My boy

There are so many things as a first time mom that I question myself on. One of which is discipline and behavior for Ethan. He is in the thick of toddlerhood and all that it encompasses: seeking independence, phases like hitting and kicking, talking back, etc. There are moments that I question myself, "am I doing the right thing by (fill in the blank)"... I know that we have a strong willed child. He sadly takes after me in that regard. But right now my biggest prayer is that God will use that strong will later in life to bring Him glory. That having a strong will in itself is not a bad thing when used for "good". So while my son is well,...being a toddler. I need to remind myself that most of it is just a phase, that he is genuinely a good kid with a sweet demeanor and tender heart like his daddy. So my reason for this post is to highlight something we love about him. He loves to serve. A toddler who loves to serve?! YES! He loves to be a helper! Whenever I am doing laundry he is constantly at my feet trying to help. He likes putting the clothes in the washing machine, dumping the detergent, turning it on, closing the door, putting the wet clothes into the dryer, and especially LOVES putting the laundry away. Another thing he loves is "helping" with the dishwasher. Mainly putting it away. He thrives on being a "helper" and i'm really counting on using this when our next little one comes. Not in the way you imagine: child labor, ha ha, but I am really going to use this sweet part of my son to help him transition into life with another child in the household besides him. He is already talking about sharing his room, toys, getting to hold, and play with his "wittle brudder"! Now i'm not going to be naive and assume life will be a bed of roses when the new one arrives, I know transition time will be hard. But I am hoping the more we talk about it with him, prepare him, and use his strengths then the adjustment will hopefully go somewhat smoothly.
I pray that this tender heart and serving that Ethan loves now will remain within him forever. He is such a sweet little guy. It made my heart melt when I went to pick him up from his class this morning at church and one of his teachers seemed so pleased that he loved to clean up and be a helper. I definitely had a proud mom moment. Sometimes I just wish there was so much more we could to do help him understand that we love him and are proud of him. I thank God for my son, and I feel privileged that we have the opportunity to add another precious boy to our family in just a few short months!