Ten

Sweets is now ten years old.  I remember when she came to me at eight months old.  And I remember when she moved to her dad's just before she was five, and my heart nearly broke.  Now she has lived with him longer than she lived with me, but she is still my daughter and in my life.  It has been a challenge, driving back and forth every weekend to pick her up (40 miles each way), negotiating schedules with her dad (usually at the last minute), trying to monitor schoolwork, providing extracurricular activities, and dealing with her dad's ego and authority mindset.  All in all, Sweets is totally worth it.  She is a bright, energetic, outgoing child who is much more independent and mature than a ten year old should be.  She is sweet and tender and caring, even though her own feelings and struggles sometimes get in the way.  She has so much potential in so many areas.  I am very glad I still get to be her mom, even if from a distance most of the week.  I'm loving watching her grow up and am excited to see where she goes in life!

Precious is now ten months old.  She is developing her own unique personality.  This weekend she started walking with a push toy that Miss M gave her as an early Christmas present.  Although I think it will still be a while before she walks on her own, she seems to enjoy this newfound freedom in an upright position.  Precious is babbling a lot.  She knows how to get our attention.  With eight teeth, four on top and four on bottom, she is branching out into trying many table foods in addition to her baby food.  This week she ate pieces of lettuce, tomato, pasta, potato, roll, and pumpkin pie, to name a few.  She is definitely bonded to me and has started getting a little clingy, wanting mom over others, even people that she knows well.  It's hard to believe ten months has passed so quickly, and yet it seems like she has been with us forever.