I remember those endless nights of little sleep, wondering if the struggles of nursing and endless cries of cholic would ever stop...THEY DID. I remember wondering if he would never nap and sleep like "normal" kids...HE DOES. I remember thinking many MANY times, "Am I doing the right thing? Is this what a "good mom" would do?...IT WAS.
There were so many times during this first year that I questioned my actions and steps I took to take care of Caleb. There were so many times I reached out to others (my mom, sisters-in-law, and friends) to get the "RIGHT" answer to all the questions I had. I finally figured out (thank you Jody!) that GOD MADE ME CALEB'S MOM. Not only did he equip me for every struggle, every tear, every problem he might have, but he equipped me to love Caleb in a way that no other mom can! I am CALEB'S mom...God knew what he was doing when He gave me Caleb and gave Caleb me as his mother. There is on mistakes when it comes to God.
I have also learned that you cannot put your child in a "cookie cutter" and expect him/her to be like every other kid. This has been really difficult for me because I have seen mothers with kids that are PERFECT and fit all the "molds"....they sleep just the right amount of hours, they fall asleep without crying, the eat every four hours on the button.....AND SO ON! Well, Caleb was NONE of that, and I learned that its okay. I need to let Caleb be himself, no matter how hard it might be.
All that to say, this year has had it's many struggles but it has not been without some great lessons. God is good! I am humbled just typing that! MY GOD IS GOOD! He has equipped me for more than I could ever imagine! Even in my times of complete doubt and despair, GOD IS GOOD and He holds me up!
So anyways, just some of the things Caleb is now doing at the age of ONE:
1. waving goodbye and hello
2. giving kisses (french kisses..a very talented one year old! :)
3. taking about 5-6 steps on his own....still a little scared to venture out
4. crawling SO FAST everywhere
5. saying "mama", "dada", and "baba"
6. feeding himself MANY different finger foods (he LOVES to feed himself!)
There is many more, but that list is enough! Again, I can't believe my baby is ONE! Happy Birthday Caleb! You bring so much joy your daddy and I! We love you more than life! We pray that as you grow, you will learn who God is and that Jesus died on the cross to save you from your sins. We pray that you will learn what it means to follow Him with your whole heart and experience the grace and peace that comes with being a disciple of Christ! You are always in our prayers. We love you, son!
Caleb and Grandma Reid....they share a birthday!
Birthday Smiles
Love, Mom and Dad
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