Oh, the Sweetest Thing

I got the U2 song playing in your head now, don't I?  Well, it's playing in mine.  

It was a clever title, what can I say?

I've had quite a few good titles piling up and things to write about, but not the time or our computers' cooperation in the past few weeks.  And too bad I got inspired to blog about my girls towards the end of my 2-year-old's nap and at about the time I'll need to nurse my 3-week-old again!  Oh well, hopefully this will make it up before my husband gets home and has to use the laptop to work on one of his essays for school.

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So, I was browsing Facebook and noticed that my mother-in-law had created an album on her profile titled "Adella Hope" filled with pictures she took of Adella and Leala during her visit here at the beginning of the month.  I was so surprised when I saw the picture she took of Gregg kissing Adella in the hospital.  I remember him doing that and not having my camera within reach to capture the special moment.  I only vaguely remember my mother-in-law snapping the picture. But she did, she captured it (thank goodness)!  Then excitedly I remembered the picture I took of Gregg kissing Leala when she was a newborn in the hospital!  Since several of you have told me that you really liked the other pair of twinsey photos I posted of Leala and Adella, I decided to post another set.  It's amazing to me that both of these sets of pictures were taken by coincidence.

Speaking of candid, unrehearsed moments captured on camera, I caught Leala holding Adella's hand from the other room while she was eating her snack and watching Jelly Telly online earlier today.  I was only able to sneak this one shot before Leala realized I had entered the room and was taking her picture.  It's moments like these that encourage me to keep seeing the best in my daughter, especially since lately my husband and I have been seeing what people must mean by "the terrible twos."  I've been tempted to take my daughter's fits personally and start seeing her as an irritation.  I've lost my patience and have gotten frustrated.  But sweet moments like these remind me of Leala's potential for good and I want to keep being the one who believes in her as opposed to becoming one who would make a habit of disapproving of her.  It reminds me of the things I read from Sally Clarkson recently about building strong relationships with your children:

"... as we accept and encourage our children, we will teach them to be encouraging in their own relationships.  Children who are constantly criticized will tend to be negative and critical in their relationships with others.  When children feel appreciated and encouraged, they become encouragers themselves, sources of life and hope in an often discouraging world."  {The Mission of Motherhood, p. 133}  

What do you know, I actually finished this post in one sitting!  Time to nurse Adella now, for Leala to wake up from her nap and my husband to come home from work soon.