Unexpected Rescuer

Again, Sienna has experienced another first. She has tried plain yogurt(I don't like plain yogurt, but before I gave it to her I thought, what the heck, and I tried it: I made the exact faces she did). From the pics I am sure you can tell what her take on it was. At first she just swallowed it b/c she knew it was food and she loves food. But after a couple of spoonfuls she started to just hold it in her mouth, as if she was trying to figure out what this white creamy stuff was. Then after more spoonfulls she just started to make very weird faces and just let the creamy stuff build up outside her mouth. Yet she kept letting me spoon more in and eventually she would swallow and the whole process would start over again. I've read that it takes a baby 15-20x to know if they really like a certain food. That is why I kept shoveling it into her mouth. Yet for me one try was more than plenty and I knew that I wouldn't be eating that stuff again.

It is kind of ironic. I was forcing her to do something that I myself wouldn't do. As I think about that I wonder if at times we as parents have standards for our kids that we don't even live up to, or are there things that we expect of them that we ourselves don't even do. The other day I went down to Pottery Barn with Sienna. With a baby you never know what to expect, so I prepare for every situation. So, I packed up my huge stroller(which is an SUV in and of itself), the snuggly (it is a mini sleeping bag for Sienna that just attatches right to me-very attractive), most of her favorite toys, her diaper bag (it actually is a survival bag for mommy), and last but not least my sweet baby girl (who could give any grown man a run for their money in a farting contest). I am in high spirits b/c we get there with Sienna half asleep. I pop open the SUV (which is great b/c I can do it with one hand while balancing Sienna on my hip-I knew God gave these to me for a reason) and ever so slowly buckle her in and were off for an easy breezy trip to pick out a rug. Well, of course as soon as I start to look at the rugs Sienna starts to get fussy. So, I pick her up and place her on the great gift that God has given me, my hip. After sorting through rugs I find the one I like and then realize how am I going to get it to the register-Aha, I will some how manuver it onto the stroller. I am sure the people around me thought I looked ridiculous, but I didn't care 'cause I got it onto the stroller and some how was able to hold onto her, balance the rug on the stroller, and push it all to the counter. Getting checked out was a whole other ordeal. But I managed and was proud of myself for not dropping anything. Yet, the real test was right before me. How the heck was I going to push the whole thing, while holding Sienna, through the big double glass doors. Then I saw my hope, a mom and her daughter were coming into the store. I just knew that this nice woman would see another parent in need and hold open the door for me. But no, she opened the door, took one look at me and kept on walking (I propmise you I didn't look that scary-I had at least taken a shower). I was a little angry at her. My mind began to race on how I was going to get through these doors. Then the person who I wasn't expecting to help, held open both doors for me, gave me a big smile, and became my rescuer. It was the teenage daughter.

Who would've thought that the daughter would be the one to do what was right. Shouldn't it have been the other way around. But no, it was the daughter stepping up and doing it. She was living out probably standards that her mom had taught her. I hope that the same standards that I teach to my children I live out in front of them as well. That I not only speak good things, but that I do good things. We lead by example, is yours worth following.