We are now officially parents

So, I know it's been a week since I have posted but it's been an uneventful week here with our little family, however I will say that Alea is changing everyday and I think we might really have our hands full with her in the coming months.  She is eight months old and is already exhibiting some strong defiant behavior.  I know, you might think how can an eight month old already be showing these types of personality traits?  Believe me, I thought the same thing but I think Alea has always been extra aware of her surroundings and as I've said before, watches EVERYTHING everyone does and has lots of energy.  It doesn't surprise me that she wants what she wants and will do what she can to let us know about it.  We've been fighting her to be still on the changing table for several months but the latest thing has been small temper tantrums when she wants us to put her down or if we take her away from something we don't want her to have.  Wren and I are reading a book right now called "Shepherding a child's heart"  by Tedd Tripp and it talks about ways to deal with this issue.  (BTW, I would suggest this book to any parent who is interested in Biblically based child raising techniques).  Someone made a comment to me several months ago about how easy I had it because Alea was only 4 or 5 months old.  They said "wait until she's about 9 months because that is when you'll have to start being a parent".  I now know what she meant by that.  It's time for Wren and I to start dealing with more difficult issues of having a child such as appropriate ways to let Alea know she's not in charge.  Wren commented today that along with this energetic and stubborn side of her personality also comes curiousness, determination and a sweetness which just makes Alea, as a whole, who she is and to love her is to accept EVERYTHING about her.  In these last few months I have realized just how important it is to raise Alea by God's standards because there is such an absence of it in our world today AND because it's just what we, as Christians, are called to do.  We do this, not because we want well behaved children but because the picture of parenting has been drawn by God and we are to follow, ALSO it's just one more way we can glorify Him.