My how you've grown!

Kids will grow up regardless of where their daddy is stationed at the time.

I took the kids back to the gym nursery today. Since my mom was out from Thursday through last night, she watched them during that time when I went to the gym. Today was their first day back in nearly a week (I didn't go on Wednesday).

The women there marveled at how big The Boy has gotten. They insisted he had really grown in just those few days.

That made me think of dh. He's been gone for 106 days now. I can only imagine how he feels about our baby growing and changing so much in his absence.

My mother keeps insisting The Boy will be walking soon (mind you, he's not even standing on his own yet). I just brush that aside insisting I highly doubt it. Inside, though, I'm silently pleading with the baby NOT to walk. Please save that for your daddy.

The girls' first word was "Dada." The Boy's first words have been "Milk," "Mama," and "Bye bye." He babbled "Dada" on the phone with his daddy last month (when dh was actually calling us) and dh asked, "Does he know what he's saying?" I replied with the diplomatic, "No, he's not really saying anything, he's just making sounds." But I thought to myself, "How could he know what he's saying? He has no concept of Daddy. To him, Daddy means pictures and the telephone." I didn't dare say that out loud, though. Dh told me in a firm tone, "He'll know who I am."

I've been listening to Vienna Teng's Lullabye For A Stormy Night quite a bit lately. I love it and I use it as a spring board to try to be a better parent. The other day, though, I listened to the song and tried to imagine dh hearing it and what it would mean to him. That just breaks my heart.

You can hear the entire song here: Vienna Teng (this is NOT her official MySpace page)

From ViennaTeng.com (discography/Waking Hour/Lullabye...)

Lullabye For a Stormy Night

little child, be not afraid
though rain pounds harshly against the glass
like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger
I am here tonight

little child, be not afraid
though thunder explodes and lightning flash
illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight

and someday you'll know
that nature is so
the same rain that draws you near me
falls on rivers and land
on forests and sand
makes the beautiful world that you'll see
in the morning

little child, be not afraid
though storm clouds mask your beloved moon
and its candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams
I am here tonight

little child, be not afraid
though wind makes creatures of our trees
and their branches to hands, they're not real, understand
and I am here tonight

for you know, once even I was a
little child, and I was afraid
but a gentle someone always came
to dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
and to give a kiss goodnight

well now I am grown
and these years have shown
that rain's a part of how life goes
but it's dark and it's late
so I'll hold you and wait
'til your frightened eyes do close

and I hope that you'll know...

everything's fine in the morning
the rain'll be gone in the morning
but I'll still be here in the morning