thank you

Sweet Pea, for letting me be your mama.

I love you.

things I want to remember

 

The way you have started to throw tantrums. You aren't really crying. More like screaming. Deep, loud and passionate. Your little fists clench together and your booty hits the floor. The other day, you put yourself in your room mid-tantrum. You plopped yourself down in front of your crib, just like Daddy makes you do when you are acting up.

 
The way you whisper "up!" instead of saying it out loud. You never holler it, just whisper and hold your arms out.

 
You started saying "airpane!" a few weekends ago and gosh darnit, you were right. There was an airplane. I didn't teach you this. Daddy didn't either, I asked. Those sweet teachers of yours taught you that and I smiled knowing that you are learning from them. Not only do you recognize the sound when we are inside and you hear it, you pointed to a picture of one and identified it as an "airpane" all by yourself. So smart.

 
The answer to everything is a quick and innocent "no".

Do you love me? No. Do you want to sing a song? No. Did you have a good day at school? No.

Daddy says he wants to make you a "yes baby" but we haven't seen any headway in that area yet...

 
If you get hurt, you come tell Mommy immediately. It doesn't matter if you stubbed your toe or scratched your knee, you come to me and say "Bah, bah" and gesture toward your forehead. This means you "bonked" and you want me to hold and kiss and make it better. I say "Did you bonk?!" and you say "Bah, auwoo" (bonk, owee).

 
You are starting to say "love you" unprovoked. The sweetest is lately you've been saying it quietly as daddy walks out of the room after laying you down for the night. "Wuv-oo" is absolutely the BEST to hear from you, because you say it real sweetly and sink your chin into your neck and smile.

 
That the other day I said "holy cow!" and you followed promptly with "MOOOO!!". Your daddy and I died laughing.

A shower

 

I drove over 1,000 miles last weekend to celebrate a new baby who is going to make his grand entrance in June. It was so wonderful to get away, go shopping, get pedicures, and of course shower the mama-to-be! Daddy daycare was in full swing and I just have to say when you leave your husband alone with your 18-month old and have NO worries, you know you’ve got a good daddy :)

The hostess was an expert and she did some really beautiful things to make it special.

We played the Measure the Belly with Ribbon game…I think that game should be banned because every time I play it, the same thing ends up happening. A leetle too many inches.

I got to lounge around and relax and drink a little slushy cocktail thing and take pictures and not be a toddler mom (ie: wiping snotty noses, changing poopy diapers, dealing with tantrums). It was a great weekend.

I was sure glad to get home to my two loves, though. My girl even cried “maaaamaa” for me the first night I was home and I put her to bed. I had to oblige and go back in for some more rocking and cuddles!

Easter and a little bit of yogurt

 

There are a few foods that my girl did not like at all no matter how many times we have offered them to her. And there are a few foods that my girl favored so much in the past and now she won’t touch them to her lips. Her taste is ever-changing, so we just try to offer her a little bit of everything. Mamu (Grandma) says we should feel lucky because she is a good eater. I knew she would be if she was mine :)

In this case, we re-introduced yogurt. What a hit. Even today she asks for more when it’s gone.

We had a nice little short egg hunt at our new house, and I was surprised again by the way she knew to pick up the eggs and put them in her basket. Her older cousins were even nice enough to leave some of the easier ones for her to grab.

Another awesome part was that she didn’t care how many she had, didn’t care if other kids had more, and didn’t mind if they stole her eggs and at the candy out of them. I’ll comment on this next year, I’m sure it will be very different!

Pea and her cousin. Click here to see them last Easter.

So much has changed since last Easter, but it really feels like just yesterday. We have a growing little girl, a home to call our own, and our families here with us when we need them. 

Click here to see our little family last year. We are about 50lbs lighter this year!

where I wish I was

Instagram day

Clearly Instagram Sunday belongs to more type-A people than me because I choose to do Instagram-whatever-damn-day-it-is.

 

So, today is the day. Because it just is.

 

We are enjoying our new home, figuring out how we will use the space, getting used to things, small people getting lost every now and then, and dealing with a real acoustics problem. I mean, it sounds like my husband is pouring coffee onto my pillow when he is across the house in the kitchen at four a.m. preparing his morning joe. It’s so strange and we have got to get some rugs and curtains up in this house to try and absorb some of that sound travel!

 

Paisley is just growing up too much. She really is in her terrible twos, or is just going to turn out just like me and we are going to be in for it. I love that little bug, she is going to really give us a run for our money, though.

 

 

When dry shampoo is not enough.

&

Someone got their first haircut. Rise against the baby mullet. Seriously, parents.

 

 

Helping me shop. Don’t you dare try to take those crackers away from her even though she hasn’t eaten one in an hour. I learn these lessons the hard way.

&

We FINALLY wore sandals! Welcome, summer :)

 

 

Not only sandals, but little rompers and walks in the stroller. This makes for one happy girl.

&

Daddy naps. Whatever works.

 

 

I think we will be “moving in” for the next 6 months.

This photo is not intentionally sloppy. That was the actual state of my utensil drawer when I opened it.

&

I’d like to thank Wal-Mart and the inventor or Rubbermaid drawer dividers. Thank you.

 

 

Get in my belleh. I have an unhealthy burrito addiction.

&

New phrase: “Oh nooo!”. And for the first time this weekend, she copied what I said without being prompted. I said “Oh dear” in the parking lot and she quickly repeated like a little parrot. Does this mean I’m going to have to start watching my language? DAMMIT!

 

 

I’m coming around to this the hard way. My daughter is me. It takes a basket full of expensive, dermatologist recommended, fragrance-free, super plus therapy, natural, hypoallergenic shit stuff to keep her from breaking out in hives or some other terrible disaster. It’s like me all over again in miniature form. Hi, Mom- I am sorry I did this to you. Don’t worry, I’m getting mine now.

&

I don’t think I am going to EVER have my husband mount my body mirror in the new house. The further I lean it against the wall, the taller and skinnier I get. I like having this type of control :)

 

Egg hunt at school and an awesome photo

 

She loves her school. We love her school. We decided to join her in her first-ever Easter Egg hunt. It went great and she took the reigns immediately wondering why I was trying to steal her basket. She showed us the slide and walked around acting shy. Inside some of the eggs were jelly beans. 

Can I just ask this: do parents of 18 month olds really give their kids jellybeans?? Paisley had like 4 halves of molars. And she’s never had candy. Gummy or chewy candy really does not seem like it’d be easy for them.

Maybe I’m the weird one?

 

 

At the end it was like ‘Oh, we’ve been having such a fun time here and she’s had pictures with everyone else…how about ONE picture with mommy and daddy?’

This is what I get.

 

I’m calling this experience, this face, and this photo awesome because this shit always happens when you want things to go right.

Right?