Start where you are...

Too often I allow the "it's not perfect so I won't do it at all" side of my personality to keep me from taking the first step, but I have realized recently that the only place that gets me is nowhere...Hadley took her first "step" a few weeks ago---and by step, I mean crawl. She has been motoring around like an old pro and has taught me some valuable lessons in the process...

Lesson 1: You must take the first step. It may not be pretty and you may fall flat on your face, but if you don't put one hand in front of the other, you will miss out on a world of fun. I think about this in perspective of my own life and realize there are many times that I don't take the initial step because I don't know the outcome. I somehow think that is safer, but have realized that leaves me sitting on a playmat with chewed-up toys and half-eaten cookies when I could be exploring what lies around the corner (or in the case of Hads, what is under the bed). I have also realized that I worship a God who does know what lies ahead and is faithful to His promises. I am starting to understand that "falling down" is often an opportunity to fall on my knees in praise of He who fills all longings despite of the circumstances around us.

Lesson 2: Trust your own timing. Hadley was going to crawl when she was ready, which was sooner than I wanted. I knew it would be cute to watch, but also knew that it would take much more supervision as she explored EVERY inch of our place. I tried to distract her when she would get up on all fours and rock from front to back. All my friends cheered on and the books confirmed, this was an exciting time. Selfishly, I was not ready, but she was and off she went. I have learned that we are all different in this regard--some move faster and some take their time in decision-making, and both are equally okay. Bobby and I are on different clocks at many times, but I now see that not only is that okay, but good in a relationship. I have learned that respecting each other's timing is rewarding and that one must stay true to your own comfort level in decision-making or you end up lost and late. Hadley's timing is just one little piece of her personality that I am learning more about each day, and how thankful I am that it is all her own.

Lesson 3: Who wants perfection anyways? Hadley crawls with one leg bent like she is trying to stand, then plops her side off to the right and then back up again with a great big smile. Perfection is defined by Webster's Dictionary as "freedom from fault or defect", "supreme excellence" and "unsurpassable degree of accuracy". Based on that definition, her crawling technique is not perfect, but it sure is adorable (or "extremely charming" as defined). I have realized that perfection is not really what I am after, afterall. If she crawled perfect, there would be far less laughs around our house as Bobby and I follow alongside her on our knees. Perfection is not what we are called to be, and when all is said and done, I would like to be considered "extremely charming" in the end---who wouldn't?

So yes, as a new mother, I am 8 months behind in the world of blogging about your baby. But in my mind, I am taking the first step on my timing in pursuit of extremely charming blogging about Hadley and life as we now know it! Crawl on...