After all, she is 3

A while back I mentioned my concern with Samantha's attitude, and if I remember correctly I used the term spoiled.  I am totally wrong.  She isn't spoiled.  I've come to realize that I was being too hard on Samantha and over analyzing everything!  Sometimes I forget, she's three!  Who ever came up with the saying "terrible twos" must not have been a parent!  Three is way worse than two!

My new stance came about from recent outings to the mall and McDonald's (yes, I let my child eat crap food every once in awhile.)  In both places I witnessed children throwing huge screaming fits and the parent backing down to them.  These children were in control of their parents.  Even though these children were in control, they were out of control wild!  On two different occasions, Samantha was pushed or hit (on purpose) by other little children.  It was refreshing because Samantha looked at me with pure shock on her face.  She didn't know what to do, but she knew not to hit back and she knew hitting was bad.

Another thing that changed my mind is Samantha's reaction to the word "no."  If she asks for candy at the store, or to watch TV and I say "no", she's fine with it.  She doesn't throw herself down kicking and screaming, instead she goes off to find something else to occupy her time.  Although, I've heard her stomp her feet and give a little huff, but I would much rather deal with that, then an explosion.  In fact, I'm glad she shows some dissatisfaction.  I don't want to raise a daughter who lets people walk all over her.  She needs to express her discontent in some way and stomping her feet at this age, is a way better choice than throwing a temper tantrum.  I could learn a thing or two from her.  I can't even begin to count the times I have seen children cry and scream because they had to leave the toy store.  I'm sure I was one of those kids.  I can think of only one time that Samantha fell to the floor like a noodle while leaving The Learning Tree.  Not too bad considering she's three.  Even as I write this, I feel so convicted.  I can't believe I called her spoiled!  I'm remembering so many times where Samantha has chosen the right way.  Just a couple of days ago we where walking in Target, on a mission for something, and of course she wanted to look at the toys, but we were in a hurry and I told her no.  She pleaded for a minute, but then when she realized I wasn't backing down, she stopped and continued on. 

I'm not saying she's perfect.  She knows how to test me and which buttons to push, and she tries to manipulate us at times, but all in all, she is such a good girl.   Her newest trick is to say "I just wanted to give you a hug and kiss" right after I scold her for doing something naughty.  Nice try Samantha, but I am smarter than you think.  What matters most, to me at least, is her character.  Samantha has a big heart.  She is empathic; she hates to see us sad or upset for any reason, she is caring; she sings or gives toys to William to cheer him up, and she's kind to everyone...you get my point. 

So what if she jumps on the couch, even after I told her for the 100th time not to, or refuses to eat her dinner one night.  In my eyes those are molehills, and I am not going to turn them into mountains.  I don't know what possessed me to think she was spoiled, and to blog about it.  I guess I was just having one of those days where I needed to vent.  I can tell you right now, I feel so blessed to have such a precious daughter. 

Thank God for Husbands

The saying, "distance makes the heart grow fonder", couldn't be more true!  Steve left for New Orleans last Sunday for a business trip and when we picked him up on Thursday I was filled with happiness, relief, and thanksgiving.  I hate when he leaves for trips, and this time proved to be the most difficult.  Instead of heading to work and dropping the kids off at daycare (I've come to realize work is a reprieve from all the challenges of being at home with the kids all day), I had to take care of both kids 24/7 all by myself.  Steve didn't come home at 5:30 to take the kids off my hands, he wasn't there in the middle of the night to help change a diaper or feed William.  It was me and me alone, and it sucked!  I quickly realized how much Steve does for this family, not that I ever doubted his hard work and willingness to help out.  I got to hand it to all you single parents out there, the work you do is hard and I admire you so much.

The worst part of Steve being away was not being the only parent, but instead being the only one around period.  Sure I had the kids to keep me company but, when they went to bed, it was me and a silent house.  I would lay in bed and listen to all the sounds of the house, and soon I was convinced someone was trying to break in and kill me and kidnap the kids (I have a very active imagination!).  On one occasion I walked around the house carrying my pepper spray ready to attack my attacker.  My attacker turned out to be our cat Harrison, trying to jump on top of Samantha's closet shelf.  I didn't get much sleep that night or any night that Steve was away.  It's scary and a bit unsettling realizing that I am responsible for my childrens' safety.  They count on me to protect them!  How can I protect them when I feel like I can't protect myself?  I know the chances of anything bad happening to us is low since we live in a nice neighborhood, and I have a ton of friends and family close by, but I still worry.

And you know the saying, "when it rains it pours"? Yeah that one turned out to be true, too.  That Monday it snowed and snowed and snowed until there was close to 12 inches of snow on the ground.  I felt trapped!  There was no way I was going to pack up two kids, take them out in the cold and windy weather, and try to brave the icy roads down the hill.  Nope, not this mom!  So we stayed inside, watched movies, and ate popcorn.  Well, one thing is for sure, I didn't feel bad about being a couch potato that evening.

To sum up this post, because quite honestly I don't have a lot of time, this week taught me to never take my husband for granted.  He never grumbles when I hand him a "honey do" list, he'll go outside to check on things when I get scared (even if it's one o'clock in the morning), and he always makes time to play and snuggle with our kids.      

Glad that's over.

Good News Everyone!  The MRI results came back normal!  William's brain is growing as it should and it doesn't look like his suture is all the way closed, so at this point we don't need to even think about surgery to his skull!  It's something we will have to be mindful of and we'll definitely be measuring his head at all of his well baby check ups.  It feels so good to have this weight lifted off of us.  I actually slept very sound last night, except the two times William woke up and wanted to eat.  He truly is a growing boy and growing stronger everyday!  I can't even describe the relief I am feeling right now.  He still has a lot of catching up to do, but he will do it on his own time.  We might still do some physical therapy to strengthen his muscles.  My theory is, he loves to snuggle so much he probably doesn't see the reason to sit up.  Of course I give in!  How can I not, he's so stickin cute!  I definitely don't want to rush time, but I can't wait until I see William crawl and eventually walk.  For me that will truly be the end to all my questions.

I also have to mention how touched Steve and I were.  We had so many people praying for William and so many people sending us messages with encouraging words.  It was amazing to see how many people truly care for Will.  It really showed us that we have a huge support system of friends and family.  One of our friends, who experienced having there son go through not one MRI, but TWO, brought us coffee and sat with us in the waiting room during the entire procedure.  Having him there was such a comfort and an awesome distraction too!  I can't thank him enough!  Another family not only watched our daughter Samantha, but they also provided dinner for us.  There are not words to express my gratitude.  I will never forgot every prayer, every encouraging word, and every act of kindness.  I hope, if the time comes, that I too can be there for the same people who were there for us.

Going through this experience really made me value my family.  Not that I didn't already love them to pieces, but it definitely put things into perceptive.  I will never take my children's health for granted.  Sometimes I find myself thinking we were so silly to worry so much and that putting William through an MRI was a bit extreme.  But then I am reminded that I will do whatever is in my power to protect my children and make sure they live happy, healthy lives.  I definitely don't regret it.  Now we know and we have peace of mind, and to me that is priceless.  I hope I still feel this way when we receive our hospital bill :)  If anything it will bring us to our deductible (which is an ungodly amount) early in the year, so if we fall down and break a leg it should be covered by insurance.  Let's hope that doesn't happen.