A Month Into It

Ok, I've been at this parenting thing for a month now, and I'm a pretty big fan so far. Yes, it's hard (as any of you parents already know, duh), and yes there have been a whole lot of challenges, but overall, my life has been changed for the better, for sure.

Daniel keeps me laughing most of his awake hours. He has two funny faces he does upon request to entertain the crowds. Yesterday he did a rain dance before bed. This week he's been trying his hardest to jump (still hasn't made both feet off the ground). More and more, he's copying everything I do, from facial expressions to tones I use (not actually talking much). He says (verbally) "hot" all the time, using that particular adjective for anything that is cold, bright, soft...and sometimes things that are ACTUALLY hot!

Two weeks ago we went to the beach, and this weekend we're headed to the beach again (definite perk of living here and having a summer break). Daniel doesn't mind the sand at all (even on his watermelon), and after a few unfortunate incidents, learned to shut his eyes when going under water in the ocean. Yep, pretty sure he'll be a diver as soon as he's old enough!

Last week I started putting him on the toilet when he wakes up and after meals. Its pretty exciting (yes, it HAS come to this) to report that he really "gets it" - pretty much every time I put him on, he actually poos in the potty! In fact, yesterday, after dinner, he went into the bathroom on his own. We're spending some quality time in there with Brown Bear, Brown Bear, and (in slightly unrelated news), Daniel is starting to point at things in books, actually acknowledging the pictures.

So, those are just a few highlights from the past month. Challenges have included some biting & hitting , and recently, screeching. I'm so NOT a fan of the screeching - it really makes me cringe every time. Definitely working on eliminating that. I've found its definitely harder to spend time at other's houses, especially those without small children. It's just exhausting chasing him around, making sure he's not breaking something or messing something up. My hang-out time in the evenings is much shorter, as bedtime is generally about 7pm for Daniel. We can push it a bit later, but the results aren't always so great.

BUT, even with the challenges, I think I could get used to this! Please pray with me for the next steps in the process of making this a permanent thing. I don't even know what the steps are at this point, but I'll update the blog with them as I figure stuff out. It hasn't taken long to fall in love with this little boy, and I am just pleading with God that we can be a family forever.

Thanks for your prayers and support!