Today is a special day – Journey celebrates her 19-month birthday and we celebrate our 2 month anniversary of adding Journey to our family. And what a difference two months makes. I think back on the first day we had her and how much she slept and how quiet she was. Now she is constantly in motion (even when she sleeps) and chatters up a storm. I now understand a few of her words – cracker, shoes, milk, thank you, monkey, and duck, just to name some of them. Nobody else would probably get what she is saying and I do have to translate for Doug. But to be fair, he just returned from a 10-day business trip to Europe so he is trying to catch up. A good friend gave her a Winnie the Pooh bear about a week ago and Pooh is now her constant companion. She started out calling him “Poop” but now usually refers to him as “Peesch”. I’m not sure where that is coming from. They have great conversations together, especially in the morning when they first wake up and during nap time. She enjoys being around a lot of people but still doesn’t want them to get too close, touch her, or try to pick her up. She and Doug are making great headway, even with him being gone for so long. One of their favorite activities is throwing the ball and they also wrestle around on the floor. She is such a happy little thing, smiles most of the time and loves to laugh. She is still getting teeth so her appetite is sporadic and we’re still supplementing with formula. She definitely has a mind of her own and can quickly spot anything that she shouldn’t get into. We have implemented “time-out” for a few of the more hazardous things she likes to explore and I’m praying that it is an effective form of discipline.
Mom has learned some very important lessons during these two months, also. First and foremost is never, ever leave her diaper off, even if it’s just for a minute. It took me three times to get this lesson. Secondly, it is critical to make sure the baby gates are closed and the toilet lids down. I’m still learning this one and it is a very messy lesson. Third, never ask her to whisper or be quiet; it is one sure way to get her to crank up the volume. Fourth, the carpet will need to be cleaned very frequently. There are more, but you get the picture. We will soon be traveling to visit family and I’m sure more lessons will come from those trips.
Our life is quite the whirlwind now, not at all like the quiet, peaceful environment we used to enjoy. But we wouldn’t change a thing. God has blessed us beyond our expectations and His gift to us is good and perfect in every way.
