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March 04, 2009
It Was the Best of Times; It Was the Worst of Times...
The last month or so has been a challenging one with my youngest. She has had way worse separation anxiety than Natalie ever had. To put it more positively, she is my biggest fan. :) It's nice to be loved, but Mommy has also gotten to the point of feeling like if her little darling is clinging to her (pulling her hair, pinching her, scratching her) for one more second she might implode!
In anyone else's arms, she panics and strains for me, urgency written all over her face, heartbroken and betrayed sobs coming from her mouth.
Speaking of the mouth, she's also been teething like there's no tomorrow. I was checking to see if her fourth tooth had emerged yesterday, and discovered a fifth just under the surface! Holy cow child! That's five in about a month and a half. No wonder she can't self-soothe for beans and is in general needy and sapping her parents of all energy.
But at the same time she is so sweet and doing lots of fun stuff like sitting up on her own, crawling, eating, and waving. I've found in my experience as a mommy thus far that this often the case for babies. The wonderful and fun new developments come with crankiness and sleepless nights. I guess it's the same for us when we're going through change as adults, really. When I'm experiencing new things and feeling insecure, I lose all my ability to self-soothe too--just ask Peter :) I'm so thankful that God is more patient with me than I am with Charlotte when He gives me a new task or challenges me in a new way. I certainly can get cranky and needy at those times.
So as I give extra snuggles (and consider just getting Charlotte surgically attached to me for convenience sake) these days, I try to listen to the Holy Spirit's whisperings:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5-8
Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:34-40
Posted by Shannon at March 4, 2009 02:57 PM
Comments
Oh my, the picture at the top says it all! So true...when I was dealing with the newness of mommyhood, I lost ALL ability to cope/"self-soothe"! I'm not looking forward to Ella teething! Such good verses! I'll be praying for you!
Posted by: sarah at March 5, 2009 08:13 AM
Hahaha, I laughed so hard at the first photo that I ended up spitting all over my keyboard.
And then I deeply appreciated your thoughts.
And loved the last photo. SUCH beautiful girls. :)
Posted by: Katie at March 6, 2009 11:28 PM
Seriously.
You people take the most awesome photos (both the good ones and the reeeeaaally funny ones).
Love you!!
Posted by: Kelsey at May 10, 2009 06:18 PM
Thanks for the share!
Hellen
Posted by: Hellen Diaz at October 8, 2011 06:52 AM
That insgiht's just what I've been looking for. Thanks!
Posted by: Kaeden at January 5, 2012 05:41 AM