Sentences

Hayden has begun stringing sentences together. That definitely makes for interesting, and alarming, conversations.

For example, the other day he sat at the kitchen table messing with my centerpiece (he also likes to test the waters by climbing on the table, but I digress). I told him to stop, and he replied, "But I just wanna...". I stopped him cold and said, "I don't care what you want to do; you will stop right now." I looked at Pia to make sure that's what he had said.

He also likes to push the hamper into the bathroom next to the vanity, climb on top, and check himself out in the "big" mirror. Sometimes he tries to stand on the hamper (it's not very sturdy), so David told him repeatedly to get down, to which he said, "I'm trying to tell you...".

We have a long road ahead. And I forsee many, many visits to the ER in years to come with our fearless child.

More

Via text tonight, David and I both discussed how we feel called to more. We've let ourselves become too comfortable and we've let ourselves like money and stuff too much. Children's ministry is weighing heavy on my heart; I don't like the person I'm becoming as a teacher. That's very difficult to explain and express, but just know I feel that way.

That said, I'm not sure what to do about getting back into children's ministry. Start sending out resumes?? Where? I'm going to meet and talk with the children's minister I worked under for a few years; maybe she'll have some wise advice for me. I'm not called to stay on the Gulf Coast; I know that much. But I have no idea where God will lead us.

Children's Ministry

Children's ministry has been heavy on my heart and mind lately. I love the school environment; I love interacting with my students; I love that I feel "important" at school. But I can't shake the feeling that maybe I should go back to children's ministry. I am not even sure how to put all of the thoughts about this that I have down. So I'm not really sure where to go from here. I think I'm going to begin shooting out some resumes just to see the feedback I get. I still have half a year+ of school so I know I'm locked in until the end of May. There's just this tug on my heart. So any prayer warriors that want to join in as I seek a direction, feel free!

"Little" Big Al

Halloween 2010

18

18 month stats:

35.4 lbs
35.5 " tall

No horse jockeying in my son's future!

"I Will Always Love You"

It has been a rough week with Hayden. He is either cutting his final teeth, hitting a major growth spurt, or both. Either way, he has been very whiny and sleeping more than normal. His appetite has been somewhat off.

Tonight, David and I were trying to keep him until bedtime, so maybe, just maybe, we can sleep past 6 on a Saturday morning! We didn't make it to his normal bedtime, but we did have some sweet moments before we put him down. Hayden loves to dance, so Dave put on one of the tv music stations. Hayden started really boogying! He was beginning to wear down when Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" came across the screen. I took one of Hayden's hands in each of my own and tried to sort of dance that way with him; he only held his arms up. I hoisted him up (he's gotten VERY heavy) and he gave me the biggest hug and left his head on my shoulder. We swayed back and forth, with him occasionally looking me in the eyes, while I softly sang to him. That lasted for about half the song. I'm telling you, my heart was swelling with love.

As I thought it about half an hour later, all I could envision was a Mother/Son dance years from now at a wedding, and I nearly boo-hooed! I love that kid.

Guilty

I'll never understand why some people can bear children when others whose hearts long and bodies ache to have children, can not. But that's an entirely other discussion. My reason for this post is quick and simple: sometimes I feel guilty. I feel guilty that David and I can have children easily. And we have a healthy son, a happy boy. But we have scores of friends who have had years of trouble or who have yet to get pregnant. I know there are tons of answers for not feeling guilty and all that, but regardless, sometimes I still do. But again, I'm not here to argue that point.

A couple we know was finally able to get pregnant...with twin girls. Through a lot of heartache this past week, they lost both babies...at separate times. I've cried for them, held Hayden extra long, and had a stomach full of knots. David went yesterday to spend time with the husband while they are still at the hospital in P'cola. (I'm telling you...it's a VERY long story.) But what really made me pause last night is when David said he and the husband went in to see our friend and they began talking about what to wear home when they're released. They live here in Ocean Springs, she went into labor unexpectedly while visiting her at Eglin AFB, and through complications, lost both girls and nearly her own life. It's like her body rejected the babies. Ohhhh...it hurts to type that. So...the husband is talking about clothes and he says, "You can just wear what you wore here Monday." And she apparently looked at him and simply replied, "_____, those are maternity clothes." I wanted to cry all over again. What a thought I never considered.

How blessed I am.