Our little guy is seven months old today, and he continues to fill our world with a whole lot of joy.
It’s pretty cool to see him sitting up, asserting himself, eating his vegetable purees (which he finds amusing and confusing at the same time), and playing with his toys.
He wants to grab absolutely ev-er-ry-thing and put said things in his mouth. Reading his bedtime story is always fun, because as we turn each page, he insists on licking the page before we go on.
Instead of trying to crawl, he opts to just roll around a whole bunch to get to the things he wants, and I keep wondering if he’ll figure out that doing 7-point rolling turns isn’t a very efficient way of getting around.
He’s an absolute cuddle-bot who loves kisses and could spend the entire day in our arms if our muscles were strong enough to handle all 17 lbs of him. He also loves music, and has a special affinity for this song and Adele’s new album. Like when he hears Adele say, “hello,” the whole world stops, and the kid gets very happy. I get it, Jameson. I really do. Adele has a similar effect on me too, my son.
Parenthood, for me, is this somewhat wild roller coaster of going between feeling very confident in my ability to understand my child and provide what he needs, and then very quickly, I can just as easily feel like this whole thing is way over my head and I’m likely failing him. These past seven months certainly pushed me to place more trust in God and to learn how to be kind to myself.
I’ve noticed lots of parents lament about their children growing too fast, but I have to say I’m just so grateful for the opportunity to see him grow and discover the world around him. I try to savor the moments of holding him in my arms, of rocking him to sleep for naps, of nursing, of seeing his loving gaze (I jokingly ask him, “Jameson, why are you so obsessed with me?!). :) But ultimately, I remember that he is this little person that will come into his own. I’m grateful for that and honored for the privilege of guiding him along the journey. While it may be true that children grow fast, I pray I won’t see it as “too fast.” But instead, as it should be.
I’m reminded of the beautiful way Khalil Gibran puts it in The Prophet:
“They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you…
“You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams….
“You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.”
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