Loving Life

We are in a great season. My son is just awesome. He has become such a wonderful little person to hang out with. He amazes me everyday. He is a champion Cheerio eater now, managing multiple Cheerios at once with astounding dexterity. I started him on beef and fish last month. I sauteed the beef with some olive oil, onions, garlic, parsley and flaxmeal; baked the fish with garlic, pepper and olive oil before pureeing them both. He loves them. We also do kale, corn, wheat germ, tahini and tofu. I'm getting bolder about introducing foods that we eat to him. Once, I pureed a 12 bean tomato-based soup for him, and he loved it. I thought he'd have gas issues, but he's a master burper and farter, this one.

We go to Music Together once a week on Wednesdays, and Greyson sits enamored by Teacher Sara as she sings, plays the violin, dances around and flings scarfs. He's learned to clap now and shake his little shakers to the music. He loves to clap. He's the loudest kid in the class, even though there are two-year-olds present. Excitement makes him even louder, and he hollers and claps his hands in the middle of even the quieter songs. It's embarrassing.

He still has an insatiable appetite for books. Roque's been putting him down for bed a little more often lately and I just found out that he does three books at bedtime. That explains why during naptime, when I just do one or two (depending on how tired he is), I get a load of whining. I guess we're up to a three-book minimum now. We have these books called "Where is Baby's Belly Button" and "Where is Baby's Mommy", where there's a flap on each spread that you lift up to reveal something under. Roque's been teaching Greyson how to lift up the flap on his own, and he does it so well now. He is also an avid page turner, turning even before I'm done reading what's on the page. Good thing I have most of his favorite books memorized.

Greyson's been developing a little separation anxiety. Last week he cried for the first time when I left him with the nanny. It was only for less than a minute, I waited outside our front door and listened before going down the stairs. Still, it broke my heart. That following Sunday, when Roque dropped him off at nursery in church, he cried again. This is already proving to be emotionally very difficult for us. I cannot imagine having to deal with this when he's able to talk, call my name, run after me, cling onto my leg....ugh.

Ecclesiastes 3 says, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." That seems all the more profound in parenthood. When things are good, I'm learning to enjoy every moment, and not project into the next season before it's time. When things are rough, I'm learning to have hope that the next season is right around the corner. God's grace is sufficient for me.