with a new skill!
I went to pick her up from her afternoon nap and she was STANDING there, holding on for dear life to the railing! She's been pulling up for about a week now, but this was the first time in her bed which means she's also mastered rolling from her back to front, something she's pretty lazy about. I was so excited for her that I tried to call Ryan at work. I would have run to grab the camera but I know that'd induce an abandoned screaming fit and McKay was still napping so we couldn't have that! Instead, I caught her later when Ryan was home to witness it and fear of waking McKay was no longer an issue.
Many tears have been shed this past week. It's been a rough week of tough love around here as she practices her new skill. If I try to protect her from every fall, every tight spot, or even try to console her after each bump, I'd go crazy . . . er, I mean, she'd never learn to be confident and self sufficient. See, I'm all about teaching life skills. But seriously, she scares herself good sometimes and makes my heart stop many times a day with all these hard floors.I've had many thoughts lately relating to how different each of the kids' lives as babies has been. With Easton I was working full-time and he spent his first year in the office at my feet and many of my loving coworkers doting on him. McKay enjoyed the idyllic days of us being home until I had to go back to work when he was four months old. He too learned to crawl and be spoiled at NRLC. I've always felt a little sad that the boys didn't get my undivided attention, but they seem none the worse for the experience. Now Morgan has survived our crazy move and has the perfect baby life with mom and brothers home to see to her every need. Her plight is these hard floors. I've pondered a couple different metaphors related to this. How each of us comes into the world in different circumstances with unique relationships with our parents and our Father in heaven. How our abilities to communicate our wants and needs evolves.
As Morgan has become more mobile, each time she comes to find me I have a flood of thoughts. Sometimes she crawls all the way to me, whining, especially if I appear to be waiting for her. I love how grateful she is when I come to her rescue and even gives kisses now. I can think of so many instances in my life when I've felt like I was crawling to my Savior seeking relief from a trial, probably a bit whiney. Sometimes I am the approacher and other times He is. Either way, I always know He is there.
Tonight we made a poster for FHE about the Plan of Salvation. Ryan gave this lesson yesterday in Sunday School so I thought it was perfect timing to make it into an art project for the boys. I know I'm a visual learner and this might hold their attention longer. At the end as we were reviewing it with the boys, Easton said, "Well, I want to make good choices so I end up in the golden place." We've seen a lot of beautiful, ornate palaces lately. Our celestial kingdom was a yellow circle he'd cut out to be a sun. His words have stuck with me and I'm glad we have our poster on the wall to keep the discussion and reminder fresh for a bit. In the end, I'm just so grateful for my understanding of eternal progression, repentance and mercy, and eternal families! Now if I could just get these kids to stop growing up so quickly!
