Halloween

I am determined to write you more! I am trying to figure out your sleep schedule lately and it is driving me crazy. Some days you want one nap, some days 2, and some days NONE! We are trying to switch you to just one nap a day but you aren't taking a long enough nap. We will get it figured out! You have switched from going to bed at 9 to going to bed at 8 and sleeping in til 8. Works for me! Although, your Daddy is home on vacation this week and I am enjoying the extra, kid free (sorry!) time with him, I will miss you being awake with me once he goes back to work. Sometimes I wish you would sleep from like 11pm to 11am. Then we could stay up together and SLEEP IN together! But, I have always tried to listen to your body and do what comes naturally for you. When you were hungry I fed you, when you were sleepy I let you sleep, I have never been a stickler for a schedule. We have a routine, but definitely not a schedule! It seems to work well for us and that is all that matters. Well, today is Halloween and as I am sure you already know by the time you read this, that we don't celebrate Halloween. This is really odd for me, especially at first. I am getting on board though. I grew up celebrating Halloween and it was never a really BIG holiday in our house, but it was definitely something you looked forward to doing every year. My favorite parts were when we would come back and your Grandma would be making apple cider for all of us. The years that we had a van were best. We would ride down the road with the door open and hop out hit up 5 or 6 houses and hop back in all while Grandpa drove and Grandma was home handing out candy for the trick or treaters. I like the idea of getting to dress up as something cute and silly and then getting free candy, but Halloween is much more than that. In Mexico, it is called "La dia de los muertos" or the day of the dead. Your father can explain this more in detail to you, just ask him! He will be happy to explain it. But essentially it is a day that you call out the spirit/soul of loved ones that have passed on and leave a trail from the cemetary to your house. You offer them food and build an alter, etc. There is a lot of folklore behind it, but it is definitely a satanic holiday as well, with spiritual warfare in full blast! There are many examples in the Bible that we will be happy to show you, that support the way we have decided to stand on this issue. I worry that you will be upset when all of your friends are going Trick or Treating and you are not allowed to go. I hope that you will sit down with your Dad and listen to him on this. He is such a strong Christian and this is very important to him. He believes very strongly in this. You have to remember that things are very different here than how your father grew up. He had a much different childhood than you and I. It is important in family and life that we respect the views of others. With this being said, that also includes others views that we may not agree with or support. Just because someone doesn't believe the things you do doesn't make them wrong or even bad/evil. That is their decision. I want to teach you to stand up for what you believe in, but do it in a way that is not condeming of others. When you are older you can chose whether or not you want to participate in Halloween, but until then I pray that you respect the guidance and wisdom of your father and I. In the big scheme of things this is really not that big of a deal (I promise!!). 
I have to tell you the greatest thing you've done lately! You went poo poo in the potty for the first time yesterday! You were playing on the bed with me and daddy and you starting pointing to your diaper and trying to tell me something. Well this is normally what you do "after" you have already done your deed. Well I asked you "Do you need to go poo poo?" and you said yes, then I asked "Do you wanna go poo poo in the potty" and you said YES! I was so excited! We ran to the bathroom and you went!! You did it! I was jumping up and down and you started clapping your hands and your Daddy came running in to see what happened! Haha! I never imagined I would be so excited over some POOP! But it is fantastic to see you learn and do and grow!
You know me, I am a worrier. I am so excited that you are talking more and more, but I can't help but worry that you aren't talking as well as you should be. Maybe my expectations are too high. Afterall, you are learning two languages. I am just so convinced that something is going to be wrong or something will remain from all that happened to you. I have to stop it and truly believe that God has FULLY healed you. Everyone tells me how smart you are and I have to tell you, they can tell me how cute you are all day long but if someone tells me you are smart, man! That means THE WORLD to me! I love that you are so handsome and beautiful, but knowing that you are smart and will be able to do anything you want to in this life is a feeling that cannot be measured. You have touched the lives of many and I would like to share with you something a dear friend of mine wrote about you recently. I may even share a few of the comments that people posted about it for you. You may not even know what Facebook is by the time you read and understand all of this, but I will at least share what was written:

You all know how VERY much I love my grandbabies...to the moon and back and until the stars fall from the sky. But, I have to admit before God and the world that this little boy, Isaiah Vidal,...whew...tears me up...in a good way, every tim...e I see his bright, smiling, happy, sincere, innocent, perfectly HEALTHY face! This is his most recent picture his mom just posted and I have her permission to share it with you. This little miracle that now walks and talks on earth who, by all accounts since his very first breath, should not be doing so. This precious baby boy who was gifted from God not only to his amazing parents, Cari Biggers Vidal and her husband, but, indeed, gifted to us all. This angel of love whom so very many of you joined with me in fervent prayer for last year only hours after his birth during a succession of many unexplained seizures that stopped his heart and deprived his brain of oxygen for more minutes than "allowed" each time. I met him for the very first time in person just before July 4th this summer while on a visit to Mooresville, NC, and I was able to hold him and touch him and feel his breath against my skin and I was absolutely reduced to tears upon the realization that I had received a gift myself. As unworthy as I am, for some reason the Good Lord saw fit that I should know the experience of how it feels to see and touch and look straight into the eyes of a true miracle. And as I held Isaiah that very first time ...I think I actually clung to him, there was such a sweet release for my soul of knowing that if God can do what He did for Isaiah and for my sweet friend, Cari and her husband, there is absolutely NOTHING that He cannot do for any of us. This beautiful little boy has changed my life forever and I will always love him as if he is one of my own. Thank you all again for being a part of Isaiah's prayer chain. YOU made a difference in his life and he has most certainly made a difference I mine. I love you, Isaiah Vidal. And, Cari, I love you too and am so happy for you and so proud of the mother that you have become. I hope to get back for another visit soon! Love, Me ♥

 

"Me" here is a lady named Debra Snipes. Here is a picture of the two of you the first time you met:

 

 

We also just had some fall pictures done of all of us. I will post two of my favorites. Your grandma has the disc with all the pictures so I will have to show you more later.

 



You are so incredibly handsome!! We have been so blessed with such a good little guy! You are starting to get quite a mind of your own lately and we have had to really start disciplining you and sticking to our guns when we say NO! Which is a lot harder now that you say "peeeez!" so sweetly! We are having so much fun with you! You are enjoying every second that your daddy is home! Him and I were talking after you went to bed the other night and in conversation he said "well yeah, we'll be best friends" He was referring to when you become "a man" and it just really touched me because I love that he wants to be your daddy now, and looks forward to being best friends with you as you grow. This is saying a lot for your dad, as you know, he can be a bit reserved and quiet. But it showed me how much he loves your company and the little spitfire you are becoming! You already are best of friends but I can only imagine the way your bond will continue to grow and develop as you get older. We knew you were special before you were even born, but there's no doubt about it, you will do GREAT things son!