Jeff, Hilarie, & Sawyer: 10 months

Sawyer is 10 months old! I have been taking pictures as often as I remember to so my forgetful self can have something to look back on years from now to hopefully jog my memory :). My little man is pretty stinkin amazing if I do say so myself. Jeff and I love watching him figure things out and I swear I can see the wheels turning in that brain of his. He walks around the furniture, crawls faster than I can almost catch him sometimes, and is figuring out more words all the time. He is starting to let go of things when he stands up but hasn't quite got the hang of moving his feet. He just falls forward or backwards and then gets back up to do it again. He is also a big fan of opening and closing drawers, pulling everything out of them, and then slamming his fingers. He rarely cries when he gets hurts and is still as stubborn as ever. He has gotten into a better sleeping pattern at nite - usually going down between 8 and 8:30pm, waking up once between 1 and 3am, and then up for the day around 6 or 6:30am. Some mornings I can get him to sleep til 7am when I bring him to bed with me. Those mornings are the best and I hope they don't disappear too soon. My boy is growing up too fast and I hate it! Oh, and today he cut two more top teeth bringing out total to four teeth on the bottom and four teeth on the top.
I had a thought tonite as I watched my tenacious little man trying to plow his way through my legs as I blocked his path to the kitchen. He tries so hard to push against things in his way. He lowers his head, grunts or yells, and pushes with all of his might trying to move his obstacles. He does this to Bumpa's legs when he blocks the bathroom or computer, he does it to Jeff when he won't let him rip cords out of the wall, he does it to chairs that are in his way...anywho, the thought that came to me tonite was this: Too often I feel just like Sawyer. I close my eyes, put my head down, and push and yell with all my might against the obstacles and trials that have been in my way for years. Most days I feel like I am fighting a loosing battle, the same redundant battle. And then the Holy Ghost touched my heart and reminded me that I AM like Sawyer - pushing so hard against the legs of my Heavenly Father trying to get to something I want so bad. But the role of a parent is to teach and protect and to guide our children in the right direction and to keep them from harms way. I know my Heavenly Father loves me. I wish I knew when my obstacles were going to be removed from my path but I do not. I know I need to trust Him, but I am going to throw it out there and say that that is a HARD thing to do. Being a parent has taught me so many lessons already and made my testimony grow so much. Heavenly Father really did create a pretty perfect plan for growth here on earth. Life is hard, more often than its not I imagine. But it is good too. And I have learned that it can be difficult and joyful at the same time. I am blessed and I know I need to reflect more on what I have than what I don't have. I am grateful for that reminder tonite - xoxo