My sister, Christi, said to me "you grow into your kids and your kids grow into you" or something that sounded similar to that but probably much smarter and better worded. You get the idea though. She told me this while I was pregnant and worried sick about learning how to be a mom.
We've done some growing this week...and testing each others limits...James and I. He's busy. He's into everything...all at once...before I can get to it. He's fast. He's reckless. He's not tidy. And there's been lots of snot coming out of him...and I don't do snot. Snot and vomit. Those are not my areas of expertise.
Tonight he threw a plate of food off his tray. He KNOWS this is a big time no-no. So I took him out of his chair and placed him in his crib. (I stressed the "placed" because it took every ounce of self-control within me to calmly place him in his crib...as opposed to tossing him in from the doorway and slamming the door behind me...see???...growth!) And let me tell you...he screamed and cried. And Brad and I sat on the couch and made sad faces. He said, "Do you remember when our parents told us 'this hurts me more than it hurts you'? I can't believe that is really true!" It did hurt us to hear him cry and carry on. He was tired, sick, hungry, and most of all...just 15 months old. I was tough though. I held out for the full 3 minutes. Brad would've caved. He's such a softie!
So after the week of growing and learning together, Brad and I decided we needed a little mini-vacation for the day. Just a chance for the 3 of us to get out of town together and relax and have fun. Unfortunately, the luxury suite at our favorite resort in Cabo was booked so we went to Lubbock. Good restaurants, better stores...ya know...I'll take what I can get for a last minute get away. Even stinky ol Lubbock.
We went and had a wonderful time together. We ate at a yummy Italian restaurant there that I love, we shopped and shopped and shopped, we had coffee, we sang in the car, we all 3 danced to JT's Sexy Back...don't judge...James likes it...that's the only reason we listen to it...I swear, went and saw my Dee Dee and Donna, and just had a great time not being in Amarillo for the day.
At one of the stores we went in, there was a big bird cage full of darling little birds with orangey-red beaks. They were super cute. And I don't know that James has ever seen a bird in a cage so he thought this was great!
(I think Brad was pretty mesmerized too but don't tell.)
All of this fun and running around made for a very sleepy baby. He fell asleep as soon as we left town. And you know I couldn't resist. I had that camera whipped out the second his eyes closed. It was all I could do to not crawl back there and devour those juicy lips and chubby cheeks.
Oh my goodness I adore this child. Ridiculously so.
He woke up crying tonight after we had put him down, which is pretty abnormal for him. I checked the monitor and saw that his leg was stuck. And it was time for the next dose of medicine so I went in. I got the chubby little leg freed and gave him his medicine and snuggled down with him in the chair. He instantly fell asleep on me. It was like a drug to me. I was in heaven. He hasn't fallen asleep on me since he was a newborn and we would take naps together.
I thought about the past week and all of the struggles and joys. I thought about how much we love our little boy...we never knew we could love another human this much. I prayed for James and for Brad and I as we parent him and PLEASE Lord let us not irrevocably screw him up. I thought about how many years I spent pleading with the Lord for a child...not thinking I would ever have one. And I thought about how thankful I am that for as much as I love my little boy, the Lord loves us even more. He forgives me for being a colossal screw up. He blessed me with this precious child. He TRUSTED me to raise this little boy! And He will help me do it.
Psalm 86:13, 15-For great is Your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths of the grave. But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
I put him back to bed, wiped his drool of my chest, and wiped the tears off my cheeks. What a joy and blessing he is.
"Making the decision to have a child-it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." Elizabeth Stone
We've done some growing this week...and testing each others limits...James and I. He's busy. He's into everything...all at once...before I can get to it. He's fast. He's reckless. He's not tidy. And there's been lots of snot coming out of him...and I don't do snot. Snot and vomit. Those are not my areas of expertise.
Tonight he threw a plate of food off his tray. He KNOWS this is a big time no-no. So I took him out of his chair and placed him in his crib. (I stressed the "placed" because it took every ounce of self-control within me to calmly place him in his crib...as opposed to tossing him in from the doorway and slamming the door behind me...see???...growth!) And let me tell you...he screamed and cried. And Brad and I sat on the couch and made sad faces. He said, "Do you remember when our parents told us 'this hurts me more than it hurts you'? I can't believe that is really true!" It did hurt us to hear him cry and carry on. He was tired, sick, hungry, and most of all...just 15 months old. I was tough though. I held out for the full 3 minutes. Brad would've caved. He's such a softie!
So after the week of growing and learning together, Brad and I decided we needed a little mini-vacation for the day. Just a chance for the 3 of us to get out of town together and relax and have fun. Unfortunately, the luxury suite at our favorite resort in Cabo was booked so we went to Lubbock. Good restaurants, better stores...ya know...I'll take what I can get for a last minute get away. Even stinky ol Lubbock.
We went and had a wonderful time together. We ate at a yummy Italian restaurant there that I love, we shopped and shopped and shopped, we had coffee, we sang in the car, we all 3 danced to JT's Sexy Back...don't judge...James likes it...that's the only reason we listen to it...I swear, went and saw my Dee Dee and Donna, and just had a great time not being in Amarillo for the day.
At one of the stores we went in, there was a big bird cage full of darling little birds with orangey-red beaks. They were super cute. And I don't know that James has ever seen a bird in a cage so he thought this was great!
(I think Brad was pretty mesmerized too but don't tell.)All of this fun and running around made for a very sleepy baby. He fell asleep as soon as we left town. And you know I couldn't resist. I had that camera whipped out the second his eyes closed. It was all I could do to not crawl back there and devour those juicy lips and chubby cheeks.
Oh my goodness I adore this child. Ridiculously so.He woke up crying tonight after we had put him down, which is pretty abnormal for him. I checked the monitor and saw that his leg was stuck. And it was time for the next dose of medicine so I went in. I got the chubby little leg freed and gave him his medicine and snuggled down with him in the chair. He instantly fell asleep on me. It was like a drug to me. I was in heaven. He hasn't fallen asleep on me since he was a newborn and we would take naps together.
I thought about the past week and all of the struggles and joys. I thought about how much we love our little boy...we never knew we could love another human this much. I prayed for James and for Brad and I as we parent him and PLEASE Lord let us not irrevocably screw him up. I thought about how many years I spent pleading with the Lord for a child...not thinking I would ever have one. And I thought about how thankful I am that for as much as I love my little boy, the Lord loves us even more. He forgives me for being a colossal screw up. He blessed me with this precious child. He TRUSTED me to raise this little boy! And He will help me do it.
Psalm 86:13, 15-For great is Your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths of the grave. But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
I put him back to bed, wiped his drool of my chest, and wiped the tears off my cheeks. What a joy and blessing he is.
"Making the decision to have a child-it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." Elizabeth Stone
Comments