I have no idea where to begin on our almost 4-year old first born. The words that I say or the picture I paint of her could never compare to her in real life. She is spirited, strong-willed, independent, energetic, a mile a minute, particular – “Well, she’s three, Shannon”, you might say. But trust me. I’ve been around other 3-year olds, and never ever in my life have I experienced one quite like Abbie. She throws us for a loop. She can brighten your day in the blink of an eye, but sometimes if we allow it, she can cause Wes and I to second guess our parenting skills, to throw our hands up in the air and say I have no idea what to do with her! Honestly the best thing I can do is pray. Cliché, I know. But I promise you sometimes I feel like it’s the only thing that might get me through. I pray for grace. For her and for me. I pray for patience. I pray that I can be the kind of parent she needs me to be, because I don’t just want to be a good parent. I want to be a good parent to her. I want to build her up and encourage her to keep her spunk and not bury it away somewhere. I know it will be a positive trait at some point, when she can really understand and grasp her feelings, and Wes and I can understand what on earth she needs from us. But in the meantime I will continue to pray. And say “God, help me to raise Abbie to be who You want her to be.” With an emphasis on “GOD HELP ME!!”
