I'll be the first to admit that yesterday was pretty rough. The good news is that the sun always comes up, and God is just as in control today as he was yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that.
Today I'd much rather talk about something else. Specifically, I want to talk about our sweet daughter. Since I haven't really updated in a while, I figure it's about time.
The girl is constantly on the go these days. Sometimes her fearless independence, coupled with the fact that she's gone three whole days without nursing at all, seems more bitter than sweet. The very moment I become wistful over her early days, I try to remember the sleepless nights, the clinginess, the exhaustion, the countless dirty diapers. Then she comes toddling over to my open arms as fast as her little legs can carry her, throwing herself into me for a big bear hug, and that's when I remember: I love this age.
I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this, but my daughter is wild about her sleep! Seriously. I've never known a child who is more willing, or excited about bedtime. Around 7:30, when she starts rubbing her eyes, or fussing over the littlest of things, I know it's time to start winding her down for bed. "Ready to go night-night?" I'll ask her, as she instantly goes wide-eyed, smiles ear to ear, and toddles towards the stairs.
Naps are no exception. As fast as you can say, "nap time," she has thrown down her toys where she was standing, and has beaten you to the stairs. You'd never know that this was the same child who'd fuss and cry for more than half an hour before each nap time. She's awesome, and I make sure to tell her exactly that, often.
Monkey see, monkey do, she LOVES for me to brush her teeth. (all 12 of them, and counting) It all began when she used to be super clingy, and I'd have to hold her while I brushed my teeth. Of course she didn't want to be left out of the fun, and now just loves to have me brush her teeth with her own little toothbrush. I realize that one day this will change, so I'm enjoying it while I can.
She also LOVES bath time! She literally will go and stand in front of her bathroom door, and fuss until I ask if she's ready for a bath. Then, she's not happy when bath time inevitably has to end. She loves the water, and loves her bath toys. She is super strong-willed about a lot of things, but this one that I'm happy (and lucky!) to say I give in to. ;-)
She's got so much personality--feisty, lovable, but definitely has got a flair for the dramatic. We say she's destined to be a little actress, like cousin Stephanie. ;-) She's shy one minute, and a total ham the next. She waves at cars going by, and is crazy about airplanes, and birds. She adores her stuffed animals, and is fascinated with her books. She LOVES to make us laugh. If we laugh at something she does, she'll continue to do it over and over again to keep the laughs coming. That's where "Freeze face!" came about. She makes this totally hilarious face, grinning ear to ear. The first night she did it, we pulled out the camcorder, and caught at least two minutes of her doing "Freeze face!" over and OVER again, just to make us laugh. We joke that we should send it in to Funniest Home Videos, and you know what, we just may.
