Her favorite thing (other than us and food) is a stuffed basketball I bought for "Baby Bowers" some time early in my pregnancy. It now hangs on her car seat and she spends hours just staring at it.
And laughing.
Then staring again.
I'm pretty sure we're brain damaging/washing her, but if that means she becomes a future basketball player, Andy is just fine with the whole process. I guess she's learning to "keep her eye on the ball" and share Calvin Higgin's love of "Dodos."
As a parent, I've learned that Pampers are better than Huggies, Oxiclean does an amazing job of removing stains (that the Huggies, incidentally, did not prevent), amazingly people will ask of a baby dressed ENTIRELY in pink "how old is he?," (NOT a good way to incline me towards purchasing things in your artsy store as you're possibly blind), and having a baby with you results in random strangers speaking to you, including a crazy guy in the tiny La Conner post office who had a skull cap and was missing some teeth. You know the conversation is going somewhere uncomfortable when said scary man (who has already been talking solely to himself) launches into a conversation with you beginning with, "I've always wanted to hold a baby..."
I've also realized how important it is for parents to recognize things as *tools* in raising their children. Example: Christian education will help teach my child _____, ____, _____. Perhaps that is true, but Christian Education is not the means - Christian Education is the tool in the parents' hands and the means to the end (and even then, I suppose, it isn't a guaranteed end). That's why parents must stay involved and USE things in their children's lives like sports, school, and responsibilities. Too often a parent deposits their child in these areas hoping the area/thing/animal/etc. will teach their child, thus negating their personal responsibility to be the active, most important teacher in their child's life. That's all wrong and not Biblical - playing basketball or getting her a pony (not a pony pony, as those are evil, but a small horse) won't actually teach Merian focus or committment. Basketball is a chisel in (ultimately) God's hands and secondarily our hands to help teach character traits and Godly living (like commitment and focus and discipline).
Finally, I'm giddy like a schoolgirl that Phil Johnson linked my pictures of Susi & Jonathan's wedding on Pyromaniacs. Crazy. I think the set has received 1,300 hits after one day. That's totally cool, and I just LOVED being a part of their day! I know God was honored with the wedding and will be honored in their relationship.
And I really, really like my kid. How can you not love this face?
4 comments:
Isn't it amazing how much God can teach you in such a short time! It is good that you realize now about tools in child rearing. You and Andy are doing a great job! Even though she will be a Husky fan and not Michigan!
Haha, I'm cracking up. Maggie was wrapped in a pink floral blanket in one store and we were still stopped twice with "he's so cute" - I think it's the bald baby thing...or the blindness you mentioned.
I love that even our faithful direct parenting is just a tool that God uses - it's even in the word itself - FAITH full. Somehow He uses the hugs, words, swats and wipes to nourish and train up that soul. That's amazing.
And yay for Oxi-clean.
I so love reading your blog Leila! You have such a quirky sense of humor and yet are able to express deep truths in a very sincere manner. Thanks for giving me things to laugh and think about.
-Erica W.
ERICA! You have a baby! That, paired with your wonderful personality and insight, means you need to start a blog. Seriously. Although, I'm sure right now you're just trying to tackle sleeping, eating, and bathing. I've been telling Merian that Thaddy (sp?) is a great catch - they can discuss the finer points of sci-fi and fantasy, and perhaps bake cakes together. I also fully expect him to be well versed in Victorian literature, for some reason.
And Mo, thank you for the reminder. It ALL ultimately comes down to trusting our children to God, no matter what they are involved in or how well we might teach them, or who they are surrounded with. Micah's sermon on Abraham was such an awesome (and convicting) reminder about faith and our children.
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