Lots and lots

Lots of things to talk about. Lots and lots. Month 8 to 9 for Calvin has been tiresome and full of sickness. Month 8 to 9 for Dave and I has been one of extreme excitement and blessings from the Lord. Let’s start with The C Man.

In month 8 we had our first bought of stomach flu (actually all three of us had it, but that’s another blog post) and a rough go at RSV. Its like no matter what I did, the kid got sick. I’m now the proud owner of my own ventilator so that we can do breathing treatments at home. In addition to lots of illness, Calvin has really started to use his words. When he wakes up from naps or first thing in the morning, he is so content in his cribs and just sits and talks to himself. What does he say? “ma ma  ma ma ma” and “ba ba ba ba” and sometimes “Da da da da da.” He’s discovered splashing in the bath tub, which makes for a soggy mom at the end of tub time. And he’s so close to crawling. He gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth. Dave and I try to purposefully keep his toys out of reach, but he usually gets tired and resorts to rolling over to get closer to them.  

I’ve realized that, right now, I’m in parenting bliss. Calvin doesn’t talk back, he doesn’t get into things that I don’t want him to get in to because he can’t get to them himself. He takes two naps a day which means I get to do whatever I want twice a day for at least 1.5 hours. I can take him on any errand I want to cause he’s still so portable. He doesn’t scream for things in the grocery store or get upset when I take things away from him. He loves to eat and will eat whatever I put in front of him. Right now, my biggest problem is not smothering him to death with kisses and hugs. I’m in parenting bliss. I fast forward in my mind 3 to 6 months from now and I realize just how much things will change. I’ll be challenged many ways, I’m sure. He’ll be crawling, which means getting into things and breaking stuff. It means I can put him on the floor in the living room and walk away to do laundry, wash dishes, or even use the bathroom. Eventually, his will is going to come out and he’ll fuss because he wants stuff or doesn’t want stuff. He’ll be more fidgety and won’t  sit still in the cart at the grocery store. He’ll drop the morning nap which means I won’t get a respite until the afternoon. I know my world of parenting is about to change totally. And…while I’m excited about the changes that are coming and watching him grow, I’m nervous about handling it with grace and wisdom. It is so easy, as a stay at home mom, to compare myself and then feel like a failure because I don’t measure up. Actually…self confession here….I’m really talented at just this. I can compare myself till I’m worn out and blue in the face. And then Dave gets home from work and I’m a depressed mess. But…through the grace of God I know that He will give me grace and wisdom to handle all situations….even cantankerous toddlers.

So that’s Calvin. Now on to Dave and I.

I could write an extremely long and detailed analysis of what has happened over the past 9 months in order to convey to you the changes that have taken place, but I’ll spare you the novel. Instead, I’ll simply say that right before Calvin was born, Dave felt like he was being called into another line of work. For multiple reasons, Dave felt like the Lord was leading him away from teaching. After much prayer, and a failed attempt or two, I’m thrilled to say that this coming week will be Dave’s last as a teacher. Starting March 15, Dave will be attending police academy to train for his new position as a police officer with the City of Euless, TX.  I know what you’re thinking….big change! Yes…it is. But one that Dave has wanted to try for a long time. And we have so much affirmation that this is what the Lord wants from Dave, wants for our family, and wants for His kingdom, that we couldn’t be more thrilled. The pics below are from a surprise congrats party I threw for Dave a couple of weeks ago. We waited to announce until now out of respect for his current students and parents. But…I must say, that I am confident that Dave will excel in this new career and that not only will the Lord bless his endeavors, but he will bless our family.