Linda Danis - 365 Things Every New Mom Should Know: A Daily Guide to Loving and Nurturing Your Child

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON

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Verses marked AMP are taken from The Amplified Bible, Old Testament, Copyright 1965 and 1987 by The Zondervan Corporation, and from The Amplified New Testament, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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Cover by e210, Eagan, Minnesota

Cover photos Shutterstock; iStockphoto

Parents, please note: You are advised to consult with your pediatrician or other medical practitioner before implementing the suggestions that follow. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any liability for possible adverse consequences as a result of the information contained herein.

365 THINGS EVERY NEW MOM SHOULD KNOW

Copyright 2002 by Linda Danis

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-2382-8 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-4726-8 (eBook)

The Library of Congress has cataloged the edition as follows:

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Danis, Linda, 1962

365 things every new mom should know / Linda Danis.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-7369-0923-5

1. Motherhood. 2. Mother and child. 3. Child rearing. I. Title: Three hundred sixty five things every new mom should know. II. Title.

HQ759.D2635 2002

All rights reserved . No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 / BP-CF / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my husband, Dave,
and my children, Lisa, J.J., Brian, and Kevin.
You are my greatest joy and my greatest treasure!

To my children, Lisa, J.J., Brian, and Kevin: God has blessed me with the four best children a mother could ever hope for. You are truly His most special gifts to me.

To my husband, Dave: This book never could have been written without your help, support, and encouragement. You are the best! I love you.

To my parents, Barbara and Charlie Reynolds: Thank you for the solid foundation you gave me in a secure and loving home. Thanks also for being such devoted grandparents.

To Melinda Blake, Claire Humphrey, Steve Kay, and Jenny Lyons: Thank you for reading through this manuscript and offering me feedback, input, and encouragement.

To all my mom friends whom I have met through playgroups, school, church, and the neighborhood: I have learned something from each of you as we have come alongside each other on this journey of motherhood.

To Kim Moore: Thank you for your valuable editing skills, insight, and encouragement. It was a delight to work with you.

To Bob Hawkins, Sr., Carolyn McCready, LaRae Weikert, Barb Sherrill, Betty Fletcher, and all the others at Harvest House: Thank you for believing in this book and making it a reality.

To my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: Thank You for giving me the wisdom, strength, and patience to help me be the mother You want me to be. Please take this book and use it for Your glory!

Congratulations on your new baby. I am so excited for you! You probably feel a mixture of awe, anxiety, and excitement for this little person, this miracle, this gift given to you by God. What a special time of life you are entering!

In the pages ahead you will find encouragement, practical tips, and spiritual insight on a daily basis to help you become the mother you always hoped to be. This book is filled with the nuts and bolts of parenting. Games, songs, activities, and advice will help you nurture your babys physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development as well as encourage your childs spiritual and moral growth. All of these interactive activities are easy to do and require only a few minutes of time.

At the end of each week there is a devotion that will nurture you as a mom. So many changes are happening in your life right now that it can be a bit overwhelming. These reflections will help guide you down the path of motherhood, giving you perspective, encouragement, and godly counsel. They will help you grow in your faith as you depend more on God to meet the new challenges of parenting. And they will point you toward God as the source of all patience, strength, and wisdom.

I began writing this book when my fourth child was born so I would know exactly what a new mother was experiencing and would need to know. I pray that it will give you the confidence and skills necessary to become an effective, godly mother who enjoys and cherishes her new role.

This book isnt meant to be read all at once, but instead should be used as a daily companion to guide you through your babys first year, one day at a time. You might find it handy to keep it on your nightstand or by the changing table. My goal is to make sure you have just the information you need when you need it. Its my hope that reading this book will be like receiving a daily phone call from a good friend who can offer you advice and helpful insight gleaned from twelve years experience as a mother of four.

Whether this is your first child, and you dont know what to expect, or your fourth child, and youre too busy to read up on what you should be doing and need some fresh ideas, you will benefit from 365 Things Every New Mom Should Know . The first year of a babys life is an exciting time of new discoveries, phenomenal brain growth, and the beginning of an intense love affair between mother and child. This book will help you lay a foundation of love, trust, and closeness for your baby that will last a lifetime.

Warmly,

Linda Danis

My child, you hold the whole of my heart in your small hands.

A UTHOR U NKNOWN