Ready to Stand

Patrick's a pulling-up freak today. It's like something clicked. He'd been pulling up to his knees on everything all last week, but he fought to get up to his feet, usually with a little assistance from one of us. Then today, all of a sudden, he was pulling up on everything. He started with the gate thing around his play area.

Then he pulled up on a chair that I was sitting in, and then he was pulling up on me. He would pull himself to his feet, play for a minute, and then beg to be back on the floor--only to start the process all over again. It was funny watching him pull himself up on the gate thing, though. Once he was up, he didn't know what to do. He just screamed until Matt or I either picked him up or helped him sit back down.

He had a couple of bad screaming spells today. I'm pretty sure it's teething, but he may have just been bored with only me around to entertain him. As much as he clings to me, I'm not quite as exciting as Daddy, Nana, Grandpa, Gigi, Papa, and the kitty all at the same time.

I can't figure out why Patrick keeps coming to me for comfort. I don't feel worthy of his undying love and devotion. It's mere chance that I happened to be the one who carried him and gave birth to him, and I've done nothing more than meet his needs and love him the way a mother should since then. How is it that earns me the kind of love Patrick gives me? Why is it that he always wants me when he wants comfort? Why me? It's an awesome thing really, to have earned that kind of love and respect by the mere chance of being chosen by God to be Patrick's mother.