What People Are Saying About. . .
Oh, Baby! 7 Ways a Baby Will Change
Your Life the First Year
“Our Family Testers found Oh, Baby! to be an informative, well-written book explaining about the many ways a new baby will turn your life upside-down. The book offers experienced advice and know-how for expectant and new parents and action steps for developing coping skills, while sharing stories of how other new parents overcame their challenges. We especially enjoyed the discussion questions and communication strategies to head off conflicts between newbie parents . . . a true keeper!”
—Jodie Lynn, syndicated parenting/health expert,
CEO/founder of www.AddingWisdomAward.com,
and author of parenting book, Mom CEO
(Chief Everything Officer) -- Having, Doing and
Surviving It All! (June 2006)
“Being a parent is a powerful experience, but we often don’t anticipate the many ways it will change us. Expectant and new parents will find this book useful because it examines the real effects of having a child on parents’ sense of ‘self,’ concept of love, as well as personal and work goals. And it explores the basis of the deep satisfaction we derive in being a parent. It’s the ‘what to expect’ manual that’s real and honest . . . and helpful and hopeful.”
—Michael Popkin, Ph.D., author, Doc Pop’s 52 Weeks of Active Parenting
“In my work as a therapist and educator, I often search for material that is relevant and honest. This book is a unique approach to helping new and expectant parents navigate through the peaks and valleys of early parenthood. It is a wonderful and necessary addition to the field of parenting and attachment.”
—Elise Edelson Katch, M.Ed., LCSW, author, The Get: A Spiritual Memoir of Divorce
“As a father of nineteen children, senior vice president of the Orlando Magic, a motivational speaker and an author, I know all about balancing the needs of a family with all the other demands of a busy life. The authors of Oh, Baby! 7 Ways a Baby Will Change Your Life the First Year perfectly capture the juggling act that parents struggle to perform when a child is added to the family. The challenges of childrearing are great, but the rewards are even greater. Whether you’re having your first baby or your fifth, this book is chock-full of wisdom on how to maximize the parenting experience. I highly recommend Oh, Baby!”
—Pat Williams, Senior Vice President of the NBA’s Orlando Magic and author of How to Be Like Coach Wooden
“This beautiful book will help parents of young children grow in appreciation for the diligence of heart and plain old hands-on work required in doing the most important job in the world—raising God’s children.”
—Donna Schuller, Crystal Cathedral Women’s Ministries, and co-author, Woman to Woman Wisdom: Inspiration for Real Life
“Having a baby is a dream come true for many parents, but to really enjoy the fulfillment of that dream takes a realistic approach to the many challenges that new parents face. In this wonderful book, the authors perfectly balance the delights and also the dilemmas of parenthood, and most importantly give you a wealth of solid, practical advice that will help you and your family make the best of both.”
—John M. Byrne, author, From God-Given to God-Driven: Reclaiming Your Dreams and Fulfilling Your Life
“Of all the experiences in a lifetime, raising our children remains one of life’s greatest joys and a source of deep satisfaction. This was true for us in raising our four children, and we see this same joy and feeling of contentment in our own children who are now parents. Aside from the really helpful advice that is sure to be of great benefit to parents, this book will help us all internalize the many ways that caring for a baby is a blessing.”
—Millard and Linda Fuller, founders, Habitat for Humanity and The Fuller Center for Housing
“First-time parents need good information, and in Oh, Baby! they get it. I especially appreciate the way the authors have addressed the spiritual issues that come into play during this life-changing experience.”
—Mark Atteberry, author, Walking with God on the Road You Never Wanted to Travel
“As I write this, the phone is ringing, the baby is screaming at the top of her lungs, and my husband is yelling at me to quiet the baby so he can answer the phone. These new ‘post-baby dynamics’ are not exactly what I expected! Honestly, there are some days when I feel just short of getting in the car and driving for four days like Marie Osmond did in her postpartum period! If you ever feel like that, read this book. It will calm you down—and save your sanity!”
—Dede Beckman, new parent
“Now that I have a one-year-old, I find I have much more in common with others who are parents—and less in common with those who do not. At first I thought, well, this is probably because other parents will let you gush ad nauseam about your cute kid and your ‘war stories,’ but after reading Oh, Baby! I better understand why becoming a parent is automatic induction into the ‘Parents’ Club,’ which I daresay is very exclusive because its members know things that those without kids simply do not. This book looks at the real truths—the ‘secrets’—that make being a parent the epitome of life experiences!”
—Vanessa Geva, Filmore Middle School educator
“Until you ‘survive’ that first year with your baby, you really can’t imagine how having a child changes your life! For me, the first realization hit when I looked around the house for my keys and discovered them in my baby’s car seat—along with my wallet, grocery list and a hair tie! The next ‘reality check’ hit around the eighth month when my husband began calling me ‘mom’ instead of ‘sweetie.’ The third was the day I was preparing a ‘give-away’ bag of clothes that no longer fit my year-old baby, only to find myself placing the bag on a top shelf in the closet and thinking, ‘I should keep these to use with my next baby.’ That’s when I realized that the ways in which I’d changed were not only about the outward things—managing time, being organized—but I’d grown a parent’s heart. Family, not independence, is what I want my life to be about. Reading this book made me ‘okay’ with that realization.”
—Jessica Lee, mom to Devron
“The biggest change for me when I became a mother, aside from the 24/7 job of responding to my baby’s needs, was how to find alone time with my husband. I really missed that, especially since you think having a baby will draw you closer, only to realize you have to schedule time to be close! Before reading this book, I chalked that up to my failure to be everything to everyone. This book helped me understand the deeper issues at play. And while this isn’t going to restore any of my sleep, at least I know how to gain some points with my husband! Great book. It worked for me!”
—Anita Greene, new parent
“I’m a ‘new dad,’ and I really love my new status! A baby definitely puts me in the ranks of being a ‘grown up,’ and it seems like my friends and the people I work with even treat me with more respect! So there are lots of perks to being a dad, but the downsides are loss of independence and the fact that I no longer have my wife all to myself. This book helped me look at these issues through ‘new eyes,’ to learn how to ‘make the trade’ without feeling slighted.”
—Tom Logan, new dad
“I made the decision to return to work after the birth of my baby, but I discovered that back to work did not mean ‘back to business as usual.’ Suddenly, arranging for my morning commute leaves me exhausted before I even get in the car—not to mention that I can’t bear to leave my child with a babysitter! This book provides new parents alternatives to ‘giving up’ and shows them what ‘having it all’ really means. You’ll find this book illuminating. And soul-saving!” —Rhonda Frohman, new parent
“You don’t just ‘add a child’ to the family. Parenting is more than the work of caring for an infant, and so much more than showing the little newcomer that he or she is thoroughly loved. A baby’s first year does a complete makeover on the new mom and dad—but it also completely transforms the family as a whole. You’ll find this book incredibly satisfying to your heart, head and soul.”
—Carrie Wilkins, mom to a one-year-old