#newborndaughter

                                   Rules for My Newborn Daughter

                                             By Walker Lamond

                                        ISBN: 978-1-250-08570-2

                                                       5 Stars

One dad’s instructions for raising an independent, intelligent, courteous, courageous, honest, adventurous, self-reliant, well-read, well-dressed, well-mannered young woman. 

                  “This may be one book that has actually changed my life.”

                                        -The Wall Street Journal

     While on a rare outing with my sister yesterday at the mall, we decided to take a quick (ha!) trek through Barnes and Noble. On the first round table closest to the entrance, this book caught my eye. Not only am I am HUGE fan of hardback books that are printed without a DJ, but I myself am a new mama. 

     My daughter Lillian Grace was born on April 20th of this year. Labor and delivery was incredibly hard and did not go as my husband and I had planned. But finally after more than a day, she arrived. Unfortunately, we had to endure an emergency C-Section. I was under anesthesia and my husband was not allowed in the operating room, so both of us “missed” our beautiful angel coming into this world. 

     Over the past 3 1/2 months, I’ve suddenly developed flashbacks of coming out of anesthesia and hearing my angelic daughter’s cries for her mama. I remember hearing my husband speaking with the staff as they wheeled me into my room, and now, I can clearly remember him handing her to me for the very first time. *wipes away a tear and tries to hold back the rest.*

     He and I at times feel we are the last of the human civilization to have children, though of course that’s far from the truth. We are both soon-to-be 32 years old, and while we are indeed still in that young age bracket, to us, having children has taken a lifetime. But God planned it this way, and thus it shall be. Because we both know it was definitely worth the wait. 

     With that being said, in case any of you are unaware, it’s quite hard for a newborn parent to leave their children for any length of time. I’m with Lilly every single day and rarely ever without her. The heat in Virginia (yes I’m from Virginia; don’t judge me) has been so out of control (no such thing as Global Warming my ass) that we’ve mostly been home for these past few weeks. For her, that’s ok. She’s just fine lying on the couch with me, playing in her bouncey seat, or snoozing in her Snug-A-Puppy. But Mama needs a break. 

     So yesterday my sister and I decided to venture out, and for me, no excursion is complete without a bookstore greeting. There it was, and as soon as I dove in, I had to choke back a tear. This book is not a How To Do book or even a SH book. It’s created with 1-2 tidbits of advice per page for daughters, covering everything from hosting a dinner party to driving a stick shift and is also the second book in a series, with the first being written for his son. As an added bonus, the book comes with occasional quotes from empowering women such as Amelia Earhart, Ella Fitzgerald, and Coco Chanel. The end of the book comes with a list of essential reading as well as a list of required listening according to what I presume are the author’s favorites, which I completely agree with. Below are a few examples.

                                          Essential Reading:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Matilda

The Secret Garden

Beezus and Ramona

And Then There Were None

The Handmaid’s Tale

                                         Required Listening:

         Embraceable You - Billie Holiday

         Cry Baby - Janis Joplin

         Jolene - Dolly Parton

         Like a Prayer - Madonna

         Doo Wop (That Thing) - Lauryn Hill

         You Belong with Me - Taylor Swift

     Below are a few excerpts that also earned my two thumbs up:

Be skeptical, but always leave room for a little magic.

Your reputation is in the hands of those who know you the least.

It’s “Your welcome” not “No problem.”

Never kill a spider. You’ll pay for it in mosquito bites.

     As with all book reviews, there was one piece I did not agree with, which is quoted as, If something is that meaningful, you shouldn’t need a tattoo to remind you. For me, I have a number of tattoos that you wouldn’t necessarily see unless I decided to show them. The most conspicuous tattoo I have is a broken heart on my wrist, which is actually quite small and some people on occasion have mistaken for a birth mark at first glance. My largest piece covers my back right shoulder blade and moves into the center of my back, with more to come. My tattoos tell stories, as if I am the cave and they are the neanderthalic drawings. As those painters were decorating their homes, I seriously doubt a neighbor came over, knocked on the cold stone door, and said, “Hey, you don’t have to draw those pictures of your family as reminders of the great times you’ve shared.” I would like to ask the author one question: Have you ever had professional pictures taken of your family? If my daughter came to me and said, “Mom, I’m ready for a tattoo. I’ve put a lot of thought into it and I’ve decided what it should be,” I would trust that she knew what she was doing (and on the off chance she doesn’t, completely disagree and stomp my foot down), encourage her to wait a while if I felt she was too young, and encourage her to tell her own story with her tattoos, just as I have with mine. And to finish this one specific personal rant with a microphone drop, I’d like to seal the deal by questioning the author of one other thing: you advise your daughter to stay away from tattoos but you plant a seed in your daughter’s mind, YOUNG daughter may I add, that you’re alright with her being a lesbian. At first when I read this I thought to myself, “liberal much?” But then I read your opposing views on tattoos and now I’m simply left stumped.

     As I’ve come to a close with this review, all in all this book is worthy of praise. Fantastic advice, which my husband will also share with Lilly, and a positive outlook on life and what to look forward to as she grows. This book will make a great gift to our little girl some day and will encourage more quality time and amazing memories with our daughter and my husband. 

P.S. the fact that the young girl on the cover is holding what appears to be a cup of tea was just an added bonus. 

                                                                                    August 14th, 2016