Triumphs and Struggles

Parenting has an ebb and flow--there are frequent ups and downs, and when you feel like you have something under control, something new and unexpected 'pops' up. Bad habits seem to be conquered and then they reappear--good habits and tendencies look established, but then one bad day throws it all. It should continually remind us that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Rom. 3:23), but that Christ became sin for us so that we might be made righteous in His sight (2 Cor. 5:21). We must turn to Christ and rely on him for our salvation, and for the strength to parent our children! In an effort to 'keep it real', I thought I would share some triumphs and struggles I am having with each of my children. Perhaps something my family is going through will be an encouragement to you, and we will all realize that there is nothing new under the sun!

Eleanor, age 9 months

Triumphs: Eleanor is the sweetest, easy-going baby a mom could want. She loves her big siblings, and is good natured enough to go to just about anyone who wants to hold her. After 'army crawling' for a couple of weeks and rolling around like crazy before then, she crawled a few paces last night. The world is changing for her, and that is very exciting!
Struggles: E has been battling a cold, and as such her sleep during the day and overnight have been erratic. She is still very sweet for the most part. The only other major struggle we have is that 'people food' sometimes makes her constipated. Having a little baby who struggles to poop is sad :-(

 Baxter, age 3 years

Triumphs: After taking a long time to form words, Baxter's vocabulary is exploding and he can hold conversations and tell stories with the best of them. His imagination is growing, as is his appetite! Overnight it seems that he just can't get enough to eat. I am glad to see it, though, because he was a fairly picky eater who didn't consume much...and now I can't keep him satisfied! He takes in much more than I realized, as I recently quizzed him on the catechism we use with Georgia and he knew most of the answers! B is very affectionate, and loves snuggle times with Mommy and Daddy, and of course we don't mind that.
Struggles: Though he talks A LOT, he has a slight lisp which can make some words hard to understand (especially for someone who is not mom). He struggles with controlling his temper, and is entering a "being belligerent and testing parents" phase. Also, we have dealt with this several times in his life, but he has a hard time going back to sleep if he wakes up in the middle of the night. And he wakes up screaming or saying "OW!" or both. We have to put Georgia in a separate room to sleep while we help sort Baxter out. We are right in the middle of this right now, and it's exhausting. He is doing the same thing at naptime and the only time he complains about something hurting is when he wakes up from sleep OR is about to be disciplined. Pray for us to figure out what to do.

Georgia, age ALMOST 5 years (birthday Oct 21)

Triumphs: Georgia is finding great delight in being a helper to Mommy, and loving on her younger brother and sister. She plays so well with B and E both! She never minds if E pokes her face or pulls her hair (as long as it is not too hard). Her imagination is exploding, and she is making up wonderful stories and imaginary worlds and scenarios for the kids to play. G too is a loving, affectionate child who just wants Mommy and Daddy to pay attention to her and be close to her. She is asking a lot of great questions about God, Jesus, the Bible, and heaven.
Struggles: G continues to be a drama queen, especially if she hasn't slept well. Though she is exercising more self-control, she still pitches a spectacular fit if she has to be spanked (screaming, struggling and more). Her talking back has taken on a sassier tone as she has aged, and she has started throwing in some "that's not fair!" and other accusations when she does not get her way.

So that's my kids! I wanted to type up some of our triumphs because it is so very easy to be distracted by the struggles in our lives. I am always thankful for God's grace in the trenches of parenting. What triumphs or struggles are you dealing with right now?