I don’t normally post on Sundays because I leave the house at 10am and don’t get back until 11pm. Sundays are long days for us here in the Tobler house. But today we didn’t have Sunday Night Prayer or Stage20, so I actually get to spend some time at home! And its a sleepy nap day with all the rain!
So here is the thought running through my head this Sunday. Things have been “easy” so far with Charlotte. Granted, the birth was long and I’m still dealing with some of the consequences/aftermath of it all. But she has been an easy baby. She sleeps really well, eats well, is happy 90% of the time, and is easy to calm down when she is unhappy. But for the first time the other day I had to tell her “no”. She isn’t a huge fan of her car seat. I mean, who really wants to be strapped down and ride around facing backwards?? So when I put her in, she begins to squirm and cry. I finally had enough and decided to try out telling her “no”. She was happy and laughing until I set her in her car seat and begin to fasten the straps, then she lunged herself down and almost out of the seat. I put her back and said “no” and started fastening the straps again. She continued to fuss but didn’t try to escape. I’ve had to do that several times since then, and I think she really gets it because she gives me this “fine, I’ll sit still, but I’m not gonna like it” look.
And all this made me realize… she’s gonna be moving around and growing up really soon. I know that sounds stupid, but think about it. Until now she has been totally immobile, dependent upon us for everything, and hasn’t had the ability to think and reason. She is now able to think about something and do it (for the most part). She lunges for things she wants, reaches her hands out and tries to grab things, and she is trying her hardest to wiggle across the floor. She is starting to show that she has a mind of her own and can make decisions. I say all that to say that my big question is … can I do this?
Will I really be able to mold her and guide her into the woman she can be and needs to be? Can I handle the tantrums? What will I do when she melts down in a public place? How can I make sure her determination is a good thing and is steered in the right direction? I guess this next phase is just like the one I’m coming out of … I need to read and take advantage of every resource I have, then sit back and let instincts take over. Having done all, stand … that’s somewhere in the Bible. I’m not sure it was meant for this particular situation, but I’m sure it applies!
So what did you do that best prepared you for the “older baby slash toddler” stage?
