Toddlerhood

One of my heroes in life is a little girl, age 5, who has taught me, among other things, not to take anything in life for granted. She has, by far, one of the most joyful spirits in the midst of trials, and a smile that is so contagious you would do anything to see it on her face. She is truly an inspiration to me. She defines "running the race," and I am privileged to know her.

Because of her, God has given me a pretty radical perspective on toddlerhood, and I try very hard to never take one single milestone that E reaches for granted. I know I still forget some things, but in light of a really special event last night, I think I'll stop this morning to reflect on a few toddlerhood milestones that E is hitting these days.

#1 - Toddler bed. Last night was E's first night in her crib-converted-to-toddler bed. Though she didn't get up even once when we put her down, she fell out this morning around 6:45am...oops!

#2 - Potty training. Though we haven't officially started anything yet, a friend of mine gave us a potty chair a couple of months ago, and it's become something we play around with.


#3 - Talking. It's unbelieveable how many words she's learning right now. Most of them I still can't understand, but she's combining gestures with her words to help her poor mama figure it out. The video below was taken yesterday.

#4 - Misbehavior. It's extremely annoying, but it's also a great sign of intelligence. That she's learned that she has her own will and can actually exert it over my authority is evidence of her growth and of her need for Christ.

#5 - Playing. Stacking blocks, kissing teddy bears, reading picture books - it's incredible how fast her play is developing. I've also seen a surge in whininess because she desires a "playmate," which is both fun and extremely counterproductive to housework. It's a great problem to have, though, when you put it all in perspective.


Lord, thank You for the blessing of E's life, and for the ways she's growing! Help me to never take for granted anything that you are doing through her, and yet, help me keep an eternal perspective on her growth so that nothing physical and of this world outmeasures the importance of what You are doing in her heart. Never let her forget how much she needs You, and fight for her heart every day of her life!