Dear Adelai | 7 Months|: By Small and Simple Things

Dear Adelai,

Hello, 7 months! Over the past few weeks I have really been focusing on consistency with you, most especially with your sleep routines. You aren't a newborn babe who can sleep in anyone's arms or in any situation.  We honed in on your bedtime routine this past month and made a point to get you into the bathtub at the same time every evening, going earlier if you showed the obvious signs of sleepiness. We then followed our routine, ending with you being very sleepy and able to drift off to sleep easily, if not already asleep from nursing. This consistency and the results that followed, reaffirmed in my mind the importance of doing small and simple ordinary things. Getting you into the bath at the same time every night may not seem like a big deal, but the consistency has helped teach you about bedtime. We have seen great improvements with your nighttime sleep, though I chuckle as I edit this because we've had some rough nights recently and naps have been a challenge. I guess this means I am mortal.

Adelai, it is the small and simple and seemingly ordinary habits in your life that will produce the extraordinary results you will desire. When I was in college, it was important to me to find a strong and special man that would become my husband. I knew I couldn't force the situation, but I also knew that I would need to put in consistent effort during my four years in school. I did not know if my efforts would be fruitful, but I trusted in God and gave it my all. During the 2.5 years before I met your dad, I dated regularly by accepting dates from all guys even those who didn't seem "my type." I asked guys out when I wasn't being asked out. I made sure I was living in a manner that would attract the kind of guy I wanted to marry. But most importantly, I prayed every single night that I would date the right guys that would lead me to find a spouse. Not one of these actions was earth bending or magnificent, but each action, combined with the others, produced a magnificent result.

The small and simple things you do each day to better yourself will combine to form a great woman. These habits will keep you rooted in the right place, especially when the winds of trial blow in your face. 

Your dad and I firmly believe this, which is why we have already started to read scriptures with you everyday, even if it is only one scripture each night. It is why I tell you that "it's prayer time" when a prayer is said at church or at home and I gently fold your arms to teach you what is to be done during a prayer. No, you don't seem to always care to be quiet during a prayer, nor does it seem to matter to you to keep your arms folded, but I hope that by teaching you from a young age, prayer will always be a part of your life. 

When I was a girl, I grew up near the giant Redwood trees of the Pacific Coast. I marveled at the size and age of these trees. Amazingly, they grow from the tiniest of seeds, bit by bit, until they are over 250 feet tall.  They don't grow this tall overnight. One reason they grow so tall is because of the coastal fog that provides moisture to these trees on a continual basis. Consistency is key.

Your Great-Grandma Carolyn and Great Grandma and Grandpa Whipple
California, November 2000

Source

My sweet girl, focus on the small and simple things in your life that will have a lasting impact. Don't underestimate the impact a genuine smile can have on someone else. Remember that in your schoolwork, it is easier to study a little bit each day than to cram the night before a test. When you feel like you aren't measuring up, remember every small good thing you did that day and know that you have done something, because habits aren't created overnight. 

If nothing else, remember these inspiring words: 

Be not weary in well doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. (Source)

I love you, sweet girl.
Mom