13 months

So I wasn't going to continue doing monthly posts about Xander now that he's past a year, but he learned so much this month that I feel like I need to write one.

Xander with Uncle Eric

 The biggest thing is that yesterday he started walking! We've been trying to coax him for weeks and he wouldn't do it and then all of a sudden yesterday I looked over at him and he was walking! Just a few wobbly steps but with no prompting from me, and he's been doing it ever since. We are so proud.

He also has made some strides in communication. He still won't say any words aside from his repeated-a-million-times-a-day "gah-den," whatever that means, but he has learned that the cow says moo and the dog says ruff. Or as he says it, "ooooooh" and "uffff." He hasn't figured out the concept of consonants yet apparently. But it's super cute. This morning when I got him out of his crib he was saying "uff uff."

And along those same lines he has learned to sign "please!" We're working on saying please when he wants food instead of screeching for it. I am just amazed at how kid's brains work. They are like little sponges, soaking it all in and then copying everything. So cool.

 

10 books

So I was tagged in the Facebook challenge going on right now to list 10 books that have influenced you or stayed with you in your life.  Don't think about it too hard and don't try to be intellectual or cultured, just honest.  I couldn't resist since I love books, so here goes.  In no particular order, and I'm not listing the Bible because that is a given.

1. Radical by David Platt.  This book transformed my faith.  It revolutionized the way I view Jesus and what being a Christian means (in a good way).  Aside from the Bible it has been the most influential book I have ever read.

2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  I couldn't put this one down.
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I enjoy dystopian fiction and this is my favorite.
4. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.  This story has a very unique setting and plot and it has stuck with me for months.
5. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.  I love memoirs and this one is especially poignant and challenging.
6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  Will forever be one of my favorites, and one of the few that I will re-read until I die. Jane Austen was a genius.
7. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  Again, unique and won't leave my head.
8. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.  My parents read this series to us as kids and I can't wait to read it to mine.
9. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  When I read this in college I was completely struck and moved by the allegory.  One of the few books that have made me cry.
10. Not for Sale by David Batstone.  This book was my introduction into the terrible world of human trafficking.  Not an easy read, but it sparked a passion for me.

Tell me about your most influential books!

What I love about being a mom

Recently I was asked why I love being a mom and I found it hard to answer on the spot.  So I've been thinking a lot about it. Why do I love being a mom?  It's definitely not all those sleepless nights where I cried right along with my baby, and the following days that are all a blur of being so exhausted I couldn't form coherent sentences and I thought I would go insane. It's not the constant string of puke/pee/poop/half chewed food/spilled milk/snot that I have to clean up on a daily basis (kids are gross, man).  It's not having to put my desires and my schedule aside to cater to the very big needs of a very small boy. It's not even the more fun stuff like reading books, going on walks, or making silly faces.  If it was just that, I could get my fix by volunteering to babysit everyone else's kids.

I love being a mom because I love my son. There's just no way to describe the mother/child bond.  It is overwhelming.  It is fierce.  It is amazing.  You love this tiny disgusting dictator with every fiber of your being and you would do anything for him if necessary.  Every time he learns something new or I see a glimpse of his personality, I am cheering him on, so proud (as all of Facebook knows due to my excessive picture and video posting).  My hard work is paid for in giggles, grins, cuddles, and extensive cuteness, and that is pretty great too.  He's my little buddy, my sidekick.  Of course my love isn't dependent on him reciprocating and I know a day will come when I will be so very uncool, so I am soaking up this stage where I am his whole world and he still loves me.

The other reason I love being a mom is that it feels so important, so rewarding.  I am helping raise the next generation.  I cannot ensure that my kids will grow up to be all that I want them to be, but it is my job to try.  Unlike any of the jobs I have had in the past, this actually means something.  And that is worth all the sleepless nights and poopy diapers in the world.

About a year ago, my 9lb 7oz beautiful, sweet, funny, light-of-my-life baby boy decided to make his way into this world after 27 hours of unmedicated labor (3 of which I was stalled at 9 cm) by getting his shoulder stuck in my birth canal; the maneuvering required to safely get him out ripped me quite traumatically (4th degree).

(On a side note, despite his large birth weight, he has always been slow to gain weight and has been in the bottom 25% since he was 2 months old. What's up with that?)

Yesterday I had my last physical therapy appointment (yes, they really do have PT for that, who knew) and can finally say I am healed from that event. It only took a year. You know, no biggie. I celebrated by getting a Chic-fil-a milkshake at the drive through on the way home from my appointment.

My son is worth every ounce of pain and I would do it again if I had to. But PLEASE LORD DON'T MAKE ME DO THAT AGAIN! When the time comes for baby number 2 (and that time is not now, so nobody get all excited), would you please let it go much quicker and smoother? I would really, really appreciate it, as would my husband and my bank account. Amen!