but do i believe it?

when i was in kentucky at the beginning of this month, i threw a baby shower for my sister and my new little niece. as part of it, i did a little devotional about parenting. can i tell you just how intimidating that was? here i was with moms at all ages and stages of parenting... including my own mom from whom i learned everything i could possibly think of saying. i talked about how much i don't know and how i didn't feel in any position to be sharing. but i did share the two things i do know for sure about parenting. here's one:

I will make a lot of mistakes. I won’t always listen or respond correctly. I won’t always be consistent or a good example. I won’t always be patient or kind. But that doesn’t mean I’m a failure. Isaiah 40:11 says, “He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.” I love the picture that God is gentle toward those with children. He understands how difficult children can be. And He knows that often, we’re hard enough on our selves. Also, I love that the verse talks about Him holding the lambs close to His heart. Our children are first and foremost His children. And He’s entrusted them to us. While that’s sobering, it’s also very encouraging because that means that I am the right mom for my kids. And it is God who is ultimately providing for and protecting them.

do i believe that? i know i believe the part about making mistakes, all i have to do is look at any given day. but the part about not believe a failure? and being the right mom for my kids? i think i'm learning it. but it's a lot easier to remember after a fun morning and long nap than it is after a grumpy morning full of discipline. i want to know the truth and trust God in my parenting, not just my overall life.

dressing and undressing

we seem to be entering a sort of phase for caleb. he likes to decide what to wear (occasionally, not every day) and when not to wear anything anymore. yesterday, we asked him to go get his shoes so we could go to community group. he decided he wanted to wear unmatching ones. he even seemed to enjoy the slightly lopsided walk this forced him to adopt. and this morning he successfully took off his pants all by himself. he then begged me to help him take off his shirt. and he would have taken off his diaper, too, but the cloth ones we use are still a bit above him (thankfully). i'll be interested to see where these new interests take us... possibly to some funny blog stories!

crazy alia

seriously, she's crazy. i can already see her moving... not just feel her, but see her. she's already found both my lungs and my bladder. i swear caleb took a lot longer than this. i hope she gets all her crazy wiggling and squirming out now while she's still little!
on another note, though, i'm getting really excited to meet her. i'm scared, too, but the excitement is starting to overwhelm my fears. i wonder what she'll look like, if she'll have dimples and curly hair, what color her eyes will be, and if she'll have my feet or troy's (we're praying for troy's). i wonder if i can force purple as her favorite color or if i'll have to settle for pink. i wonder what her first word will be and what animals she'll like. i wonder how she'll be like troy, like me, and like caleb. i can't wait to meet the little miss!

dipping

caleb loves to dip. everything. sometimes this works well... he likes fish sticks in ranch dressing, chicken nuggets in bbq sauce, chips in salsa, pita in hummus, etc. other times, not so much... anything in applesauce, anything in yogurt, fruit in anything. it's so cute! he gets so excited when i pull out a little ramekin for him... his own little dipping sauce. and heaven forbid he eat even one bite without dipping!