Sweet 'n' Stubborn

These are the words most often used to describe Eli, and always in conjunction with each other. He is the stubbornest little thing you've ever met! He makes up his mind about what he wants, and he refuses to back down until he gets it. While this can be quite annoying at times, such as when I need a mere 3.5 minutes to brush my teeth and get dressed and he sits there and whines the entire time because he wants to be picked up. Or when I leave the house for a much-needed morning out and Eli refuses to both eat and sleep for Eric, but then quickly downs his entire bottle and sleeps for several hours as soon as I get home and am the one caring for him. :)

Though at times annoying, this stubborn spirit is one of his qualities for which I am most thankful, because it is the "fight" which kept him alive during those scary first few weeks of his life. Each of the doctors and nurses who cared for him continually commented on how much of a "fighter" he is, and it is becoming more and more apparent to us as he continues to grow. I can only imagine what a "fighter" he will be during the terrible twos! :) Good thing he is son to one of the most stubborn women in the entire universe- oh, the battles that we will have. :)

Thankfully, Eli's stubborness is accompanied by this incredible sweetness that I can't even begin to describe. There is just no other way to say it- he has an amazingly sweet spirit that I pray will be intensely tender to the Lord.

What a combo it is- this sweet stubborness. He'll drive me insane with fussing if I don't pick him up when he wants it, but then the minute I finally take him in my arms, he puts his little hands on my cheeks and kisses me, burrows his face into my neck, and squeals with delight. Oh, how I love this boy!

As an update, Eli continues to do well with eating, and we are endlessly grateful to the Lord. He takes his bottles with no complaint (although when he decides he's done, there is no convincing him otherwise!). We are working in therapy to get him used to eating with a spoon. Our therapist's discovery this week? "He does great as long as he is in control." There's the stubborn kid I love! :) So instead of me trying to shove food into his mouth, I just let him play around in it, dip his toys into it, etc. so that he puts the food in his mouth himself and gets used to various tastes. And we're continuing to ease into spoon-feeding. He's doing great!

He also loves teething biscuits, which are perhaps the messiest thing you can put into your child's hand. These seemingly innocuous little treats fooled me by their hardness and crumb-less-ness. The first time Eli ate one I turned around for a minute and turned back to find a MESS of gooey, disgusting, dissolved biscuit covering his entire person and the chair in which he was sitting. And these have to be his favorite food. :) Oh well, no one said parenthood was clean!

This week has been so pleasant. The absence of the feeding battle that we fought for so long has been amazingly uplifting. That, in combination with the gorgeous 70-degree weather in which we spent much time outside, made this week so fun for us. And last night's ten hours of sleep, given to me by my sweet Eric who got up with Eli in the night and when he woke this morning, was just an added bonus. Life is good!

I am praying this year for enjoyment of every good moment, however simple it is. Life can be so difficult, trying, and ever-changing- facts which we have experienced first-hand in the past year. I think that the thing I can do which is most honoring to the Lord is to enjoy the simple blessings given to me each day and to have a thankful, glad heart.

I am thankful for my sweet and stubborn son, and I am so glad to be his mommy!