As I write this, Stella is napping after an unusually long and difficult night, and the Papa is crashed out upstairs with a fever. We're all pretty tuckered and are looking at an uneventful New Year's celebration this evening.
But I'm downright happy at the moment. Despite not exactly wanting to cuddle with my feverish fella and feeling a wee bit exhausted by my beautiful Miss CrankyPants, I'm feeling more than overwhelmed with gratitude for all that I have. 2008 was a rockin' good year. We faced a few challenges here and there, but we've hit a groove as a family that feels pretty darn good. We know what our needs and dreams are, and we've developed a comfortable and accessible rhythm for achieving both. With each passing month, Stella becomes more and more herself, showing us how fascinating and bawdy life really is. And with each passing month, the Papa and I grow more and more confident in our parenting shoes. Life is good, indeed.
I absentmindedly snapped the picture above recently. It was one of those photos I thought I'd toss once I saw how silly it was. I really love how this seemingly insignificant shot of Stella's wee toes, reaching and stretching, captures how we live our lives these days and where we're headed. It may sometimes feel like we're precariously perched atop a big ol' pile of What-If's and I-Don't-Know-What-I'm-Doing, but we're really just exploring and stretching.
While I guess I should have been telling Stella to sit down on her chair, I chose to take a brief moment to step back and document how insatiably brave and precocious she is. And I'm so glad I did. Not only did I walk away with a silly photo that makes me smile, but Stella was able to stretch a bit and inspired me in doing so. In those hopefully safe moments when Mama and Papa aren't looking, Stella often finds a new strength or feels a new sensation. I'm grateful for those moments - and for her active interest in pursuing those moments - and look forward to a new year of stolen stretches.
I'm not sure of all that will happen in 2009 - that's the fun of it, right? - but I do know that we'll keep reaching upward, balancing with the finesse we three can muster as we discover what comes next. Blessings abound, and I look ahead with a full and hopeful heart.
But I'm downright happy at the moment. Despite not exactly wanting to cuddle with my feverish fella and feeling a wee bit exhausted by my beautiful Miss CrankyPants, I'm feeling more than overwhelmed with gratitude for all that I have. 2008 was a rockin' good year. We faced a few challenges here and there, but we've hit a groove as a family that feels pretty darn good. We know what our needs and dreams are, and we've developed a comfortable and accessible rhythm for achieving both. With each passing month, Stella becomes more and more herself, showing us how fascinating and bawdy life really is. And with each passing month, the Papa and I grow more and more confident in our parenting shoes. Life is good, indeed.
I absentmindedly snapped the picture above recently. It was one of those photos I thought I'd toss once I saw how silly it was. I really love how this seemingly insignificant shot of Stella's wee toes, reaching and stretching, captures how we live our lives these days and where we're headed. It may sometimes feel like we're precariously perched atop a big ol' pile of What-If's and I-Don't-Know-What-I'm-Doing, but we're really just exploring and stretching.
While I guess I should have been telling Stella to sit down on her chair, I chose to take a brief moment to step back and document how insatiably brave and precocious she is. And I'm so glad I did. Not only did I walk away with a silly photo that makes me smile, but Stella was able to stretch a bit and inspired me in doing so. In those hopefully safe moments when Mama and Papa aren't looking, Stella often finds a new strength or feels a new sensation. I'm grateful for those moments - and for her active interest in pursuing those moments - and look forward to a new year of stolen stretches.
I'm not sure of all that will happen in 2009 - that's the fun of it, right? - but I do know that we'll keep reaching upward, balancing with the finesse we three can muster as we discover what comes next. Blessings abound, and I look ahead with a full and hopeful heart.
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