "textbook" delivery, I chose the latter.

2. Vaccinations vs. No vaccinations - we took the middle of the road on this one. We have refused some vaccinations and accepted some vaccinations on a delayed schedule.

3. Breastfeed vs. Formula - Eli and I are still going strong on the breastfeeding thing (in addition to big people food), and as his 1 year b-day approaches we've got to decide whether to wean or not.

4. Pacifier vs. No pacifier - We occasionally gave him a pacifier and then he just stopped taking it around 4 months...and MAN there are moments I wish he would take a pacifier!!!

5. Cloth diapers vs. plastic diapers - as much as I was "gung-ho" cloth diapers (cheaper, better for little behinds and the environment) I just couldn't stay on top of my laundry well enough to use them.

6. Sunscreen vs. No Sunscreen - I go back and forth on this one....put chemicals on him that can cause cancer, or expose him to the sun which can cause cancer??

7. Pasteurized milk vs. Raw milk - my dearest friend Kendra (who had to study this in her midwifery courses) brought this one to my attention. The jury is still out on this one.

8. Homemade vs. store bought baby food - we did a little of both.

9. t.v. vs. No t.v. - though research goes both ways on whether or not educational t.v. is beneficial to a child, I find that it is beneficial to sanity. When Eli and I need a break from one another, Baby Einstein comes to the rescue!!

As I said in the last post, I could go on and on. And, as I think ahead to the future and to the thousands of decisions that we are going to make concerning Eli, I'm already exhausted. Can anyone relate?