Parenting - It's so rewarding!!!

I feel like often times many of my posts are about the continuing battle that started last year or cycling.  And the past few days I've been thinking about how incredibly rewarding parenting is.  I can just imagine that it will be getting better and better with every day, week, month, and year of Gabriella's life.  I also know that things that are challenging now will be yearned for when she is a teenager, but I also know that she will grow to be such an amazing woman and we will feel even more rewarded.

This may sound like a silly thing for a daddy to say (since it's so obvious), but I LOVE MY DAUGHTER.  Right now Sarah has been struggling with the fact that on Monday she will be returning to work 3 days a week.  I know it will be a difficult transition, but I also know it will be good for both Gabriella and Sarah.  However, I also know that Sarah won't be the only one who struggles with the transition.  It isn't easy to leave every morning, but it is a lot easier for me to leave because I know that at any time I can call and see how my girls are, hear Gabbie in the background, and never am I concerned about the upbringing, amount of tummy time she is getting, amount of singing and dancing, anything of that sort. 

But I digress.  When we were going through our birthing classes they would talk about how cool it would be when a baby would first lift her head, smile, coo, and all sorts of things.  I often thought "meh, it's neat but this is overkill."  Oh was I wrong.  I've never been so proud of a burp, happy scream, wobbly stand, or head control in my life.  Then there was the day that I came home and she was somewhat consciously holding onto a rattle.  Or when I came home and she learned she could have her mouth closed and still make noise.  I'm gone for only 8 hours and she learned this?  When did that start? 

Then there are the times like this evening when I was giving her a bottle.  She is just sitting against my chest, squirming a little, holding so tightly to my thumb, and doing so good at getting her yummies.  I'm actually struggling with a way to try and explain it.  But I think I can only say the things she does because there is no way to describe the feelings of pride, love, and knowing all the little things you are doing to provide for your child.  Who ever thought it would be so rewarding (and no this doesn't mean it's on my top list of things to do) to swish around and do the pre-cleaning of Gabriella's poopy diapers.  It's not an "enjoyable" thing, but part of me loves doing it because without that time chatting with Nikki and doing the first cleaning, Gabs wouldn't have the next round of clean diapers.  All of the little things that make her life successful, happy, and full of love.

Until you are a parent, you can never understand what it is like.  Nothing in your life is more important than that of your child.  You'd rather be hungry for a while so that baby can be nursed, changed, or played with.  You'd rather stay up later at night to clean up the dinner dishes, so you can have 10 extra minutes to stare at her, rubbing her forehead as she falls asleep.  You'd rather keep the TV off to aid in her development, than have some brainless show on. 

And I must say, it probably hasn't been the "most proud" moment of all, but being able to still sit in the 3rd row at Church so that she can be close to the action and get to know God, knowing that she is quiet so others can still be engaged in prayer. 

At times I worry about raising her in our modern society, but knowing that we can be patient, pray for her and with her, and be intentional about our parenting - I'm assured that she will turn out to be as amazing of a girl as her mom.