Payton Post

In all of our fun baby preparations, I would be remiss if I did not celebrate the first child God brought into my life. So I want to take a few minutes and do that now.

Payton came in to my life when Andrew did. It was not exactly how I expected to become a parent, but it has been nothing short of a blessing, and I thank God every day for the daughter of my husband. She doesn't come without her challenges, but she is my girl. :)

My top 5 favorite things about Payton...

5. I love the way Payton says, "Hi, Daddy!" The girl wasn't always a Daddy's girl, but she is now. :) One of my most proud moments as a wife was when Andrew thanked me for all that I do so that he can be a part of Payton's life. Because of his schedule, I end up doing a lot of the transporting back and forth, and since he doesn't usually have weekends off, my keeping her allows him to see his daughter. I love that. I believe that all wives have slightly different roles in their husband's life, and this is one of my favorite roles. Facilitating a relationship between Andrew and Payton is something I'm proud to be a part of.
4. I never get ready (or do anything) alone when she's there. I always tell Andrew after we've had Payton for a week or so that I go through an adjustment period without her there. If I'm drying my hair, she's sitting on the bathroom floor playing with my brushes; if I'm cooking dinner, she's sitting on the counter administrating; if i'm paying bills, she's folding papers or sorting envelopes... Sometimes, I don't love it at the time, but I always miss that when she leaves.
3. Payton is learning to shop like me. I've really gotten into couponing and shopping sales lately (It started as an effort to save a little money, but has become an obsession.) I love walking through Publix with Payton as she asks if something is "buy one, get one free." She knows if it's not, we walk past it. :) She is also learning to clip coupons...for herself right now. She can recognize a bar code and a product she thinks looks good! She sets that aside for me to cut.
2. Payton thinks that all kids have a stepmom. A couple of weeks ago, I was reminding Payton that her cousin Sydney's mom Stephanie was also having a baby...she asked me who Sydney's stepmom was. The innocence of that comment is wonderful to me because it proves that God has protected her from the pain of a broken relationship between her parents (you can't have a broken relationship if there never was a relationship in the first place). I've known her since she was two. She doesn't remember life before me. I hope that'll work in her favor in the long run.
1. Payton has a loving heart. I took Payton to Borders to pick out a book a while ago, and I talked her into buying one of my favorites: "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs." She adores the book (I think both Andrew and I can recite it), and she saw the movie and liked it too. In the wake of the Haitian earthquake, Andrew shared with Payton the devastation going on there. She seemed confused and asked me why God didn't just let meatballs (and other food) fall from the sky so the hungry people could eat. We had to talk about how God was capable of anything, but not willing to do everything...and of course, we had to talk about manna from Heaven, but her sweet heart is endearing and open and I hope she never loses that.

Obviously, these aren't the only things I love about my stepdaughter, but they are my favorite things right now. I know that I'll officially be a parent when Jackson is born, but my role as a stepmom is not something lost on me, and something that has brought me more joy and growth than words can tell.

Once baby Jackson comes, Payton has promised to change all diapers and do all feedings...we'll see if that gets added to the list...or not! :)