Transitions

It has been a hard parenting week for us here at the Crim household. We are having to actually be parents and make some hard transitions. For Sidney, she has had to give up her paci ( I know, I am THAT parent whose 2 year old still has one). It has been her longtime confidant and friend so it has been rough at times for her to release it to her special box every morning, she gives it this long look and then looks at me. You can see the inner struggle going on in her head, but after some consideration she usually gives it up and then cries, 'My paci' in this sad voice. But I am so proud of her for letting it go. Then tonight we are starting Sawyer on the 'crying it out' method of sleeping in the crib. He is 9 months old and has probably slept through the night in his crib once, I know again I am THAT parent. But it is time for him and me to get a full night's sleep, although I'm guessing that it won't be tonight.

Through all of this it is amazing what the Lord has revealed to me. So many times we hear that the Lord puts us through change and challenges to help us, to grow us into the person that He has created us to be, but when you actually act it out for your children it makes it so real. Yes, change is hard, yes there will be tears, but there is such reward on the other side. And though I am hating forcing these changes on my kids I know that they are necessary steps in their growth as children just as when we face challenges in our own lives the Lord hates it when we cry and are in pain, but often it is these times in our lives that grow us into the people that He has created us to be. And in it all, the bad stuff, the good stuff He is here with us holding onto us and loving us, just as we love our children through change.