More to share

I just posted an update yesterday, and I already have more. As I mentioned, Ashely has been pulling up on things for a little while, and is really mastering it now. Well this morning Matt went to go get Ashley out of bed and yells "quick, turn on the monitor (we have video so we can watch her). I click on the picture, and there is Ashley standing up in her crib with a big smile of accomplishment on her face. Since this morning, she is now pulling up, and walking around the whole crib. We are so proud of her!

Of course, I am also a little nervous. We had taken out her bumpers (as the pediatrician recommends to do until they are 10-12 months to prevent suffocation) when she was only a few weeks old. We kept them out (had breathable bumpers for a while, then nothing once she started pulling them off) this whole time. Well she knows how to get up but not down, so she fell and bumped her head pretty hard so we put them back in today. I am so excited to have them back in since it looks beautiful, I just hope that they will be safe.

Having a child is definitely a humbling experience. It shows us how much we really DON'T have control over things. You feel kind of powerless. I can't keep Ashley in a bubble (nor do I want to over-shelter her), I just wish I could keep her safe from getting hurt, both physically and emotionally. Part of me is so excited and so proud of her, and admires her bravery and determination. Then there is the other part that is scared while she is so unsteady and unaware of dangers. But, just need to remind myself that God is in control.

I am writing this now while I'm watching Ashley on the monitor, "learning as she goes". It made me think of how it must be from God's perspective. God is supposed to be omnipresent--always with us, watching over us. It must be hard at times for God. He loves us so much--supposedly more than we love our own children which is hard to fathom a love even greater. Seeing us making mistakes and walking into potentially dangerous situations must be hard to sit back and watch, even more so than it is for me to cringe and watch Ashley on the monitor. Although then again, God knows the bigger picture and has all things, good and bad, work for the greater good. So maybe it's not as rough, who knows. Ok, enough rambling :)

Also Ashley has started pointing to things and tries to say the word. When she is sitting in her high chair, she loves to point up at the light. When I say "that's a light", she gets this huge grin on her face. She is also learning more about cause and effect. We turn the light switch on and off. We also have a remote that turns the Christmas lights on and off. It's really used for the Christmas tree, but this year I have it set up for the lights on the mantle since it's tucked away and plugged in where Ashley can't get to it. She realizes that she is controlling it, and loves turning them on and off over and over.

Today she already figured out how to climb and stand up in the pack and play, and since just posting yesterday Ashley has gotten even faster at climbing up. Matt had the refrigerator open while he was making himself breakfast, and he said that within 5 seconds she had climbed up on the shelves. She is one smart little girl.

I hope when she reads this someday she will know how very proud of her we are!