Blogging our first pregnancy and child rearing, all the ups and downs, tears and laughs and overthinking that not only comes with being knocked up and a new Momma, but with just being me.
Our Extra Long Weekend -
Friday morning we hoped in the car ready for some fun in the sun in NH. There wasn’t so much sun. But there was a lot of fun.
New Hampshire meant cows in the front yard, ears of corn to shuck and organic chives from Mimi’s garden to discover (and LOVE).
On Sunday - Bedtime was car time so we would be home for a Monday morning birthday party that involved pony rides (duh - we were making that!) and meeting swans and seeing and feeding lots of animals.
And I discovered that it is best to end extra long weekends with an impromptu cook out with best friends even if it interferes with bedtime, and especially if it involves checking out cats on roofs.
Which I shared with Mom on Sunday night to which she responded,
“Cutting loose bedtime sometimes is an essential part of parenting.”
From that…
To this…
My third year as a Mother, getting to celebrate this journey, getting to reflect on who I am now.
As I drove to Yoga on Sunday morning. I smiled. Just driving in my station wagon, car seat in the back seat, windows down. I felt happy. I felt content in my life, in this journey. Happy at where I was, where I’m going and where I’ve been.
To another year of growth, change, joy and memory making.
Just Keep Doing It
Hi.
I’ve been kind of quiet over here, huh?
Sometimes I want to write about how awesome my kid is and how amazed I am at him, daily. Especially his verbal abilities and his memory. But I don’t want to come off in a way that makes other Mamas feel less than.
Then, I want to write about how challenging this journey can be sometimes. How I got angry when Emilio won’t take a nap or go to sleep at night. But I know I’m not angry at him, I’m angry at myself. Or just tired. Usually just tired. But I feel like I do plenty of that here.
Or, I want to share the sweet moments I so cherish, like when he asks for me first thing in the morning and just cuddles in to my neck. But does that make it seem like I’m trying to mask our experience as picture perfect?
And then I want to just tell you about our weekend. But I don’t want to be boring.
Then I think about what to share, what’s new or cool or interesting. And I realize that while Emilio keeps changing, and our lives keep changing, there is more of the same. There is a little less rapid change and growth and a little more just, “Wow” at being a parent to this kid.
We were at a playground yesterday and Emilio was climbing up stairs meant for 5 year old kids (so there was a good bit of “throw my body half way up and just pull”) and doing the slide. Again, and again, and again. I didn’t have to help him. I didn’t have to hold his hand. He just kept doing it.
And that’s parenting too, right? You realize you get to places where you don’t have to hold anyone’s hand. You may have to throw yourself up and hope you can pull the rest of the way. But, you can go down the big slide. So you just keep doing it. Looking for that smiling face at the bottom.
Happy 26 Months my Milio Man!
You continue to grow, and change, and become the boy you are.
Your sentences lengthen, you understand more, you say more. And that is just one of the ways you showcase the boy you’re becoming.
You love to learn.
You love to read and dance and sing.
You love animals, all of them.
You love the people in your life.
You are my sweet baby boy, and my silly little guy all at once.
To more and more and more.
I love you,
Mama
A Day in the Life- Picture an Hour
Remember late 2011 when I shared a Saturday via a picture an hour? No? Here’s a reminder: http://barnardbabyblog.tumblr.com/post/10638740795/a-day-in-the-life-as-told-by-15-photos
I did it again!
7:30 We’re up! Time for milk and cereal with special raisins in it (golden raisins)
8:30 Hanging in the living room with a new farm set (This guy loves his farm animals)
9:30 Warmish sunny morning means a walk to Dunks for coffee. I’m ready for Spring!
10:30 Someone got my phone
11:30 Reading with Dada in the kitchen
12:30 Lunch at our favorite diner, Harvest. Fruit cup for dessert!
1:30 At swimming lessons early, so we got time to play with the School Bus. Everyone loves the School Bus!
2:30 Swimming Lessons with Dada in the pool today!
3:30 Gotta keep going, going, going since there was no nap today. Grocery shopping next!
4:30 Hanging back at home with Dij
5:30 Yoga!
6:30 Dinner is almost ready, but someone doesn’t want to wait.
7:30 and time for bed!
A fun day of just us. Just what we all needed!
24 Months - 2!
Emilio,
You’re 2! Wow. And quite a 2 year old you are. You shine such a bright light on the lives of the people around you. You are warm, welcoming, funny, smart and thoughtful.
You love to laugh, dance, sing and cuddle (for a few seconds at least).
You are so self assured and confident. You are who you are with no qualms. It is so refreshing to see. I know some of it will fade, regardless of what we encourage as your parents, and I will continue to bask in it now. As zany as you get, I eat it up.
You recently started saying, “Bless you, Mama” when I sneeze. Out of nowhere. Sweetest. We don’t really request that you say “please” and “thank you”, we just use them appropriately and hope you’ll understand their meaning and then use them appropriately on your own. And you do. And it is so sweet. Even at 4 AM when you want to nurse and are telling me, “Milk Mama, Milk, Pleasssse.”
We had quite the month as we celebrated the holidays and then geared up for your Birthday which we celebrated with a party and together as a family on the actual day.
It was busy, and we were together a lot which was wonderful.
As you continue to grow your language skills in leaps and bounds it gets even more fun to do things together and then talk about them later. Your comprehension and memory continues to astound me.
It all just keeps getting better. There are still moments when it is really hard. And moments when I think, “When does it get easier?” (I know it doesn’t, it just changes). Overall though, man it is awesome. You are awesome.
And now, we keep on growing together.
I love you Milio,
Mama
