*kendraspondence*

My little girl has been off for a couple of weeks, both off her schedule and just a few notches off from her usual temperament. She’s been teething, and those two bottom teef cuttin fru must be mating under those gums because why else would they be taking the March of the Penguins by way of Antarctica to get here?!?

Naptimes and bedtimes have been one long negotiation. The Parent Gallery chimes in –

Give her some Benadryl!
What about shark teeth balm?
Did you promise her an Audi if she takes a nap?
Try shooting her out of a cannon! Works every time!
But I know my kid. This is just going to be a process. The one advantage is that her daddy and I get to rock her. Sometimes for at least three rounds of “The sun’ll come out to-mor-row…”. But I don’t mind. I get to hold that warm blubber across my stomach, get to see those wispy little eyelashes shutter slower and slower with every rock, get to buy just a few more moments time of Having a Baby versus Having a Daughter Who Resists Being Held.

It is upside of the job, like being picked to go clap erasers with Tony DeLorenzo whom you’ve had a crush on for three trillion years, Oooh, too bad, I have to go outside and stand alone and giggle in a fog of chalkdust with Tony DeLorenzo while the rest of the class has to copy down spelling words. I’m sorry, Tony, for pulling the remaining eraser out of the door jam that was holding it open so that we got locked out of school that day. I was just trying to buy some more time….

On the way to church on Saturday, I began to feel deflated, like my usually jocund spirits had been pricked with a pin. I knew exactly why. I had to preach and it was the work of the enemy trying to discourage me.

The irony is that the sermon I delivered was on the topic of encouragement. Fortunately, the churchies gave me many smiles and great feedback afterwards, which encouraged me even further.
Here’s a quick note from the sermon:

In Exodus 17, Israel is still wandering in the wilderness. They run out of water. They blame Moses. God tells Moses to tap his stick against a rock and wouldn’t you know, water starts to flow. In verse 7, the people name that place Massah and Meribah to note that this was a place that Israel tested God.

But down in verse 15, God helps Israel triumphs once again (this time over an enemy territory called Amalek). This time, Moses built an altar and called it “The Lord is my Banner.”

I was convicted by this contrast. In the map of my life, do I consider the places I have been as places where I did something (such as being a complaining, sullen malcontent?) or do I recall the places where God did something to show His care for me?

***

Did I ever show y’all a picture of me with my churchies? Here’s one from just before we got married a few years ago. I call this picture “Where’s Kendra?”

Over the course of the last two weeks, Baby Girl has been waving like a regular Ronald McDonald. She waves hello, good-bye, and waves to that cute baby in the mirror that’s always happy to wave back. Aside from the times that she waves at us while we change her diaper, it’s probably the first social cue that she’s really picked up on, and it’s making me incredibly glowingly gushingly gratified.

If you have lived with someone with a developmental delay, you also know how cool it is to see that person master a social cue. My brother has autism, as I have mentioned before, and the smallest of socially appropriate motions are cause for frequent fits of laughter and triumph. “Mikie did not begin the conversation asking Mrs. May which day her garbage was collected!” AWESOME! “We had company over and Mikie did not chastise nor verbally berate them after they arrived four minutes late.” RAD!!! “I was so proud of Mikie today. He wore a sweater on top of a T-shirt and neither one matched and I made a comment and he told me to get a life.” PAR.TEE.ON!!!

***

Waving through the openings of the step stool. A socially appropriate game for the 7 month-olds among us. Hours of laughter for the 28 year-olds, as well.

Can you believe these people? Taking their child out to the Red Sox game? On a SCHOOL night!

Exposing her to the elements…

Fraternizing with hecklers and drinkers and downright monsters!

Well…how ELSE are we going to raise a Red Sox fan?!?

This one knows, there’s no crying in baseball.