Adorable things my daughter is doing:

She is finally into baby dolls. Yesterday, we went to Wal-Mart, and as we were cruising the toy aisles, looking at everything from bubble makers to Barbie jeeps, she starts pointing and smiling and saying, "Baby? Baby?" Her eyes were so wide, and she was so excited. There was a huge section on the back wall that was filled with baby dolls. Until now, she hasn't really expressed an interest in them, even though I bought her one at Christmas, hoping she would. And even though she kept dropping Baby on her head while we were finishing our shopping, she is still very excited about having a little baby of her own. When we were driving home, I kept hearing kissy sounds, and I looked in the back - she was giving her baby one kiss after the other. Love it.

She is starting to sing. When we got back to the lakehouse with the baby doll, Shermee and I showed her how to rock the baby and sing "Rock-a-bye Baby". Later on, she would put the baby on the porch swing and start pushing it back and forth and try to sing Rock-a-bye Baby. I used to sing to Olivia a lot when she was newborn, and recently I picked it back up again because there have been several times when she has been sick and needed some help getting to sleep. It is so neat to hear her sweet little voice as she sings her own song.

She is in the early - and I do mean early - stages of potty training. When she is wet, or making a wet, she will point to her diaper and say "pah-ee" (her word for potty). When she is dirty, she will grab the back of her diaper and pat her booty. Sometimes she'll say "pah-ee" or "puh" (poo, of course). Aunt Holly put her on the toilet the other night and even managed to get a little bit of effort out of her, I think. Mom and I have both tried several times since then, and so far our timing just hasn't been right.

She can (and will) climb on anything. She loves to play with bouncy balls, and she is even learning how to throw the ball and try to catch it. She has learned that she gets a laugh or two from various friends and family members if, when reading a book, she will point at the funniest looking character and say, "Mama?" (This is where I believe I will be, as they say, paying for my raising.)

When I was pregnant, a friend (now also one of my roommates and Olivia's beloved KiKi) gave me a CD that is a compilation of baby, kiddo and mommy songs. There is one song in particular that spoke to me in such a huge way during the final months of my pregnancy, and I have always been so thankful that she introduced me to its message. I am praying it now...as I learn to hold on to the heart of God, for our life together, for the present and the future.

Prayers for This Child
by Sara Groves

I do not know how I am to pray for this child
as a mother I don't want my baby denied
but in the waiting in the waiting
I learned

every instinct in me wants to shield him from pain
take the arrows of misery heartache and blame
but in the sorrow in the sorrow
I learned to hold on

I only have two eyes - be all seeing
I only have two hands - be everywhere
I do not know enough - to be all knowing
I give this baby up into your care

I do not know how, how to pray for this child
I want to guard her from everything wicked and wild
but in the trial in the trial
I learned to hold on
And in the trial, in the trial
I learned to hold on to the heart of God