The Power of Communication

So tonight Noah went down to bed easier than he has in probably the past few weeks. THANK GOODNESS! But that victory does not come without many tears (sometimes I am not sure who is doing the crying Noah or I) over the past few weeks. I am not sure what gets into him, he does great all day and then right as we go to do that last night feeding before sleep he just screams and cries and often then he leaves me and him in tears.

That is just one of the many sad crying faces I seem to get from my son on a normal basis at night. Last night was one of those nights.; he had eaten a bunch that day and that should have been my first clue to what was going on. But it was not, Mommy is just not that smart sometimes. We get him ready for bed: Tubby (which he is all smiles for I think its his favorite part of the day!), lotion. diaper, pj's, and then feeding he starts eating and BAM it starts the screaming crying and full blown melt down. Now by this time I am used to what is going on, my little man is sometimes lazy at night and can not stand to work for food when he is tired at night. So being the "smart" mom I am I let him cry and then try to make him eat. This goes on for what seems like forever but probably was only 15 minutes of him screaming and screaming at me growing louder and louder as Mommy tries to get him to eat. In a final effort to get him to calm down (in my mind so he can eat some more) I give him his foofie.... and within minutes silence.... he has fallen asleep. I let him sit there on my lap for a few more minutes and then more him to his bed. He was so tired that he got to bed and didn't even want his foofie anymore. He wasn't hungry.

Those events brought me to tears and got me thinking, what kind of mom am I that can't even figure out what my little man is trying to tell me. Communication such an amazing and powerful thing when you think about it we rely so much on many different forms, yet often our intentions, actions, and words are often not understood. I as a mother should be able to understand what is going on with my child. I should be able to understand him yet often I am left confused, discouraged, and frustrated. I praise God that He is not like that with me. I think about all the times I am screaming, crying and fussing to him about some "major" crisis in my life, unlike this mommy, He as a father gets it. He gets me, He understands me, and unlike me he does not get confused, discouraged, or frustrated when I start to yell and complain.  As I finish up this post I am reminded of this passage:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. " -Jeremiah 29:11-13