The last blog that was written about our Grand Daughters, was actually written by my Daughter-in-Law, Jenny Register in Aug. 2014. She did give me permission to copy her story-"A Young Mom's Walk of Shame", which is so identifiable & too funny for words. At that time Audrey was just about 4 months old, Haven-2 yrs old (in the middle of potty training), & Lauren-4 yrs old. If you want a good laugh, I would encourage you to go back and read it, especially if you are a young Mom. Well, now the girls have grown-up a bit: Lauren is in first grade, 6 1/2 yr old, ears pierced & just recently lost her first tooth. Haven, 4 1/2 yrs old, is still talking & singing from the time she wakes up until she collapses at night time & definitely potty trained :) Now, we are going through the potty training phase with Audrey who is 2 1/2 yr old.
When I think about how quickly the children are growing up, it really makes me sad. I tell them all the time that "I'm going to just have to put a book on their heads so they will quick growing-up." I have enjoyed each one of them, & most of their growing-up phases :) Knowing Audrey is our last grandchild on this side of the family, I have made a conscious effort since day one of her life to just enjoy-it will be over too quickly!
Most of the time when I'm around, Audrey is glued to my hip. I just melt when she reaches those little arms up to me. I reach down & swing her high in the air, then I give her a big hug, grab some kisses, & then with big grins on both of our faces we go our merry way.
Audrey has many loves! One of those loves are blankets. I have never seen a child so in love with blankets like this child. Her second love is being rocked. The third love was her Paci. No matter if I'm rocking Audrey at bedtime, or on the front porch swing in 95 degree weather, Audrey has to be covered from head to toe with her blanket, Paci in her mouth & holding her fourth love-her animal head blanket. I must say, I will miss the day when the rocking will be over. So until then, I will claim every opportunity that arises. Already, these rocking days for Lauren & Haven are few & far between :(
In writing about the Paci, I don't know if you caught the past-tense of that love. She has just recently had to give up her Paci, & this was not by choice. This child was not just in love with her Paci, but saying she was OCD concerning it was an understatement. In fact, you could even go to the point that her Paci was her addiction, BIG TIME!!!!!
We had the privilege this past June for our entire family to go to Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri. If you have never been, go! It is beautiful place, near Branson & Silver Dollar City, & very family friendly!
Anyway! During this time in little Audrey's life, her parents were trying to break her of the Paci. Naturally, when Audrey was just with me, if she wanted it, she got it. What are grandparents for! So, every time she saw me, she was asking for that thing. I would tell her to go ask Mama & Daddy concerning the Paci, making them to be the bad guy & not me. I must admit, I hated to see it go, because it was just another toddler stage to disappear. That growing-up thing again!
Well, during that week I must say it did get a little too funny observing Audrey's reactions with her Paci. Here is what I observed:
First of all, Audrey & everyone else knew, including me, Audrey's boundaries concerning her Paci. They were quite clear. The Paci was to stay in her pack-in-play. She could then have it when she was sleeping. Sometimes, Audrey would get this incredible urge to suck on that thing in between times. She was allowed to have it, only if she would enjoy it in her bed. This happened quite often. Now, her bedroom was upstairs in the farthest location of the house. It was a great deal of trouble for a two yr old to get to. In fact, it was a great deal of trouble for me to climb those winding, steep stairs, crawl over the bed that was in her room, then, lift her into her bed. Pretty soon during the week Audrey began making her way up to her bed by herself-sneaking the Paci out. When she got caught & was confronted she would respond in several ways:
1) head down, slumped over, and began walking in her own special pouting way-not wanting to give it up.
OR 2) she would cover the Paci with both hands while it was in her mouth, trying to hide it like we couldn’t see it. I must admit this was too cute :)
OR 3) Onetime she some how talked her Mama into allowing her to keep it in her pocket-keeping the temptation too close at hand. You can just imagine how that turned out:)
OR 4) when she wasn't having it, she constantly was OCD over it. She kept asking me if she could have it, or asking where is was, or crying because she just wanted it.
Some of these "Paci"s maybe shopping, chocolate, alcohol, Starbucks!!! I love a Starbucks Ice Coffee with cream, but no syrup. I must get credit for no syrup, don't you think!? :) What about the heart "Paci"s?: anger, jealousy, comparing, & worry to name a few.
In my life I am grateful that God cares about my "Paci"s. I guess it is time to start being really honest and call a "Spade a Spade". "Paci"s are the IDOLS in our lives that sometimes we/I just don't want to give up. What is an IDOL you might ask? It is anything we put in place of where God should be in our lives-actions or heart.
Like Audrey, God makes my boundaries really clear concerning my IDOL. Like Audrey, I want to sneak that IDOL, or I think I just need some extra playtime with that thing. When I get caught, I pout, not wanting to give it up, or cover it up with both hands-hoping God wouldn't really notice or care; or (one of my big ones) I love to keep that IDOL in my pocket close at hand just in case I need it; or just keep crying/complaining over that thing.
Just like Audrey who has good parents that love her deeply, & wants what is best for her-to grow, & mature, especially in the Lord. I too have a good, good Father who loves me deeply. My Father not only loves me deeply, He loves me with an everlasting, perfect love. He knows me inside and out. He created me. He is sanctifying me to be more like His Son, Jesus-wanting me to grow up, to be mature in Him. He cares about my heart; cleaning out those IDOLS, so I can walk in freedom through the Holy Spirit. Now, what about your "Paci"s? Are you sneaking around with them? Are you hiding them in your mouth, covering them up? Are they in your pocket close by? Or, have you given them to God, Who is a good, good Father. Who wants you to walk in freedom!
I think I will keep striving for freedom!
ann:)Side Note From Nanna:
[This is just a little added story for me to remember, & for me to tell Audrey one day.]
I think most young Moms use this method in breaking their toddlers of these Paci's-they clip the end of the Paci a little at a time, until the child doesn't have anything to hold onto. Well, with Audrey this was working. Until one day Audrey told her Mama that it won't stay in her mouth. Jenny responded by, "It has just gone bye, bye." Audrey promptly responded, "No, you keep cutting it off." Oh, well! She is no dummy!
Soon after this, I found out that Audrey had given up her Paci for three days at home. Now, it was time to break her of it at my (Nanna's) house-like I wrote earlier, break Nanna also of this Paci!
On the way to drop off the younger two children at my house for me to baby sit, Jenny called me to give me the heads up to GET RID OFF ALL THE PACIS IN THIS HOUSE before Audrey gets here. So, I cooperated reluctantly!
While Jenny was leaving, Audrey made a "bee-line" to the master bedroom where her bed is, & yes, where her blankets & paci are. She immediately came to me & asked me where her Paci was. I told her that she was doing so great, that she didn't need it anymore, & they were gone. All of that was true, but I was ready to pull it out of the trash can in a split second if need be.
When nap time came a long, Audrey starting asking for the Paci again. I told her she could pick out a stuff animal to sleep with instead. She seemed to be ok with that answer. I dodged that bullet.
After nap time we began doing our different activities. One of these activities my Grandchildren love to do is look at the picture Snapfish books I have created with our photos. Audrey picked out the ones she wanted to look at. I could not believe the change in Audrey in one year. She had grown up so much! In fact she didn't even reconize herself. She kept calling herself Haven, when she was the baby in the picture.
In looking through the pictures, all of a sudden, Audrey called out, "THERE'S MY PACI." I started cracking-up. Every page had Audrey with that Paci. She would then say, "Wait a minute Nanna, go back," so she could just lust after her Paci one more time. I guess if you can't hold it, or suck on it, you can at least gaze at it for a while. :)
This kind of reminds me of the "Winnie-the-Pooh & the Honey Tree" story. Pooh ate so much honey that he got stuck in Rabbit's house door. Pooh had many visitors to check on him while he was waiting to get thin again. One of those visitors was Mr. Gopher. He had brought his dinner, & you can probably guess what was part of his menu-honey! As soon as Rabbit heard the word honey, he ran out of his back door to confiscate the honey. Promply Pooh responded, "I wasn't going to eat any of it, I just wanted to smell it."
NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN IS IT!
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