Jan
15
2008
Our baby, Courtney, is no longer a little baby. In the last month she has decided to grow up right before my eyes. One night while getting her ready for bed she told me very clearly that she wanted to sleep in her big girl bed. The conversation went something like this:
Courtney: "Piwow (pillow) here, Mommy." (pointing to her big girl bed)
Mommy: "Are you sure you don't want to sleep in your crib?"
Courtney: "No, Mommy. Piwow here." (like duh I already told you where I want to sleep)
Mommy: "Courtney, do you want to sleep in your crib and not your big girl bed?" (thinking, I am not ready for you to grow up yet... really she doesn't want to sleep in her big bed.)
Courtney: "No, Mommy, sweep here." (once again pointing to her big bed)
Needless to say, I decided to put her to sleep in her big girl bed thinking, "yea right, this is going to last all of 5 minutes." Well, she had me fooled and within 2 minutes I opened her door to check on her and she was sound asleep and looking so precious that it took my breath away. As a result of saying good-bye to my baby in the crib, I spent the next hour in tears or fighting them, and praying constantly. She has done wonderfully in her big girl bed and I am so thankful there were no tears on her part in saying good-bye to her crib. Now, if only Mommy could get on board. The next step in this natural process is the removing of the baby crib. I really thought I had a handle on my emotions and was to the point of rejoicing that we were past midnight feedings, sleepless nights from crying infants, spit up and all the wonderful things that go hand in hand with a new baby. And then the act of taking apart the crib... lets just say it was a miracle Niagra Falls did not commence. After six years of having a crib up in our house it is gone.
As if moving from the crib to the big girl bed wasn't enough, she decided that it was time to potty train. In less than 2 weeks Courtney was completely potty trained and only uses a diaper at night. And this was one milestone that I didn't shed a single tear over. No sireee, I was rejoicing to no longer have to be spending money on diapers and having that poop in the potty and not on her cute little bottom. Now that was a day of great rejoicing! Yippee... do a little jig... She loves to use the potty and is very good about announcing to the world that she needs to go potty. It is pretty cute if I do say so myself.
While watching these mile stones take place, my eyes have shed many a tear because it is the end of such a precious time of my life, and yet, it is a time of rejoicing becuase it is the beginning of a new and wonderful chapter in our lives as a family. There is something so precious and intangible in "casting all your cares on Him (the Lord) for He cares for you" because the Lord truly did wrap His arms around my heart and hold me up in my greiving and rejoicing. Talk about a mixture of emotions, but all so true. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the next 5 years of our marriage and parenting. In the last 8 years He has sustained us, taught us to surrender all to Him, helped us to have complete reliance in His perfect timing and provision - if it is this wonderful now, I can't WAIT to see what more He has in store for us.
For those of you who are wondering why I am greiving this so much God has given us a new path as a result of Jonathan's cancer. The surgery and everything that we have gone through to destroy the cancer has made it so we will not be able to have children unless we adopt... and who knows it may be in our future, only the Lord knows that for sure. I am thankful and rejoicing in our three energetic wonderful children and praise the Lord that he chose to bless us with three - and at this time in my life, only three. Once again, He does know what is best for us, equips us for what He has called us to, and does not give us more than we can handle. We give God all the glory for anything good in us, because of our own selves we are sinners in need of a Saviour. I praise God, that through the death of Jesus, who was sinless/perfect, that in accepting the precious gift of His salvation we can be saved from our destructive sinful natures. That is the hope that lies within us. because we have the Holy Spirit living in us we are more than conquerors in our battles - even something as little (in God's eyes) as cancer.