Feeling Thankful

No matter what you think, it could always be worse...really!

I had the honor this week to care for a friends 7mos old son. He's crawling, and pulling up on every thing. He's sweet and smiley and was a joy to have (we're watching him again tomorrow too!). But having that third little around, WOW! It was busy, it was hard to balance every ones needs. It didn't help that it was pouring rain both days and our normal routine was thrown off because of the rain (we often head outside in the morning before naps = wears them out!)

But more than that I remembered how hard that age was for the girls. From the time they started crawling until walking, well it was just SO difficult. You had to watch them constantly(I mean I still do but it's different) they had these new skills but NO concept of danger or pain. As I watched little L explore and get himself in little predicaments it was a constant,"do I let him try to figure this out? or will he need help? If I let him go how will it most likely end?" and the unpredictability of his little movements...I forgot! How quickly they lunge and dive and sprawl- in directions I never would have predicted. No wonder I was so exhausted last spring! Not to say I was hovering and it was a constant in-your-face thing the whole time. But it was that undercurrent of the day- never knowing what he was going to find or think to try. On top of two girls who were a bit jealous of sharing their Mommie (though they really loved little L too! Loved on him a little too much which was another stress!)

That crawling and cruising stage is exhausting!

I loved watching him. I loved seeing how far Friendly (#2) has come since...since 7mos ago when she started crawling! I loved seeing how confident she is when climbing up on furniture and getting herself down. Granted, she's taken some ugly spills in the last few months. She has had more bruises from slips and slams than I can count or care to remember. But she's learned. And not just that, she and Lil Roo are just loving each other these days...Little playmates. They still fight. They still have times when they want nothing to do with each other. But there are glimmers of a friendship forming, and I love it.

So I'm appreciating the stage I'm in right now. And thanking God that I do not have 3 children under 3 years old. I also have a new appreciating for my girls, for the time we have together every day. Some days I'm bored out of my mind, sick of the same little toddler games, tired of the whining and the crying and the disagreements. But I am so thankful for this current lull in life. That it CAN be boring, that they are healthy, that the only real challenges we face are the frustrating (and annoying) immaturity's that come with being a toddler. What a blessing!

Feeling thankful..And hoping tomorrow isn't rainy...Being cooped up with 2 babies is hard. Being cooped up with 3 is much harder!