Alright!! Two days in a row of posting!!

Sticking with the chosen topic: Baby Steps. While I said before that I wasn't necessarily going to focus on my actual baby's "steps," today I felt inspired to talk about Harlan's "baby steps" toward potty training, which is really quite freaky. It seems like only yesterday he was BORN...

But anyway...the little guy has gotten very good at recognizing, and often repeating, the words we say and what they mean. If I say "Do you need a new diaper?" he'll usually stop what he's doing and walk to the changing table in his room. Likewise, if I say, "Do you want to eat?" or "Do you want to take a bath? go to bed?" whatever the case may be, he'll walk to the area where that task usually takes place. Well, because I don't quite trust him yet, if I go to use the bathroom, I usually take him along, just so that I know he's not breaking something or getting into something in another room while I'm "occupied." He has caught on to the word "potty" and now if I say I have to go potty, he'll lead me to the bathroom and point to the stool and say "potty" (in his slightly less clear version of the word). I've had him do this a few times, partly because it's so cute, and partly because I do like the use of repetition to help teach him things. Tonight I tried to sit him on the potty, fully clothed, and he wasn't quite ready for that...but hey, we have to take baby steps right?

While these little jewels of wisdom he's picking up are probably pretty standard for his age and are just part of growing up, as a first time mom I can't help but be in awe of the fact that he knows stuff (as Joe puts it...). A year ago, he didn't know much. He knew that when he was hungry, he always got some fresh from the farm warm mother's milk. He knew that sometimes he would get some pureed vegetables. And my hope is that he at least knew the feeling of being loved. But he didn't really know much about anything, and watching him learn about our world, even in his sheltered little version of it, is just truly amazing. I thank God everyday for Harlan and all the baby steps we get to take as our family continues to grow in love.

What about Bob...ever seen that movie? I saw it a long time ago, and only really remember one concept about it...the therapist in the film that focused on Bill Murray and his "problems" taught him to used baby steps to achieve his goals.
I always have good intentions to achieve some little goal, and always have a hard time finding, or MAKING, the time to reach that goal. First case that comes to mind: blogging.
A long time ago, I started a blog, despite the fact that for a long time before that, I thought "why would anyone blog? who cares what we ALL think?" I did it anyway, and it lasted about...oh, ONE post. After Harlan was born, I considered getting back to it, but didn't make the time, until I was so impressed with my friend Kim's blog that I decided I really needed to try it again. That led to the post back in July 2011. Again, that post, which promised another later that week, stood alone for a long, long time. It's January 2012 now, and lately, I've been thinking, yet again, that I really want to get back to blogging. I've also seen many friends posting amazingly thought out and impressive blog posts. Sometimes I'll read them, but honestly, a lot of time, I have a hard time reading them because (here is the thing that I probably shouldn't admit...) sometimes, when I want something really bad, it's hard for me to see other people actually get it! Like a good, up-to-date, blog! Seeing these touching, funny, thought-provoking posts reminds me of the fact that I still haven't reached MY goal of posting anything, much less something so GOOD!
What does this have to do with Bill Murray? Well, I've realized that just like with taking down the Christmas lights and decor, achieving my goal of blogging is going to be best accomplished with baby steps. In fact, I think that baby steps might be the key to getting me toward a lot of other unfinished business...and those topics will be in the spotlight in upcoming posts of this blog, which I am renaming (for the third time) as Baby Steps. While some people may think that I'm referring to my own "baby" and his progression through baby-hood, the baby steps I'm going to focus on will be baby steps toward getting where I want to be...in my family life, work-life, and anywhere else where I'm having a hard time reaching a goal.
I still have a hard time thinking anyone will want to read some of the random things that I feel compelled to share, but if you have, thanks! And let this be the "third time's a charm" that gets me on the road to successful blogging!