We did it! We made it through the first year. I feel a huge sense of relief. Now he can drink cow's milk and eat honey and sleep with a stuffed animal. Praise God for his blessings. I do not know why he chose to bless me with a healthy, joyful, energetic, smart boy...but I am so thankful he did. I do not deserve such grace. My heart is overflowing with thanksgiving.
Will is a little man now. Babbling away, busying himself with toys...working one to the next. His favorite remains the ball-popping dinosaur. And balls in general. Any size, any color. He loves the big beach ball I got for him. He also likes cars and things that move with wheels.
He also loves to be outside. He likes to ride in his wagon or in the bike trailer. He likes to take walks and go to the swings at the park. He loves the splash park and the pool, and even the little baby pool I set up for him in the backyard. He loves to play in the water!
To keep him entertained while I'm making dinner, all I need to do is open the cabinet where we store all the plastic stuff: leftover containers, water bottles, sippy cups. He will go to town in there. He likes to put the caps on and off of the cups and bottles, and he'll pull out the biggest container and push it around the floor like a car. And sometimes, he just wants to cling to my legs which I don't mind either.
He's eating most everything, but temperamentally. I cannot complain. It is funny to see his face when he eats something he doesn't care for. The disgust!
He isn't walking yet, but he's pulling himself up on everything and walking with a push-toy. I don't think it will be long before he's walking on his own.
He still loves Bella--he constantly hugs her and pets her. "Bella" is still his only real word. But Bella and I are old news as soon as Daddy comes home! He gives him a big hug and is always excited to wrestle or play football with Daddy on the living room floor.
It is such an amazing experience being a mom. Every day is an adventure. Every day is better than the one before. I am excited to know that I'm only on the beginning of this journey, and the best is yet to come!
8.29.2012
Floor Time
The other day, I am down on my hands and knees in the family room looking all over for a little plastic ball missing from one of Will's toys. I'm climbing all over...getting frustrated. Then all of a sudden, Will comes crawling over to me, pulls on my shirt, hands me a toy, and starts laughing.
He thought I was on the floor to play with him.
I almost said, "No, honey, not right now, I'm busy looking for a ball." But I caught myself.
I realized the chance I had. I was on the floor, on his level, in his world. And he was excited to have me there! So we played.
I need to get on the floor more. Not just to mop it or clean up, but to play.
He thought I was on the floor to play with him.
I almost said, "No, honey, not right now, I'm busy looking for a ball." But I caught myself.
I realized the chance I had. I was on the floor, on his level, in his world. And he was excited to have me there! So we played.
I need to get on the floor more. Not just to mop it or clean up, but to play.
8.03.2012
What is Love?
What is love? Really?
Yesterday I was telling a friend about my birth experience with Will and I confessed that I didn't really love him right away. He seemed more like a stranger to me at first. The love came with time.
But that's not true. Loving feelings came over time. Loving feelings came when I saw Will smile at me and when I heard him laugh. Loving feelings exploded when Will began to love me back. But love, the truest form of love I have ever felt, came the moment I saw those two little pink lines.
At that moment, I chose to alter my life and my plans and my waistline for the benefit of someone I couldn't see or touch or hold. Someone who could not love me back.
When I cut back on caffeine, that was love.
When I endured a vicious cold with no medication, that was love.
When I gave up opportunities on our babymoon to go in a jacuzzi or go horseback riding, that was love.
When I sat uncomfortably on the floor for hours fighting with the assembly instructions for a pack-n-play, that was love.
When I endured back pain and nerve pain and labor pains, that was love.
When I comforted those newborn cries, that was love.
When I sat alone nursing in the middle of the night, crying silently with the pain, that was love.
All the love I've ever known for anyone grew over time. As Alex exhibited his godly character and engaged me in soulful conversation and showered me in compliments and kindness, I grew to love him. I loved him for who he was and for how he made me feel. But that wasn't true love. Not then.
We look for love deep in our souls. We look for it in those moments when our hearts skip a beat and when we feel the butterflies in our stomachs. But we're looking in the wrong places. Love is more than that.
I couldn't know true love until I became a parent. From the moment I knew I was pregnant, I chose to sacrifice myself to meet this little stranger's needs, to give him the best of everything, knowing he could give me nothing in return.
I chose to love him.
I loved him not for who he was, but because he was. Because he was, he was worthy.
And that's love.
"And God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
Yesterday I was telling a friend about my birth experience with Will and I confessed that I didn't really love him right away. He seemed more like a stranger to me at first. The love came with time.
But that's not true. Loving feelings came over time. Loving feelings came when I saw Will smile at me and when I heard him laugh. Loving feelings exploded when Will began to love me back. But love, the truest form of love I have ever felt, came the moment I saw those two little pink lines.
At that moment, I chose to alter my life and my plans and my waistline for the benefit of someone I couldn't see or touch or hold. Someone who could not love me back.
When I cut back on caffeine, that was love.
When I endured a vicious cold with no medication, that was love.
When I gave up opportunities on our babymoon to go in a jacuzzi or go horseback riding, that was love.
When I sat uncomfortably on the floor for hours fighting with the assembly instructions for a pack-n-play, that was love.
When I endured back pain and nerve pain and labor pains, that was love.
When I comforted those newborn cries, that was love.
When I sat alone nursing in the middle of the night, crying silently with the pain, that was love.
All the love I've ever known for anyone grew over time. As Alex exhibited his godly character and engaged me in soulful conversation and showered me in compliments and kindness, I grew to love him. I loved him for who he was and for how he made me feel. But that wasn't true love. Not then.
We look for love deep in our souls. We look for it in those moments when our hearts skip a beat and when we feel the butterflies in our stomachs. But we're looking in the wrong places. Love is more than that.
I couldn't know true love until I became a parent. From the moment I knew I was pregnant, I chose to sacrifice myself to meet this little stranger's needs, to give him the best of everything, knowing he could give me nothing in return.
I chose to love him.
I loved him not for who he was, but because he was. Because he was, he was worthy.
And that's love.
"And God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
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