Yesterday, Addie started crawling. October 1st, 2014, 25 days away from turning one. Before my eyes, before my mom’s eyes, prayers answered, with squeals and screams she received!

Before she started crawling in the afternoon, I had spent the morning more than usual thanking God for His provision in her life. Specifically, for her joy, her infectious cheeky grin, that lights up a room. Her sweet and cuddly personality, the air of innocence she carries with her.  Life is better because Addie is in it.

For the past four years, every July 1st, Samantha’s birth month, I am overcome with a deeply serious sappiness. Something for me as a mom, re-living the days leading up to the birth

of Samantha, the days waiting, and dreaming to meet their face. The moments of longing, and praying, wondering, and playing out how the day, the hours, the minutes all were going to play out until she was born.

So, of course, I shouldn’t have been surprised that when my calendar beeped “October 1st” yesterday, that I wouldn’t turn a little weepy and into my sentimental self. It is Addie girls birth month indeed! I spent the better part of the morning thinking about our girl, looking into her eyes, smiling to each other, giggling over Addie with her big sister Sam.

For days, and weeks now, since we started specifically praying for Addie to start moving, she has made leaps and bounds in progress. We started PT, and have gone to one evaluation and two sessions.  But you know me, and I believe it was the prayer of our friends over that BBQ on a Friday night in our backyard that initiated the progress, and since that evening, she really started moving.

And what do you know, this past Tuesday night, when we gathered with the same group of friends, they prayed again. I shared that all was so good, that she was moving so much more, a praise report of sorts. And then, they said, lets pray again. Sure, I thought, why not, and our sweet dear friend, “Uncle Chris” did. His prayer, I will always remember, words wrapped in love, and in belief for our girl to keep moving, and growing in the girl God created her to be. He also prayed for us, for our journey as parents, and to trust, hope, and enjoy the gift of both our girls.

So, yesterday, I did just that. I rejoiced in the progress she was making, and I relished her on the first day of her birth month. After her afternoon nap yesterday, I pulled her out of the crib, and laid her downstairs next to me on our new area rug. Jordan spent some time Tuesday night building our new coffee table, and the space felt different, with more space to move around.

I happened to be face-timing with my mom, chatting, laughing, and gabbing. And just like that, Addie started crawling to my mom over the phone. Before my eyes, one two, three movements, there she went. We both started screaming and cheerleading Addie on.

It was the very best. The moment of simple prayers answered that I realized weren’t so simple to me after all. And the sweet relief of it happening while my mom was also on the phone, there to witness that I wasn’t imagining what had happened. Three girls, tangled together through technology at its very best.

Yesterday, after she crawled, I texted my dear friend Cassi who lives in Washington. I shared with her the Addie news, and she said so perfectly this: “I feel like parenting is the ultimate pointer towards God, that we would go crazy without the blessed assurance that He has it all under control when clearly we do not”. She nailed it. And that’s it. It’s all about saying to fear, “No, your not allowed to be my first response”. And practicing
prayer and peace over panic. Even in the very depths of the unknown next steps and outcomes for our children and ourselves.

Parenting keeps pointing me towards a loving God, pointing me towards His Spirit inside of me telling me to rest even when it feels like I need to strive to know, to understand, and to solve.

We lay our little’s down, we love, we work at trust, and we surrender. And today, I rejoice, that He answered this mama’s prayer, for baby crawls of movement and motion for Addie, and baby crawls towards peace and prayer in my spirit as well. Way to go Adda-Roo, Way to Go.