It's My Bloggiversary!

I started this blog one year ago today.

I’ve done over 160 posts in that time frame. Not a lot by serious blogging standards, but enough for me. The main motivation for me as a blogger is to keep extended family and friends up-to-date with what’s going on at our house. I’m not out to win any blogging awards or to boost my stat counter. (I would enjoy a few more comments now and then, but I’ll take what I can get.)

So when you visit “Shagga Bear” every day once or twice a week you’re coming to see pictures of Abby. A few posts have been about other things, but as one of my (non-blogging) friends said, “It’s all Abby, all the time!”

So in honor of this bloggiversary, I have not dug up my favorite posts or pictures of the past year. Instead, I bring you something that was in the archives as a “draft.” I’m not sure why I didn’t post it at the time…

This was written in January. It was titled “Wisdom – I Need It!”

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When Hubby used to tuck Abby into her crib, he prayed for her every night. One of the things he prayed regularly was that God would give us wisdom to raise her right. Since she has moved into her big-girl bed, both Hubby and I say prayers with her every night and allow her time to pray, too. She started praying that God will "give Mommy and Daddy wisdom to raise me right." She now includes other family members as well as our dogs in this request.

And today, I needed wisdom.

She announced this morning that she wanted to wear panties instead of a diaper. I decided that we should go for it cause this is the first time in a while she's shown any interest. I explained that she needed to keep her panties dry. I sat her on the potty before breakfast and again after breakfast and then 3 times during her ritual movie watching. Each time, nothing happened. Then, 5 minutes later, she came in the bathroom and said her panties were wet. AAAUURRGG! Time to change clothes. She decided that she wanted a diaper now.

Abby is such a bright, intelligent girl; sometimes I take her comprehension for granted. She is articulate and has an amazing vocabulary. So when I talk to her about something that I think is simple and she looks at me like I'm speaking in French, it is very frustrating.

Like keeping your panties dry. What's not to understand? Or like counting to ten. What comes after nine? I count for her one, two, three, etc. What's next, Abby? Nothing. But she can tell me what letter makes the beginning sound of "nine."

My question to myself is WHY is this frustrating? I need to have wisdom to know what she can understand and what she doesn't.

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The potty training issue has been resolved PRAISE THE LORD, however, the daily need for wisdom is still present. There are still days that I get frustrated (impatient) over simple things. I’m learning to let go of the things she doesn’t quite “get” and focus on things she does. She is an incredible little girl and I’m amazed at all the words and concepts she understands. She is beginning to ask more intelligent questions as well. Recently, we’ve been talking more about her time in China and her Birth Mother. This has been a hard topic for me to discuss and I’m praying daily, “Lord, give me wisdom!”

I guess in January, I felt the issue was unresolved in my heart and mind and could not be posted. In retrospect, it was my heart cry as a mother in the daily grind. I know we all experience days like that. I just need to acknowledge my dependence on God for wisdom to “raise her right!”