Ponderings on Parenthood Vol. 4

I have a few those days recently where all I can say is "I don't know." Ava has been very clingy, fussy and not sleeping well the past several days. I find I can get through one of these days with patience intact but a few in a row start a steady decline in that category, especially when you add lack of sleep. Here's the short list of what I don't know: If its the busy week we had last week, if its more teeth, it its some days dropping that morning nap and other day's needing it, If she's having tummy troubles or needs to eat more during the day, or the phase of moving from baby to toddler....as you can see. I. Don't. Know. and its hard for me to be in the place. I think as parent's we want to know, we want to make it better, we want to feel in control and in charge to know how to respond but sometimes we just don't. I do know this is yet another way to be challenged to grow in patience, kindness, selflessness. Remembering that this season of my life I am especially called to serve my family and doing so with a Christ like attitude at 2:00am is just plain hard. I re-read several friends blogs on their 10 & 11 month old posts of their babies today and found much comfort in familar descriptions of our life this week. Of course I still love her to pieces and as her favorite books says, "I love your silly sad and your mad side...I love you through and through yesterday, today and tomorrow too!" (though I sure hope tomorrow brings more silly than mad!)